Happy Earth Day, folks! In honor of today, we’re looking at three natural moisturizers that claim to smooth and hydrate your skin: Korres Greek Yoghurt Moisturizing Face Cream, Origins A Perfect World™ SPF 25 Age Defense Moisturizer With White Tea, and Boscia Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel.
The Korres and the Boscia both benefits from Alpha-Hydroxy Acids, which exfoliate and smoothe skin. The second two, Origins and Boscia, show all the different things that plant extracts are capable of, including moisturizing and environmental protection.
Korres Greek Yoghurt Moisturizing Face Cream ($35)
Featured Ingredient: Greek Yoghurt
One of the things that sets Korres product apart is the Greek yoghurt it contains. The company claims, “Greek yogurt is an ancient healing remedy that goes back hundreds of years. In Greece, yogurt is known for its ability to instantly soothe the skin by delivering increased moisture.”
As the second ingredient (after water), there’s plenty of it in this moisturizer. According to a patent filed in 2008 by Hye Won Lee et al., 15 men and women complaining of dry skin who used a moisturizer made of yoghurt saw an improvement in skin hydration.
And yoghurt has been considered as something that might help acne sufferers because of reported antibacterial effects. But I was only able to find one small study done with 10 female patients that used a mask made of yoghurt, honey (also antibacterial), and almond oil to treat acne with favorable results (Journal of Pakistan Association of Dermatologists).
One of the ingredients that could be responsible for some of yoghurt’s skin benefits is lactic acid. This alpha-hydroxy acid improves skin smoothness over time. And in a 1996 study in the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology found that while five percent lactic acid improved only the top layer of skin, 12 percent lactic acid could actually affect the dermis and improve firmness and thickness.
Ingredients
Water, Yogurt, Butylene Glycol, Steareth-2, Isononyl Isononanoate, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil Unsaponifiables, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Steareth-20, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Starch, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Triethylhexanoin, Xylitylglucoside, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Anhydroxylitol, Benzyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xylitol, Sodium PCA, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Magnesium PCA, Fragrance, Zinc PCA, Amorphophallus Konjac Root Extract, Manganese PCA.
Score: 9/10
Origins A Perfect World™ SPF 25 Age Defense Moisturizer With White Tea ($35.99)
Featured Ingredient: White Tea
White tea contains the same powerful polyphenol, EGCG, found in green tea that help to prevent oxidative stress and increase antioxidant enzymes after UV-exposure when it’s applied to skin (Carcinogenesis). In this 2000 study on mice it was found to have a preventative effect against phototoxicity and photocarcinogenesis.
In an in vivo study done in 2009, topically applied white and green tea were found to be photoprotective agents, helping to protect skin against the negative effects of sun exposure. This was not because either were UV-absorbers or sun protective agents in other capacities (Experimental Dermatology).
And thanks to its antioxidants, it has been shown to boost skin’s immunity, as white tea helps cells that have been negatively impacted by UV exposure to return to regular immune function and prevent environmental oxidation.
In fact, white tea might have even more anti-mutagenic and prohibitory properties than green tea, according to this 2001 study in Mutation Research.
Ingredients
Active Ingredients: Avobenzone (3%), Octisalate (5%), Octocrylene (2.70%)
Inactive Ingredients: water; citrus aurantium amara (bitter orange) flower water, anthemis nobilis (chamomile) flower water ∙ butyloctyl salicylate ∙ ethyl macadamiate ∙ methyl trimethicone jojoba esters ∙ butylene glycol ∙ lauryl peg-9 polydimethylsiloxyethyl dimethicone ∙ peg-100 stearate ∙ glyceryl stearate ∙ citrus aurantium bergamia (bergamot) fruit oil1, citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel oil1, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) oil1, cinnamomum camphora (camphor) bark oil1, mentha viridis (spearmint) leaf oil1, magnolia acuminata flower extract, iris pallida (orris) root extract, rosa damascena (rose) extract, citral, linalool, limonene ∙ camellia sinensis (white tea) leaf extract ∙ pinus pinaster bark/bud extract ∙ arabidopsis thaliana extract ∙ ascorbyl tocopheryl maleate ∙ oryzanol ∙ ergothioneine ∙ triticum vulgare (wheat) germ extract ∙ hordeum vulgare (barley) extract ∙ cholesterol ∙ caffeine ∙ mangifera indica (mango) seed butter ∙ butyrospermum parkii (shea butter) ∙ potassium cetyl phosphate ∙ cetyl alcohol ∙ ethylhexylglycerin ∙ linoleic acid ∙ squalane ∙ sodium hyaluronate ∙ caprylyl glycol ∙ dehydroxanthan gum ∙ silica ∙ ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/vp copolymer ∙ citric acid ∙ sodium stearate ∙ sodium dehydroacetate ∙ phenoxyethanol ∙ mica <iln36381>
Score: 7/10
Boscia Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel ($57)
Featured Ingredient: Artichoke Leaf Extract
Boscia claims it included artichoke leaf extract because it “improves elasticity to help tighten pore walls.” Artichoke extract is used an antioxidant in cosmetics (Natural Product Radiance).
Artichoke has been primarily studied in relation to gastrointestinal disorder, but it does have some skin benefits. First and foremost, it appears to be a good antioxidants and free-radical scavenger (Food Chemistry).
Artichoke leaf extract contains Chlorogenic acid, which is also found in coffee. In a 2011 study done on guinea pig skin, researchers found that chlorogenic acid helped to prevent the erythema that occurs with UV-irradiation (Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin). And while it was found to have some capacity to inhibit tumors in mouse skin induced by TPA, a 1988 study in Cancer Research found that it’s not as effective as curcumin.
Ingredients
Water/Aqua/Eau, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Glycereth-26,Isononyl Isononanoate, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Glycolic Acid, Menthyl Lactate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Cynara Scolymus (Artichoke) Leaf Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Leaf Extract, Citrus Paradisi Seed Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Carbomer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Xanthan Gum, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Silica, Ceteth-25, Oleth-10, Charcoal Powder, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tropolone, Potassium Hydroxide.
Score: 9/10
Bottom Line
When looking for good products, it’s important to remember that “natural” doesn’t mean “better” or “safer.” There are always natural ingredients that can be very irritating to skin and which you should avoid. But there are some natural products that are non-irritating and boast great results.
We loved Korres Greek Yoghurt Moisturizing Face Cream and Boscia Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel. These two have plenty to offer, the first boasting the unique and effective ingredient yogurt, and the latter containing a variety of plant extracts as well as alpha-hydroxy acids that are sure to smooth skin.
Origins A Perfect World™ SPF 25 Age Defense Moisturizer With White Tea is a good moisturizer overall, with plenty of plant extracts, but it doesn’t necessarily have anything that puts it above the other two save for UV-protection. It also contains camphor, which can be irritating.
All of these are good choices for natural skin care, just be sure that you layer sunscreen over the two that don’t have it.