Forget about the beauty products with harsh chemicals and explore the Plants with Cosmetic Uses that are both organic and healthy!
The use of cosmetics is very common these days. These products can make your skin beautiful immediately but the chemicals and parabens will make the skin unhealthy and dull with regular use and let’s not forget the long term side effects and health issues they carry. Instead of using these full of chemical products, try growing these plants with cosmetic uses and use them fresh.
Check out our article on flowers for beautiful skin here!
Plants with Cosmetic Uses
1. Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis)
Aloe vera plant has numerous healing qualities and for this reason, it has a variety of uses in cosmetics as well. The leaves of the aloe vera plant contain a gel-like substance that has many minerals, vitamins, and amino acids. All these nutrients have moisturizing, soothing, toning, and anti-inflammatory properties. Its juice is also used in making moisturizing lotions, creams, deodorants, and hair care products.
How to Use: Cut the leaf from your aloe vera plant; wash it and apply the gel on clean skin.
To learn about aloe vera benefits, click here!
2. Rose (Rosa)
Roses are prized for their unmatched beauty and fragrance! They are available in a large range of species that are used as an ornamental plant in homes and gardens. Apart from that, roses have many uses in the cosmetic industry as well, as its oil is rich in vitamins with exceptional hydrating, antibacterial, and antifungal qualities, making it one of the best plants with cosmetic uses on the list!
How to Use: Take fresh or dried rose petal (crushed), one teaspoon yogurt, and half a teaspoon honey. Mix all ingredients and apply it on your face using fingertips. Let it stay for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with cold water.
To make a toner, take 2 teaspoons of rosewater, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of glycerin. Apply this solution to your face overnight, with regular use you will experience many positive changes in your skin.
Check out our article on growing roses in containers here!
3. Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
The calendulas are easy to care for and maintain plants that have properties to heal the skin from the suntan, improving skin texture, treating acne, anti-aging, and reducing redness. Various creams, lotions, and ointments are prepared by the calendula oil, which is extracted by soaking the flowers in a carrier oil.
How to Use: You can treat acne, blemishes, and dark spots by steeping three teaspoon calendula petals in a cup of water for 10 minutes. Wash your face with this solution regularly and see the results in a few weeks.
4. Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)
Hibiscus plants are rich in amino acids, antioxidants, and oligopeptides that help in reducing fine lines and wrinkles from the skin, doing an anti-aging effect. Also, the leaves and flowers are good for hair care. The flowers are used in the preparation of many skin and hair nourishment products.
How to Use: Hibiscus leaf is a natural hair conditioner, as it contains ‘mucilage polysaccharides.’ Take 15-20 leaves, and boil them. Apply the water to your hair for two weeks for reduced hair fall and increase shine.
5. Lavender (Lavandula)
The oil from the lavender plant has calming, soothing and healing effects and is used as a skin moisturizer. Apart from pleasant fragrance it also has antiseptic qualities. Lavender oil also has various uses in perfumes, bath and body care products, making it one of the best plants with cosmetic uses on the list!
How to Use: Prepare a face mask by boiling lavender flower petals for a few minutes. Strain the water, remove the petals, add 1 teaspoon of oat powder and make a paste. Apply this on your face and rinse with water when it gets dry.
To Learn how to lavender plants, click here!
6. Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)
Cucumber has anti-inflammatory, emollient and moisturizing properties. It contains 95 percent of water, vitamin C, antioxidants, silica, and fatty acids and is widely used in lotions, creams, and cleansers for its hydrating properties.
How to Use: Crush half cucumber and grind it along with the peel and strain the juice. Apply this on the clean face like a toner and it is going to brighten your complexion and reduce the pore size as well.
Check out our article on growing cucumbers here!
7. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
Chamomile has wide use in natural cosmetics; as it has antiseptic, emollient, anti-inflammatory, disinfectant, analgesic, anti-fungal, and healing properties. Besides that, the chamomile products are hypoallergenic, reducing skin irritation by preventing the damage caused by free radicals, making it one of the best plants with cosmetic uses on the list!
How to Use: Take equal amounts of raw milk and lemon juice, mixing it with dried or fresh chamomile petals. Make a paste and apply this on the face for 5 minutes. It is going to work as a natural cleanser. With regular use, it is potent in removing blackheads and pigmentation from the face.
8. Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
Apart from the medicinal uses, basil has many uses in the cosmetic industry as well. Mainly, it is used in hair care products, acne treatments, perfumes, and body care products. It also helps in cleaning oil and dirt from clogged pores. The antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory characteristics of basil aids in controlling acne as well.
How to Use: Take 15-20, fresh basil leaves and mix it with 2 teaspoon curd. Apply the mixture to your face and leave it for 15 minutes. This pack is going to make your skin spot and acne-free and healthy.
To learn how to grow basil indoors, click here!
9. Marigold (Tagetes)
Marigolds are rich in carotenoids (Compounds like vitamin A) and can help in rejuvenating dull and damaged skin. The flowers have anti-bacterial, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory properties that help in curing wounds, rashes, acne, blemishes, and other skin problems. The oil extracted from marigold has various uses in the cosmetic industry and used in the preparation of sunscreen, bath oils, anti-aging lotions, conditioners, and lip balm. All this makes it one of the best plants with cosmetic uses on the list!
How to Use: Take a few marigold petals and wash them in tap water. Put the petals into 1 teaspoon of honey, 1 teaspoon of raw milk and mix all ingredients thoroughly. Apply on the face and leave it for 15 minutes. Wash after it gets dry for soft and supple skin.
10. Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)
Rosemary is used in cuisines for its aromatic flavor but you can also use it to enhance your beauty. As the leaves are rich in calcium, iron, vitamin A and C, with antifungal, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory characteristics that aids in treating alopecia and other hair related problems. Rosemary oil is also used to cure wrinkled skin and to heal acne as well. You can find rosemary as the main ingredient in many facial cleansers, creams, and masks.
How to Use: Take fresh rosemary leaves and fill them in a clean jar. Top up with olive oil to steep for a few days, store it in a refrigerator. You can apply this oil on your hair or on the face.
Check out our article on growing Rosemary in pots here!
11. Lemon (Citrus × Limon)
Lemon has been used in skin and hair care products for ages, as it is a rich source of vitamin C. It also boosts cell renewal, controls sebum production, and make skin more firm and toned. The lemon has extensive use in the cosmetic industry in making oils, creams, and lotions. All this makes it one of the best plants with cosmetic uses on the list!
How to Use: You can use lemon juice, zest or dried peel to make a face mask or all three ingredients together to make a magical pack.
Take 1 teaspoon chickpea flour, 2 teaspoon curd, half teaspoon lemon juice, and zest of one lemon (optional). Mix all ingredients properly and apply on face, dark knuckles or other dark patches of your body for 20 minutes rinse with water.
To know how to grow lemon in pots, click here!
12. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
Tomatoes are high in lycopene that combats cell damage, skin inflammation and helps in shrinking large pores, curing acne, treat sunburn, and rejuvenate dull skin. Its extract is widely used in many lotions, sunscreen, and skincare products, making it one of the best plants with cosmetic uses on the list!
How to Use: Tomato has astringent properties that help in reducing pore size, thus you can make a skin toner by mixing 1 teaspoon tomato juice with 1 teaspoon cucumber juice. Apply this liquid on your face with a cotton ball, rinse with water after 15 minutes and apply a non-greasy moisturizer.
Check out the secrets of growing tomatoes in containers here!
13. Neem (Azadirachta indica)
Indian lilac, commonly known as neem, has a variety of uses in making soaps, creams, and lotions. The neem oil contains limonoids, antioxidants, vitamin E, and calcium that works in treating wrinkled skin, scars, acne, and in promoting collagen production, making it one of the best plants with cosmetic uses on the list!
How to Use: Take fresh neem leaves and boil them in 1-liter water, till the color changes to green. Let the water cool to room temperature and use it to wash your face, The anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties of neem infused water is going to make your skin acne-free and less oily with frequent use.
