Topical Skincare with Minimal, Whole Ingredients

Natural topical skincare has been a recent trending topic all over the world. With studies and exposés unveiling the harmful ingredients makeup and beauty brands are using in their products, people are throwing out their aesthetically packaged creams and serums in the hope to uncover something more natural.

Younger people are trying to find all-natural ways to treat acne, lower sebum production, and reduce inflammation. Older generations are looking for more natural methods to look younger, reduce dark eye circles, and find a DIY Botox alternative. Is there a natural way to gain these skin health benefits, or is it just too good to be true?

Minimal-Ingredient Topical Skincare Alternatives

Here at The Paleo Diet®, we encourage eating a whole foods diet, and this way of living can also be applied when it comes to topical skincare. Consider adding one of the following ingredients into your skincare routine, or use them as the base for a homemade skincare recipe. Sometimes, going simpler just might be your best and most effective option.

Before applying anything to your skin, always perform a patch test on the back of your wrist or a small spot on your arm to ensure your skin won’t react negatively. Everyone is different, so there is always a small chance that what works for most people might not work for you. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a succulent houseplant similar to a cactus. Not only does it purify the air like many houseplants, but it also has a variety of topical uses for good skin health.

Pure aloe vera gel has been shown to reduce facial wrinkles by boosting the production of collagen and hyaluronic acid in the skin. [1] Collagen helps tighten the skin and promote a more youthful appearance, while hyaluronic acid serves as an excellent hydrating agent.

RELATED: Are Collagen Peptides Paleo?

One of the most well-known benefits of using aloe vera topically is in treating sunburn. There are countless products out there that are marketed as sunburn soothing remedies because of their inclusion of aloe vera. While aloe vera has not been proven to protect skin from the harmful UV rays the sun gives off, studies have found it can help heal wounds and reduce inflammation, allowing a sense of relief from a bad sunburn. [2]

Just to be clear, aloe vera does not heal sunburn, it just helps alleviate its symptoms. A little sun is great for increasing levels of vitamin D in the body, but be sure to use sunscreen or wear protective clothing if you are out in the sun for long periods of time to protect your skin.

How to Extract Aloe Gel

Before extracting the clear gel from your aloe plant, knowing the proper method to do so is important. Aside from the gel, aloe also contains yellow latex, which can have adverse health effects if ingested and may irritate the skin. [3]

Therefore, if you choose to use a leaf off your aloe plant at home, be sure to discard any of the yellow latex found inside of the leaf to avoid the potential negative health benefits. After you’ve cut the leaf off at the base, set it upright in a bowl for about 15 minutes to allow the latex to drain out. Then wash the leaf, trim the ends, and slice lengthwise through the center so you can scrape the clear gel off the inside of the leaf with a knife or spoon.

Store aloe gel in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within a few days.

Tea Tree Oil

There are tons of topical skincare products out there that contain tea tree oil, and research supports it as a great spot treatment for pimples thanks to its antimicrobial properties. [4] Simply apply a thin layer of tea tree oil on an area of skin that has flared up to help kill bacteria.  

Not only is tea tree oil a topical antibacterial agent, but it also has other anti-inflammatory properties. Research indicates that applying tea tree oil to histamine-prompted skin inflammation can help soothe and reduce the flare up. [5]

Tea tree oil is a popular essential oil often used in spas and other relaxing environments to create a soothing atmosphere. Additionally, tea tree oil is effective in preventing lice outbreaks. [6] For parents with young children in school, applying a small amount to their scalp can help deter lice.

Flaxseed

A viral TikTok video in 2023 sparked the conversation about the skin health benefits of using flaxseeds topically. The trend began when a young woman shared her recipe for a DIY face mask made by boiling flaxseeds in water to create a gel-like consistency. She claimed the mask was a natural alternative to Botox, with the ability to significantly tighten the skin. People all over the world began to try it for themselves, but is there evidence to back this viral claim?

One study demonstrated that when flaxseed extract was applied to the skin, it actively promoted recovery “from any ultraviolet rays-related imperfections in terms of erythema, melanin, sebum level, moisture, and elasticity.” [7]

While we wouldn’t go as far to say that flaxseed masks are a form of DIY Botox, it may help improve elasticity that was damaged by harmful UV rays. As we age, we naturally lose the tightness in our skin, and sometimes the best we can do is embrace it.

Cucumbers

Cucumbers are notoriously associated with being a staple eye treatment at the spa because of their ability to relieve eye puffiness and reduce dark circles. But is there research to back this up?

Although primarily composed of water, cucumbers also contain vitamin C, which has been shown to reduce swelling and inflammation. [8] This would make cucumbers pretty effective in reducing puffy eyes, especially if chilled. Not to mention, topical use of cucumbers also provides great hydration to the skin, thanks to their high water content.

RELATED: Topical Vitamin C Benefits for Skin Health

Cucumber extract is a common ingredient found in topical skincare products. There is strong evidence that cucumbers can help “prevent the formation of ‘pores’ on the cell membrane, control the water in cells, and lock moisture in the skin for up to 4 hours,” [9] making this fruit a powerful ingredient for skin health products.

Emerging Science: Snail Mucin

During the summer of 2023, a Korean skincare trend blew up the internet for its remarkable success rates. The star ingredient? Snail mucin—the mucus secretion produced by snails. While this is not something you should obtain from your backyard snails, there are snail mucin products that contain over 90% of snail secretions and minimal other ingredients.

There is evidence that supports the claim that snail mucin has antibacterial qualities that can help treat wounds. [10] Therefore, snail mucin may be useful in helping to heal acne breakouts faster.

Unfortunately, the research and data on snail mucin is small, but experts are hoping to change that. Snail mucin can potentially be the secret to getting flawless, smooth skin. Who knew that an animal byproduct could change the future of the skincare industry?

Find What Works for You

There are many natural remedies out there to help achieve smooth, youthful looking skin. They might not be wrapped in a pretty bottle, and may require time to prep, but they can be worth it overall by taking the guesswork out of mystery additives and focusing on fewer ingredients. Try it out for yourself; skip the harmful ingredients in mass-produced products and opt for one of these natural topical skincare remedies instead to see what works for you.

References

1. Tanaka, M., Misawa, E., Yamauchi, K., Abe, F., & Ishizaki, C. (2015). Effects of plant sterols derived from Aloe vera gel on human dermal fibroblasts in vitro and on skin condition in Japanese women. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 95. https://doi.org/10.2147/ccid.s75441
2. ‌ Teplicki, E., Ma, Q., Castillo, D. E., Zarei, M., Hustad, A. P., Chen, J., & Li, J. (2018). The Effects of Aloe vera on Wound Healing in Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Viability. Wounds: A Compendium of Clinical Research and Practice, 30(9), 263–268. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30256753/
3. ‌ Guo, X., & Mei, N. (2016). Aloe vera: A review of toxicity and adverse clinical effects. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part C, 34(2), 77–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/10590501.2016.1166826
4. Ossa-Tabares, J. C., Llanos, C. J., & García, A. M. (2020). Evaluación de las características fisicoquímicas y de la actividad antimicrobiana del aceite del árbol de té contra Cutibacterium acnes (Propionibacterium acnes) ATCC 6919. Biomédica, 40(4), 693–701. https://doi.org/10.7705/biomedica.5122
5. Koh, K. J., Pearce, A. L., Marshman, G., Finlay-Jones, J. J., & Hart, P. H. (2002). Tea tree oil reduces histamine-induced skin inflammation. British Journal of Dermatology, 147(6), 1212–1217. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2133.2002.05034.x
6. Bezabh SA, Tesfaye W, Christenson JK, Carson CF, Thomas J. Antiparasitic Activity of Tea Tree Oil (TTO) and Its Components against Medically Important Ectoparasites: A Systematic Review. Pharmaceutics [Internet]. 2022 Jul 29 [cited 2023 Feb 20];14(8):1587. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9416580/
7. Rabia Tasneem, Haji, Rasool, F., Khan, K.-R., Muhammad Umair, Tuba Esatbeyoglu, & Korma, S. A. (2022). Development of Phytocosmeceutical Microemulgel Containing Flaxseed Extract and Its In Vitro and In Vivo Characterization. 14(8), 1656–1656. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14081656
8. Mukherjee, P. K., Nema, N. K., Maity, N., & Sarkar, B. K. (2013). Phytochemical and therapeutic potential of cucumber. Fitoterapia, 84, 227–236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fitote.2012.10.003
9. Li, C., Ma, H., Li, P., Zhang, S., Xu, J., Wang, L., Sheng, W., Xu, T., Shen, L., Wang, W., & Xia, T. (2024). Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) with heterologous poly-γ-glutamic acid has skin moisturizing, whitening and anti-wrinkle effects. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 262, 130026–130026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130026
10. McDermott, M., Cerullo, A. R., Parziale, J., Achrak, E., Sultana, S., Ferd, J., Samad, S., Deng, W., Braunschweig, A. B., & Holford, M. (2021). Advancing Discovery of Snail Mucins Function and Application. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2021.734023