Prickly Pear Seed Oil for Skin: What This Botanical Oil Is

Of all the botanical oils that show up on a skincare label, prickly pear seed oil is one of the rarest and most quietly prized. It appears in small amounts, near the end of ingredient lists, and it...

Black Seed Oil for Skin: What This Botanical Oil Really Is

Black seed oil is having a moment in natural skincare, but it is one of the most misunderstood ingredients on a label. People see it in a botanical face oil, recognize the name from a wellness shel...

Witch Hazel for Skin: What This Botanical Toner Really Is

If you have spent any time reading skincare labels, you have almost certainly seen witch hazel. It is one of the most recognizable names in the natural toner aisle, and it has been part of the Nort...

Fermented Rice Water for Skin: The East Asian Beauty Tradition Behind a Modern Toner

Fermented rice water has been part of East Asian beauty traditions for centuries. Long before it appeared in modern toners and serums, it was used by the Yao women of Huangluo, China — a village w...

Frankincense Serrata CO2 in Skincare: What Boswellic Acids Do for Aging Skin

Frankincense has been burned as sacred resin for thousands of years. But the reason it keeps appearing in modern botanical skincare has nothing to do with tradition — it is the chemistry of what CO...