Formulating skincare as a herbalist isn’t just about using “natural” ingredients — it’s about understanding them on a deeper level: how they work, how they interact, and how to bring them together in the right way. Creating effective, safe skincare means knowing how each plant extract behaves on the skin, how it interacts with other ingredients, and how it affects the body as a whole.
For instance, coconut oil is often recommended online as a natural moisturiser — but it’s highly comedogenic and can easily block pores. Avocado oil is rich and nourishing, but for someone struggling with hyperpigmentation, sea buckthorn would be far more effective due to its antioxidant profile and ability to help repair skin tone.
These aren’t details you can guess; they come from years of studying plant chemistry, energetics, and clinical research — then applying that knowledge with precision. I’ve spent over ten years studying herbal medicine, learning how different plants affect the body, the skin, and even our overall sense of balance. So when I create a new formula, it’s never random. Every step is researched, tested, and built on both traditional knowledge and modern skincare science.
What Herbalists Actually Study
Herbal medicine has a rich, diverse history that goes back more than 5,000 years — from the ancient civilisations of Egypt and Greece to the herbal systems of India and China.
As herbalists, we study far more than which plants are “good for the skin.” We look at their properties, benefits, contraindications, extraction methods, dosages, and stability — every factor that determines how they perform and how safe they are to use.
Each Herbal Gardens formula is developed by blending traditional herbal understanding with modern formulation techniques and full compliance with UK and EU cosmetic-safety laws.
How I Choose Each Ingredient
1. Understanding What the Skin Needs
Every formula starts with identifying what the skin is struggling with — whether that’s dryness, congestion, irritation, or imbalance — and then finding how to support it back to health.
For example, someone with dry skin who wears makeup needs a cleanser that removes everything gently without stripping the barrier. That’s why I created the Makeup Melting Cleansing Oil — it deeply cleanses while keeping the skin soft and hydrated.
2. Looking at the Nutrient Profile
Once I know the goal, I choose ingredients for their nutritional value — the omegas, vitamins, and minerals they bring, and how they work together. I also look at their natural properties — whether they’re antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, or soothing — to ensure each ingredient contributes exactly what the skin needs.
Different skin issues require different nutrients and properties. If I’m formulating for dry or mature skin, I’ll use ingredients rich in omega fats and emollients, like squalane, which is easily absorbed through dry skin whilst simultaneously filling pores (without clogging) for plump, hydrated, and protected skin. I’ll also use ingredients rich in short-chain peptides that stimulate your skin’s own natural collagen production, as collagen molecules often advertised in skincare products are actually too large to be absorbed through the skin. This delivers the same firming benefits in a way your skin can actually use.
On the other hand, someone with acne will need a formula high in antioxidants and antibacterial properties that help heal and kill acne-causing bacteria. For these reasons, we use sea buckthorn oil in our Acne & Oil Control Serum — it helps regulate excess oils, decreases flare-ups, scars, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. The result is a serum that works on a deeper level than most conventional acne-targeted skincare products.
Protecting and Repairing the Skin Barrier
A healthy skin barrier is the foundation of every formula I create. Without it, the skin can’t hold moisture, stay balanced, or defend itself against irritation — so treating acne or dryness without repairing the barrier first is pointless.
That’s why every Herbal Gardens product is built to strengthen and restore this protective layer. I use barrier-supporting botanicals rich in ceramides, fatty acids, and antioxidants — ingredients that mimic the skin’s own structure and help it repair itself naturally. When the barrier is strong, everything else follows: hydration improves, sensitivity reduces, and the skin looks calmer, brighter, and healthier over time.
3. Comedogenic vs Non-Comedogenic Ingredients
Comedogenic oils are usually thicker and greasier, take a long time to be absorbed by the skin, and can block pores. Non-comedogenic means it’s readily absorbed by the skin, won’t block pores, and can actually help cleanse and balance oil production.
For our facial products, I always use non-comedogenic blends so the skin can breathe freely.
For other products, I create balance. For example, in our Stimulating Hair Growth Elixir, I wanted to include powerful yet heavy ingredients for hair growth and strengthening, such as Jamaican Black Castor Oil. It’s incredibly nutrient-dense but very thick and hard to absorb; if used alone, it can tug at the follicles and cause damage to already-weak hair. So we perfected Stimulating Hair Growth Elixir to deliver those benefits in a light, absorbable formula your scalp can truly use.
4. Absorption Comes First
Even the best ingredients can’t help if the skin can’t absorb them.
That’s why I spend a lot of time adjusting ratios to achieve the right level of penetration and, hence, performance. Good absorption ensures maximum benefits, deeper delivery of actives and nutrients, and glowing skin without greasiness.
For example, thicker oils like shea or castor can sit on the surface if not balanced correctly, so I pair them with lightweight, fast-absorbing carriers such as jojoba and grapeseed to achieve that smooth, breathable finish our products are known for.
5. Sourcing Quality and Potency
We vet every supplier and trial every ingredient for its quality, potency, safety, and efficacy. We always look for the highest-quality, organic, unrefined, and cold-pressed ingredients for maximum strength. I only use the best ingredients from trusted, ethical suppliers to keep them as nutrient-rich as possible.
Cold-pressing avoids heat, which can degrade potency, and unrefined oils retain their natural vitamins and antioxidants. For instance, our cold-pressed rosehip and evening-primrose oils are rich in essential fatty acids that help restore elasticity and support the skin barrier — properties that would be lost if these oils were refined or heated.
6. Supporting Tone and Texture
Every ingredient I use is chosen to improve the skin’s texture, resilience, and glow over time.
Plant oils are natural emollients — they soften the skin, deeply hydrate, and reduce transepidermal water loss, which is the main cause of dryness.
I also focus on ingredients that deliver visible brightness and even tone without irritation. For instance, while many products rely on liquid Vitamin C — which oxidises quickly and loses potency — I use stabilised powdered forms that stay effective until the moment they touch your skin, helping to restore natural radiance and clarity safely.
7. Making Skincare Feel Beautiful
I believe skincare should feel like self-care, not a chore.
That’s why I pay just as much attention to the way a product smells and feels as to what it does. All our scents are 100 % natural and chosen for their therapeutic benefits — like frankincense, which helps even skin tone and calm the mind.
I use essential oils in very small, balanced amounts — just enough for their skin benefits and mood-enhancing aroma, never in concentrations that could irritate or overwhelm sensitive skin. Each formula should leave your skin hydrated, radiant, and comfortable — not coated, sticky, or tight.
Formulated with Purpose
Every Herbal Gardens product is created through patience and precision — from studying how herbs behave to testing and refining over time. It can take years before I’m completely happy with a formula, but that’s the point: true balance takes time.
When you use a Herbal Gardens product, you’re not just using something “natural.” You’re using a formula built on years of herbal knowledge, research, and genuine care for your skin’s long-term health.
→ Explore our herbalist-formulated skincare range
