For many centuries people were using herbs as medications, skin and hair care products. Almost every woman knew which herbs worked best for hair, which ones took care of skin and the others that could be used for treating diseases. Things changed and now we go to stores and purchase whatever we want basing the judgment of the products mostly on the pretty words on the label.

Nobody doubts that natural cosmetics and herbal skin care products in particular have a lot of benefits over manmade chemicals. However, many consumers do not know the tricks which manufacturers use for better sales and lower prices of the products. All the FDA approved treatments have to be thoroughly tested and contain certain amounts of the ingredients which show real benefits during the treatments.

It is different with herbal products: they can be sold as supplements; this allows manufacturers to use the terminology without the real proof of harmlessness. However, the company cannot be specific on the label about the healing power of the herbs. For example, witch hazel has a natural anti-inflammatory activity, but the company that uses it is not allowed to say that the herb is good for treating acne, psoriasis, eczema and the other conditions alike.

It is also important to notice that many herbal skin care products are called this way because they have plant-based aroma. It is usually created by either essential oils or a mix of chemicals. At the same time the product does not have any herbs in it. If the customer is interested to figure out the origin of the treatment, the list of ingredients usually tells where the fragrance comes from.

Actually, the label of ingredients is the only source in which the customer can find all necessary information about the product. Words might be long and difficult to read, but this is because they have to follow the regulations set by the International Nomenclature for Cosmetics. There might be hundreds of ingredients and it is impossible to remember all of them, but we can mention a few which refer specifically to herbal skin care products.

One of the best herbs widely used in cosmetics is Shea Butter. It might stand under the official name Butyrospermum Parkii on the label. The butter has several beneficial effects on skin the primary of which are softening and reducing age spots and wrinkles.

Persea Gratissima Oil is simply avocado extract or oil. It has been proven to stimulate the production of collagen, the protein hormone which strengthens the skin, removing wrinkles and age spots.

Maracuja, a kind of passion flower, is also used as an ingredient in some skin care products. It has a great healing power for skin. The label name for maracuja that a customer can come across is Passiflora Incarnata or Passiflora Edulis.

If there are other ingredients of herbal origin that the person is curious about, it is always good to search the Internet or Herbal Encyclopedia for detailed information on the herb before purchasing the product.