The popularity of botanical beauty has grown exponentially over the past two decades – and it shows no signs of slowing as science continues to support the effectiveness of plant-based ingredients.

It’s no secret that scientists are constantly looking to nature for the next big ingredient in skincare. After all, plants pack an almighty punch when it comes to helping to reduce the visible signs of ageing skin.  

So which plant-derived ingredients should we be looking for to help with the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, sagging, pigmentation and uneven skin tone?

The key is to find products containing antioxidant-rich ingredients that can help prevent and repair photodamage (skin damage caused by the sun’s UV rays)¹. Just like our diet needs plant-based foods rich in antioxidants to keep us healthy, so does our skin.

Elucent Skincare formulations contain a variety of vitamins and oils, including Vitamin E (tocopherol), Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil and Indian Gooseberry (Phyllanus emblica) fruit extract. 

Here’s how they can help the appearance of your skin:

Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil contains fatty acids and antioxidants that assist in preventing or delaying skin damage caused by free radicals such as smoke, pollution, stress and sun exposure. This, in turn, helps to diminish the signs and occurrence of dry skin². Research has also discovered that it is an excellent anti ageing agent and anti-wrinkle ingredient in skincare³.

Phyllanus Emblica Fruit Extract (Indian Gooseberry) which has been used for thousands of years for a range of different health problems⁴, is a rich source of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and gallic acid. It has been shown to be a strong antioxidant that can act as an ultraviolet (UV) protectant and an anti-ageing compound⁵.

Tocopherol (Vitamin E) is a popular ingredient used in many moisturising skincare products. However, few know that Vitamin E (tocopherol) is a plant-derived fat-soluble antioxidant that protects the skin from the harmful effects of free radicals. Free radicals occur naturally in the body and can cause harm if their levels are too high⁶. Vitamin E helps to counteract free radicals⁵ and work to enhance and maintain the skin’s moisture content⁷. It also assists in the reduction of inflammation and redness in the skin¹ and minimises the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles⁶.