Does anyone else feel like there are constantly new innovations in skincare? Between products that reduce, firm, plump, or even remove characteristics from our skin, there’s a lot to keep up with. But even harder to follow are these products’ ingredient lists!
Not only are they getting longer, but what non-scientist can read them? There feels to be an average of ten-syllables per word and no way to be able to visualise that ingredient alone.
So why are we putting it on our skin?
Here at Lemon Myrtle Fragrances, we like to keep things simple and natural. We have no petrochemicals, no parabens, and nasties hidden behind intimidating words. In fact, the longest words you’ll find in our ingredient lists are the scientific names of natural plants (which we put the common name next to in brackets, just like this!)
We believe in being transparent with our products, because no one should have to guess what they’re putting on their skin. Every product we sell has a clear (and short) ingredient list, but we also have a table with every product and ingredient accessible by clicking here. Consider it like a cheat code to your skincare products!
If you have a look at the table, there are some key repeated ingredients in most of our products. That’s because these are the ingredients you NEED in your skincare if you want to get the benefits products promise. If you don’t want to have a look at the table, never fear, we’ve summarised the seven most important ones below, including why they’re necessary.
You’re welcome!
- Natural Oils
Oils are amazing ingredients for skin, helping hydrate and protect the skin. Natural oils are especially important, however, as they’re less likely to cause reactions and provide better nourishment for the skin.
Here are some of our favourite natural oils, all used in our products:
Lemon Myrtle Essential Oil
We could talk about the benefits of lemon myrtle forever (as probably evident by our blog, which you can visit here), but for now, we’ll just highlight a few of the benefits.
First, lemon myrtle essential oil contains high levels of citral, a compound that has significant antimicrobial effects on bacteria, viruses, and fungi. When used on our skin or in our hair, it reduces the risk of infection, as well as helps balance the skin's microbiome.
Lemon myrtle essential oil is also anti-inflammatory, keeping our skin settled by easing the impact of natural skin inflammatories, such as the sun.
Finally, lemon myrtle essential oil also contains antioxidants, which can help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. This reduces the risk of premature ageing and diseases such as cancer, which are caused by cellular damage when the skin is left unprotected.
To learn more about the countless benefits of lemon myrtle, we recommend reading this blog on the science behind the healing properties of lemon myrtle next.
Macadamia Oil
Macadamia oil is rich in omega-7 fatty acids, which help to restore the skin's natural barrier and maintain moisture. This oil is also great for hydration and can improve skin elasticity, being known for its fast-absorbing properties that don’t clog pores.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is incredibly similar to the skin's natural sebum, making it a fantastic choice for maintaining balance. It helps regulate oil production, hydrate the skin, and repair the skin's barrier, all while being non-comedogenic (anti-pore clogging) like macadamia oil!
All of the oils we use in our products are Australian Native Oils, sourced from Australian Farms. This ensures product quality and reduces our impact on the planet.
If you want to try a product with natural oils, we recommend going all in and trying our 100% pure lemon myrtle essential oil.
- Aloe Vera
Aloe vera, also known as Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice on our ingredient list, is a must-need skincare ingredient if you’re wanting to soothe and hydrate your skin.
Naturally containing salicylic acid, aloe vera has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that can calm irritated skin, reduce acne, and provide moisture without feeling greasy.
It’s also the perfect solution to speed up the recovery process for cuts, burns, and other minor injuries, as evident by its use in this capacity for hundreds of years ago.
Want a product with aloe vera? Check out our foaming hand wash here.
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Skin- Safe Acids
Acids can seem intimidating. They’re known to erode, not restore, after all! But what is amazing about natural acids is that, when used in the right concentrations, they can be the most effective ingredients in skincare! Between helping reduce acne, scars, and wrinkles, natural acids are a need in anyone’s skincare regime.
Here are some of our favourites:
Citric Acid
A natural exfoliator that gets rid of dead skin cells, citric acid has also been found to increase healthy skin barrier function by maintaining the optimum level of pH. It’s most commonly found in citrus fruits!
p-Anisic Acid
Not only does it have antimicrobial properties for the skin, p-Anisic is a natural product preserver, keeping the quality of cosmetics while elongating their shelf life by inhibiting the growth of bacteria and fungi.
Stearic Acid
Stearic acid is a naturally fatty acid, making it the perfect moisturising product for our skin. It’s most commonly known for its ability to reduce eczema symptoms and reduce inflammation by its ability to help the skin retain moisture.
If you want to try a product with natural acid, check out our moisturiser.
- Antioxidants
The need for antioxidants is in their name: anti-oxidant. No oxidative damage. Oxidantive damage is caused by environmental aggressors like UV and pollution, which can advance skin aging.
Here are some of our most-used antioxidants:
Vitamin E
This antioxidant helps improve the appearance of the skin at the cellular level, promoting cell regeneration to ease the impact of natural oxidative stress. Vitamin E has been especially loved by those with sensitive skin for its moisturising and soothing properties.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C also improves skin texture, naturally plumping and hydrating the skin through its support in increasing skin barrier function. This prevents water loss to keep the skin hydrated.
Rosemary
Rosemary is an underrated powerhouse antioxidant that can fight oxidative stress, making it ideal for anti-aging formulations. It also has antimicrobial properties, which can be helpful in skin care for acne-prone skin.
To try a product with antioxidants, we recommend our refreshing face and body mist.
- Beeswax
Beeswax is such an important ingredient for your lips products. In fact, research suggests the average person consumes 3kg of lip products (balm, gloss, lipstick) every 10 years. EVERY TEN YEARS!
This comes from a WooHoo article, accessible here, and our favourite point from it is:
“The amount of lippy you actually consume over a lifetime is up for debate, but something that is not up for debate is that whatever you put on your lips you eat.”
Whatever you put on your lips you eat.
This is why having natural, edible products like beeswax is so important. Anything you put on your lips, you need to be comfortable consuming.
But beeswax isn’t just great because it's safe. It also has anti-allergenic and anti-inflammatory properties, making it great for sensitive skin.
Our lemon myrtle lip balm is made in the Blue Mountains with a base of beeswax and olive oil. The addition of lemon myrtle oil gives this balm extra antibacterial properties and assists with the protection from windburn and soothes the lips after sun and wind burn. Check our lip balm out here.
- Glycerin
Glycerin is a natural hydrator, keeping skin moisturised and soft and balancing natural oils. This refreshes the skin’s surface and relieves dryness and dehydrated-caused irritations.
This ingredient is probably the most common in our products because it works so well, providing a hydrating base no matter the function of the end product.
To see glycerins diversity firsthand, check out our hand and surface sanitiser!
- Coco Betaine
This last one is more of a fun ingredient, rather than a must-need. It’s practically bubble bath!
Coco betaine is a natural foam booster in skin and hair care products, making your self care more enjoyable. But this foaming property isn’t just for looks.
Coco betaine is an emulsifying agent, binding dirt and grime together to make them easier to wash off while keeping a gentle touch on skin.
You can use any of our foaming products to test out coco betaine, but we suggest testing it to the max with our dog shampoo. If it can easily clean the dogs that think dirt is an accessory, imagine the results it has for our own skin!
All of the products on this list are natural ingredients that don’t need additives to be effective. Most have been used for hundreds, if not thousands, of years before the cosmetic industry started. So, the moral of the story is that you don’t need the next best innovation to see a difference in your skin, you just need to use what has proven to work and you’ll get results.