I spent my birthday in Kew Gardens, with the mister and my new camera, pretending I was a cross between Mario Testino and David Attenbourgh. As a beauty addict, it was a brilliant to get up close and personal to lots of ingredients that are used in skincare. Kew Gardens is a must for all aspiring/established brand owners and skincare junkies and they have a food festival on at the moment.
I took a few pictures…
Orange Blossom: Neroli is my favourite fragrance, which is steam distilled from bitter orange, rather then sweet orange which is photographed here… but you get the idea!
Bananas: We saw lots of banana trees but only one with fruit on it.
Beetroot: Apart from the gorgeous purple colour, beetroot is high in beta carotene which helps protect against sun damage.
Castor Seeds: Yes as in castor seed oil. It starts life as a green pod, then the pod dries and opens up to reveal the castor seeds, which are pressed and made into castor oil.
Echinacea: Take a look at the beautiful plant that forms the basis of the Echinacea tablets and tea that we will be drinking to keep colds and flu at bay during the colder months.
Coffee: I am not a coffee drinker but if you are a fan of the Arabica bean, this is the plant it comes from.
Pumpkin: there are a wide range of species of pumpkins planted at Kew. In terms of beauty, pumpkins are full and anti oxidants and vitamins A & C and enzymes which can be used for exfoliation. If you want to incorporate pumpkin into your skincare, have a look at Mychelle Incredible Pumpkin Peel, Pai’s Pomegranate and Pumpkin Seed Stretch Mark System and Burts Bees Ultimate Body Care Lotion.
Mushrooms: the white mushrooms that you pick up from your local supermarket for one pound don’t have the greatest nutritional value (and neither to these wicker ones at Kew). Generally, shitake and other mushrooms used in skincare have anti oxidant and anti inflammatory properties as well as helping with skin renewal and elasticity. Have a look at Dr Weil for Origins for a whole range of products using mushroom extract.
Sunflowers: When I first saw these sunflowers it was a bit sad, they were all dried up with most of the petals were falling off but in the centre of the flower is where you will find sunflower seeds, and sunflower seed oil is full of beta carotene, vitamin A and a range of anti oxidants. If like me you suffer from dry skin, try S5’s Nourish Cleanser, Green People’s Body Butter or Caudalie’s Divine Oil.
Agave: an ingredient of tequila and often found in health food shops as an alternative to honey. In skincare it helps with collagen production so we will be seeing it more and more in skincare. Neals Yard’s Ayate cloth is made from the Agave plant and John Masters Eucalyptus and Agave Moisturiser contains agave.
Aloe: used in a wide range of hair and skin products aloe contains amino acids and minerals, found in Liz Earle’s Instant Skin Boost Tonic and Gielly Green Hand and Body Lotion.
Tomatoes: This gorgeous red fruit is high in lycopene which is both anti inflammatory and an antioxidant. It also forms the basis of the Yes to Tomatoes facial skincare range.
