Best Herbal Ingredients for Your Organic Beauty Recipe

You heard it here first: herbal skincare has officially gone mainstream in recent years. Backed by century-old wisdom and apothecary practice, traditional herbal ingredients like ginseng have been widely loved in the Korean skincare world for their skin-loving benefits, whether its anti-aging, wound-healing or collagen-boosting. But there’s more to these herbal wonders than we know. From result-driven Korean skincare products to treating mind-boggling skin concerns, we’ve narrowed down five rarest, most underrated—and most effective—herbal skincare ingredients that you should try out to refine your K-Beauty recipe this season.


Kombucha

Long before Kombucha reigns over LA as the “hot-girl summer” drink, it was a staple ingredient in a lot of fermented skincare products, especially Korean skincare products, as the benefits of Kombucha for skin are boundless. Kombucha is basically a black or green tea concoction fermented by a friendly colony of bacteria and yeast. Not only does it have the same health benefits when you drink it as tea — Kombucha is also rich in beneficial probiotics to boost your skin’s health. Rich in antioxidants, organic acids and natural probiotics, Kombucha benefits skin barrier and improves skin hydration while maintaining the natural balance of the skin.

dr. ceuracle vegan kombucha tea essence

Courtesy of Korean Skincare Brand - Dr.Ceuracle

If you’re looking for a heavy lifter to try, start with the Dr.Ceuracle Vegan Kombucha Tea Essence. Honestly, we're pretty hyped up for Kombucha being on the ingredient list of this ceramide essence as this buzz-worthy tea-derived extract can really help detoxify your skin by drawing out impurities. This ceramide-rich Korean essence also absorbs like a toner and functions as a cream-essence hybrid. Its vegan formula also adds some brownie points to the mix, together with its blend of powerful antioxidants thanks to Camellia sinensis leaf (green tea) water and Schisandra chinensis fruit (omija) extract.

And as we’re transitioning our skincare to spring, it’s nice to add a Kombucha face mist for a mid-day boost. Our current favorite is the Elishacoy Kombucha Gyeol-Biome Mist which has become a viral, buzzworthy K-Beauty hottie everywhere after BTS members used it in one of the Run BTS episodes! This Kombucha Gyeol Biome Mist offers you skin-smoothing moisture while minimizing wrinkles and enhances skin’s elasticity and keeps it dewy and bouncy.


Ginseng Root

One of the most powerful herbal ingredients and one of the most effective medicines of our time, ginseng (also known as ginseng root or panax ginseng) is known to help prevent signs of ageing, maintain the skin’s elasticity, lengthen the lifespan of skin cells and provide powerful antioxidant properties. Ginseng benefits mature skin and is often featured in anti-aging products. K-Beauty brands like BEAUTY OF JOSEON and Sulwhasoo are famous for using Korean ginseng in their Korean skincare products.

beauty of joseon - ginseng essence water

Courtesy of Korean Skincare Brand - BEAUTY OF JOSEON

First, refresh your face with the BEAUTY OF JOSEON Ginseng Essence Water to achieve smoother and revitalized skin. This Korean face toner is hailed as the best anti-aging toner as it's loaded with a whopping 80% Ginseng root water and a mighty ginseng complex containing Ginseng callus culture extract, Ginseng root extract, Ginseng berry extract, Ginseng root ferment filtrate. The nutrition-packed formula of this essence will help prevent pigmentation and wrinkles caused by UV rays while boosting all-day hydration to further protect the skin from external stimuli.

Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum

Courtesy of Korean Skincare Brand - Sulwhasoo

Treat yourself like a modern royal empress with the Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum together with the bestselling Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream EX. This luxurious hallmark Sulwhasoo serum is another excellent MVP if you want to combat wrinkles. This first-step balancing, anti-aging serum creates the ideal canvas to help boost absorption of products to follow in your skincare routine. It harnesses the power of five precious Korean herbs to target the fundamental root cause of multiple visible signs of aging.


Calendula

Officially called calendula officinalis, calendula (or calendula flower) has been used as a medicinal plant for centuries, and thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, it’s also effective when used topically on skin as a calendula cream or calendula oil. The nourishing benefits of calendula help to plump the surface of your skin to give you tighter, more supple skin. In the long term, calendula benefits your skin's collagen and elastin supply. In other words: products with calendula can lead to smoother, more supple, and more nourished skin.

april skin calendula peel off mask

Courtesy of Korean Skincare Brand – APRIL SKIN

Try the APRILSKIN Real Calendula Peel Off Pack as it contains the calendula flower petals, pure natural calendula oil and extracts that can help soften skin texture, remove dead skin cells, oils and dirt to create a brighter complexion and smoother skin. Don’t forget to follow it with the ONE THING Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract to prep your skin for moisturizing steps afterwards. This calendula toner helps improve skin irritation and heal wounds.


Bamboo Extract

Used for centuries as a means to heal skin, bamboo acts as a humectant by drawing moisture to the skin. Rich in natural silica and methanol, this healing agent packs a one-two punch by building collagen deep within the cell and by holding moisture on the surface of the skin. Bamboo is also a powerful antioxidant that provides anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.

be plain bamboo

Courtesy of Korean Skincare Brand - beplain

Apply the beplain Bamboo Hydrating Ampoule in the morning and your skin will be hydrated all day long. Dealing with perpetual dry skin can be a tough task but this Korean ampoule just made your life easier, thanks to its ability to repair and strengthen your skin barrier so you don't have to worry about further moisture loss from your skin. Think of it as a safety lock that perfectly seals in every bit of nutrients and hydration delivered from other skincare products in your skincare routine.


Licorice Root

Anyone looking to reap the spot-fading, skin tone-evening benefits, as well as those looking to soothe irritated skin, licorice root is the best ingredient to look out for. The glycyrrhizin in licorice root contains anti-inflammatory properties. This works to reduce itching, irritation, and redness on your skin. If you suffer from atopic dermatitis, rosacea, or psoriasis, you can benefit from the healing properties and natural wonders from licorice root.

acwell balancing toner

Courtesy of Korean Skincare Brand - ACWELL

Those with perpetual dull, lackluster complexion but are too scared to try any face toner on their sensitive skin will want to pay special attention to the ACWELL Balancing Toner. This do-it-all Korean toner features green tea extract which, on one hand, works great to calm sensitive skin while addressing hyperpigmentation skin conditions on the other, including post-inflammatory acne scars, dark spots or sun spots. On top of being a potent antioxidant and anti-bacterial solution, this gentle skin-balancing toner has a pH5.5 and is infused with licorice water to nourish, hydrate, and brighten your skin.


From Ginseng Root to Licorice Root, give your skin a break and treat it right with the best herbal ingredients to refine your skincare recipe! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to get more instant product updates and skincare tips!