Look no further than the garden for beauty’s smartest ingredients
1 CHAMOMILE
In cleansing, chamomile is flexing its reputation for healing wounds and reducing inflammation. ‘There are lab studies that suggest chamomile could have anti-inflammatory effects,’ says Dr Melanie-Jayne Howes, who specialises in phytochemistry at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. We love it in The Body Shop Camomile Jelly One-Step Cleanser, £12, featuring a lightweight but nourishing texture that melts onto skin, and is hardworking enough to remove make-up, too.
FAKE IT YOURSELF
A facial mist has the double-whammy approach of emitting a feel-good scent and refreshing your skin, too. Just one spritz can create a temporary mood boost. Mint is one of the more invigorating herbs out there, and cucumber, with its high-water content, has a great ability to hydrate your complexion. Peel and dice half a cucumber before pureeing it to a smooth paste. Add a small handful of fresh mint and freshly boiled water. Wait for it to cool before passing through a sieve into a spray bottle. Use throughout the day – leave it in the fridge for best results, but discard at the end of the day.
2 MINT
Mood and memory, it seems, are benefited by a little mint, according to Dr Howes. And Dr Thivi Maruthappu, consultant dermatologist and nutritionist, agrees: ‘It’s very much a refreshing and calming herb.’ Using peppermint essential oil in a diffuser is a sure-fire way to let the scent linger, but for a quick-morning fix, keep a bottle of Original Source Mint &Tea Tree Shower Gel, £1, on standby for a serious wake-up call.
3 SAGE
‘A fragrant garden, with its therapeutic plants, is so uplifting,’ explains aromachologist and perfumer Danièle Ryman. ‘And the curative properties of each aromatic plant can be harmonised to maximise their benefits – from being energising to relaxing.’ Recent studies into sage oil have shown it to inhibit
