Reading the ingredient labels on beauty products can be like catapulting into a PhD-level chemistry class. Ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate? Trisodium ethylenediamine disuccinate? We spend all day writing, researching, and thinking about beauty products and most labels still read like complete gibberish.
That might be why a less-is-more beauty philosophy is so damn appealing: since it's not shrouded in mystery and 23-letter chemical compounds, we understand it. We've talked about beauty products with 10 ingredients or less on this site before, but this time we're kicking it up a notch and sharing our favorite products that contain just one ingredient.
Check 'em out, one at a time, ahead.
Two years ago, our beauty features director, Megan McIntyre, decided to try honey washing, a cleansing technique that is as simple as it sounds. Since honey has antimicrobial properties, washing your face with it effectively cleans your skin without stripping natural oils. (It's also a humectant, meaning it moisturizes, too.) More than two years later, Megan still keeps a tub of Manuka honey in her bathroom for daily use.
Wedderspoon 100% Raw Manuka Honey, $39.99, available at The Vitamin Shoppe.
True to the brand's name, this spray contains just one ingredient: 100% rose flower water. We like to mist it on after cleansing as a dewy canvas for serums and moisturizers. It also works as a refreshing mid-day pick-me-up.
100% Pure Organic Rose Hydrosol, $15, available at 100% Pure.
Rosehip is an A+ oil for a number of reasons: It absorbs quickly when rubbed into the skin and has a high concentration of linoleic acid, so it also gently reduces the appearance of dark spots and acne scars.
Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+, $36, available at Trilogy.
Rather than buying aloe vera gels and creams, we go straight to the source. Grab an aloe vera plant at Home Depot or a bodega, then snap off small fronds to reveal the juices inside. (They smell a little funky, but it's part of the experience.) Rub the cooling gel over any areas of irritation, like sunburns or pimples.
Home Depot Aloe Vera Plant, $9.99, available at Home Depot.
Investing in a tub of bentonite clay is one of the easiest and most versatile ways you can up your skin game. Mix the powdered version with water, apple cider vinegar, honey, or unsweetened Greek yogurt for a range of pore-purging, hydrating, or purifying masks.
Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay, $7.50, available at Walgreens.
It's easy to think of a single oil is a one-note treatment. Marula oil actually contains a host of beneficial fatty acids and antioxidants, making it an exemplary multi-purpose daily moisturizer.
Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil, $72, available at Sephora.
This tried-and-true astringent is made from the bark and leaves of witch hazel plants and has anti-inflammatory and soothing properties. Our favorite way to use it? As a toner right after cleansing. The bracing aroma basically sings, "I'm clean AF."
T.N. Dickinson's Witch Hazel All Natural Astringent For Face and Body, $3.94, available at Drugstore.com.
Tea tree oil is antiseptic, so everyone uses it for acne. But instead of shelling out for expensive and diluted versions, we prefer investing in 100% tea tree oil. Mix with equal parts water before spot treating flare-ups.
Now Essential Oils 100% Pure Tea Tree Oil, $6.29, available at Lucky Vitamin.
What would this roundup be without good ol' coconut oil? This stuff works wonders to moisturize and remove makeup. More on this intrepid miracle butter, here.
Nature's Way Organic Coconut Oil, $8.79, available at Vitacost.
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