The Beauty Of Botanical Biology

It is estimated that there are over 500,000 species of plants on our planet, but we have only made friends with about 10%. Much of what we know about the latter is owing to clues left by different indigenous cultures throughout the world, from Neanderthal artifacts found in what is now Iraq to the writings of Hippocrates, Dioscorides, Galen and others from the ancient Greek, Roman and Renaissance periods. In the New World, different Native American peoples contributed significant knowledge of thousands of plants, some of which the current body of western materia medica is built upon.

Modern scientists have identified specific groups of phytochemicals produced by plants that not only provide plants their flavor, color and aroma but also act as defense mechanisms to protect plant cells from oxidative stress. Formulas for skin and hair that utilize of these natural antioxidant compounds instead of toxic “anti-aging” chemicals are far less likely to give you worry lines, among other things.

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The advantages of incorporating herbs and other natural ingredients into your personal care products include the fact that they are affordable and you usually won’t have to go any further than your garden, pantry or favorite herb supplier (if you don't know where to buy, let us know). Take green tea, for instance. The same brew you sip at breakfast can zap a bug bite, enhance light hair shades, reduce the appearance of under-eye circles, and serve as an astringent toner and after shave lotion.

Another example is linalool, a highly aromatic plant alcohol used in the perfume and cosmetic industry in synthetic form that naturally occurs in birch,cinnamon, mint and, most notably, in lavender. Named after the Greek word that means “to wash,” the skin rejuvenating qualities of the latter was discovered in 1928 by Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, a chemist who accidentally caught his sleeve on fire and sought relief of the resulting burn from the nearest coolant available—a vat of lavender oil.