GROW YOUR OWN SKINCARE

Organic gardening expert Becky Searle explains how to use herbs and flowers to create natural beauty products

- 

As a busy gardener, I rarely think about a skincare routine.

I used to do just the bare minimum to stop myself from looking awful. I'd scrub under my nails if I had to meet some sort of social standards, and then forget about it. However, this changed when I realised that I could grow my own skincare. Challenge accepted! Better still, I started to realise the incredible power of some of the plants that were already growing in my garden. Certain plants have particularly powerful properties for reducing inflammation, cleansing, hydrating, combating acne and even anti-ageing.

The best thing is that not only is this kind of skincare better for us because it's natural and organic and we have to get out to look after and harvest it, but it's also much cleaner. There is a wide range of tempting products on the shelves, promising to roll back time, thicken your hair, or make your skin glow. However, these products often contain things like parabens that are used as preservatives and have been linked to hormone disruption. Sodium lauryl sulfate is a commonly used natural foaming agent and is known to strip the skin of its natural oils.

Then there are synthetic fragrances - much cheaper to produce on a large scale than natural scents - but which contain a cocktail of chemicals, some of which are common allergens and can cause redness and irritation. So it’s safe to assume that growing your own skincare can produce better results. But it’s also far cheaper and way more fun.