Plant based milk is having a moment – and these dairy alternatives are brilliant beauty ingredients, too
2020 is all about doing what we can to be more sustainable – so it’s no wonder plant-based milk is growing in popularity. A glass of dairy milk produces almost three times more greenhouse gas than plant-based alternatives, so making the switch is an environmentally conscious choice.
The most popular plant-based milks are almond, soy, coconut, hazelnut, oat, and rice. These milks don’t come without an environmental price (almond farms require more water than other dairy alternatives, for example), but they all cause less environmental strife than dairy milk.
And there’s more good news: the base ingredient of your new favourite milk is a brilliant beauty ingredient, too!
If you want to make the most of plant power, give these products a whirl:
With a new and improved formula, Dermalogica’s Age Smart Power Rich contains two of the most popular plant-based milk ingredients – soy and rice. A potent moisturising treatment that stimulates collagen production, helping to increase firmness and elasticity, its blend of multivitamins and active botanicals includes rice extract and soy protein phytoestrogens, plus red seaweed, kukui nut and licorice, to hydrate, exfoliate and help reverse the signs of premature ageing. This plant-based product stimulates cell renewal, enhances cell turnover, treats prematurely ageing skin and reinforces skin’s ability to combat dehydration.
A youthful concentrate of energy for the skin and the mind, resulting in the skin looking plumper and firmer with a fresh and luminous glow, Decleor’s Aromessence Magnolia Youthful Oil Serum is formulated with botanical oils of hazelnut and jojoba, along with essential oils of magnolia, Michella alba leaf oil and ginger.
With oat and botanical actives, Dermalogica’s ever-popular UltraCalming Cleanser is recommended for sensitised, reactive and recently resurfaced skin. An extremely gentle, PH-balanced gel/cream, it glides easily over face and eyes to cleanse without stripping the skin’s protective barrier. Working below the surface to interrupt inflammatory triggers, it helps to minimise discomfort, burning and itching.
Gatineau’s Perfection Ultime Retexturising Beauty Cream is a lightweight daily moisturiser that instantly hydrates and brightens the skin. Tripeptide works to restore skin health and luminosity – and the complexion is smoothed and perfected with wheat and soy proteins.
Give your skin a pre-self-tan polish with Fake Bake’s Coconut Body Polish. Containing coconut fibre, it gently exfoliates the skin, whilst removing dead skin cells without leaving a soap residue, improving the absorption and efficiency of Fake Bake self-tanning products.
One of Avanta’s bestselling products, Ultimate Hyaluronic Acid Resurfacing Duo Moisturiser combines signature ingredients hyaluronic acid, shea butter and sweet almond oil. Hyaluronic acid penetrates deep into skin, hydrating and instantly helping to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, whilst the combination of shea butter and sweet almond oil (rich in antioxidants, high in vitamins E, A, D and B, protein, and essential minerals) works as an emollient to keep your skin young and supple.
Rice enzymes help to polish skin to perfection – and Dermalogica’s Daily Microfoliant is packed with them. With a skin-brightening complex of phytic acid from rice bran, white tea and licorice, it helps to balance uneven skin tone, while a super-soothing blend of colloidal oatmeal and allantoin calms the skin.
Rice bran also features in Avant’s 8 Hour Radiance Renewal Sleeping Mask. Combined with signature ingredients of shea butter and panthenol, the rice bran helps to deeply hydrate and restore skin’s natural glow.
Milk isn’t just for drinking. Elemis Skin Nourishing Milk Bath is rich in nourishing vitamins that feed the skin to leave it soft and supple. With a unique formula that captures the essence of Cleopatra’s ancient bathing ritual, it’s rich in nourishing vitamins, amino acids and minerals with natural plant collagen from oat extract and Japanese camellia oil, feeding the skin whilst keeping it soft and supple.
