It’s 2022 and organic brands like Soultree, Just Herbs, and Vaadi herbals are the talk of the town. It’s like they popped out of nowhere to bring organic makeup to the market, but they hadn’t. Organic makeup has been around since the Vedas were written. It’s said that turmeric may have been the first truly organic makeup ingredient. Those who discovered it may not have known its healing power but they found something just as amazing, it leaves a semi-permanent mark on the skin.
Tumeric
Turmeric is used in masks, toners, spot treatments as well as many other concoctions that bring the enigmatic technologies of the ancients into modern times. It’s known that turmeric helps prevent acne, is a potent anti-inflammatory, and regulates the production of the skin’s natural sebum. Combine turmeric and petroleum-derivative-free makeup and you have an earnestly organic makeup.
Ocher
Interestingly, recent archaeological discoveries reveal that ocher was used 250,000 years ago as a makeup. Much like turmeric, many moons ago, ocher was used to dye the skin and as a bindi. Ocher is a mixture of ferric oxide, clay, and sand. So long ago, red ocher was made into makeup by burning dry clay and rocky materials to extract iron oxide pigment. The pigment was then ground into a fine powder that was readily mixed with animal fat. Speaking of makeup, brands like M.A.C and Revlon are making some paint pots that contain this organic mineral. As a makeup maker, you may want to mix this into your creation to create organic face paint.
Sandalwood
Sandalwood is another perennial favorite. Thousands of years ago, sandalwood was used to make kajal. People would make it by dipping a muslin rag into sandalwood paste. When the rag dried, they would burn it in a lamp of castor oil. Next, they would combine the ashes with castor oil or ghee for easy application. Nowadays, kajal is made of plant carbon but remains an organic face paint.
Cannabis
And then some plants were used for their soothing effect and recently rediscovered as makeup ingredients. For instance, according to The Vedas, cannabis was one of five sacred plants, and a guardian angel lives in the leaves. Makeups that contain this mystic plant soothe dry skin by locking in moisture protecting you from environmental pollutants and improving skin elasticity. Put this in your cream to create something organic that softens the sun’s rays.
Henna
Henna deserves an honorable mention. This organic ingredient has never fallen from grace. Its use in shampoos and mehndi keep it near the top of organic ingredients. Put this in a beard shampoo and make something that combines the ancient and modern, with the right marketing might fly off the shelves.
According to The Hindu, a growing movement away from chemical to natural and, by association, safer ingredients [is causing] companies [to] tap into the country’s centuries-old repertoire of ayurvedic and other organic remedies for their formulations. A cursory look at Nykaa.com reveals the ineradicable number of makeup brands labeled organic; this isn’t just another trend, it’s here to stay. All told, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 hasn’t done enough to prevent harmful ingredients from being placed in makeup, moving to less harmful makeup is a natural step for a country that has ever-growing health concerns.