If you’ve ever dreamed of creating your own skincare and haircare products, you’ve come to the right place. At Formula Botanica, the world’s leading formulation school, our mission is to teach you how to formulate. But before you start formulating, you’ll need ingredients.
Choosing the right ingredients is the first step in your formulation journey, but with so many options, it can sometimes feel overwhelming. To help you get started, we’ve curated a list of the top 10 natural ingredients every new formulator should explore, along with their benefits.
If you’re ready to move beyond generic online recipes and create something truly your own, this list will be your guide to kickstarting your formulation journey. And as a bonus, we’ve included free formulations to help you get started!
How to research ingredients
Before you go ahead and purchase loads of ingredients, it’s important to research them first. We understand how tempting it is to stock up on an array of oils, butters, hydrosols, waxes, extracts, and essential oils—but thorough research is key.
Start by understanding each ingredient’s properties, benefits, and potential interactions with other components in your formulations. This step is especially important because natural ingredients can have varying shelf lives and may expire quickly if not used promptly.
By researching beforehand, you’ll not only ensure that you’re selecting the right ingredients for your specific needs but also avoid waste and maximise the effectiveness of your formulations. Find out more about how to research and source your ingredients in these posts:
How to research cosmetic ingredients for organic skincare
Top 10 cosmetic ingredients for beginners
Before we dive into our list of must-have ingredients for beginner formulators, it’s important to understand that ingredients fall into different categories. Understanding these categories is key to selecting the right ingredients and layering your formulations. We cover these categories in detail in this blog post:
Natural formulation 101: Beginner’s guide to skincare ingredients
Now, let’s explore the top ingredients every beginner formulator should start with.
1. Aloe vera
INCI: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Aloe vera is arguably the most iconic skincare ingredient in the world, renowned for its soothing and moisturising properties.
For over 2,000 years, aloe has been a staple in both the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, celebrated for its ability to support skin health.
As a beginner formulator, aloe vera is an ideal ingredient to start with. It’s affordable, widely accessible, and incredibly versatile, making it easy to incorporate into your skincare creations. You can source aloe as a powder extract. concentrate or liquid extract (like a glycerite). Try adding the powder version to your powder cleansers or the liquid extract in your face masks. You can also find out more about aloe below:
Want to formulate with aloe? Check out these free formulation posts:
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2. Argan oil
INCI: Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Next on your list should be argan oil, a powerhouse ingredient that has been trending for the past decade—and for good reason. This lightweight oil is a staple in haircare formulations and is highly valued in anti-ageing and dry skin formulations due to its rich antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Find out more about argan below:
Argan oil is incredibly versatile and easy to work with. You can blend it with other lightweight oils to create nourishing facial, body, or haircare oils. Make sure you source pure, unadulterated argan oil, as it’s sometimes diluted with cheaper alternatives. Want to formulate with argan? Check out this formulation:
You can also learn how to formulate organic haircare in our Diploma in Organic Haircare Formulation.
3. Calendula
INCI: Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Calendula is a legendary ingredient renowned for its ability to soothe sensitive skin, a reputation that dates back to ancient herbal remedies. Also known as pot marigold, calendula is extracted from the Mediterranean marigold flower and is celebrated for its powerful anti-inflammatory properties.
Available in various forms—macerate, powder, and CO2 extract—calendula is a versatile addition to any formulation, especially for treating inflamed or irritated skin. Plus, it adds a vibrant orange hue to your products, making it a fun and visually appealing ingredient to work with. Find out more about calendula below:
Calendula extracts: Formulating their benefits into natural cosmetics
For beginners, we recommend starting with calendula macerate, made by infusing calendula flowers in an oil base. This soothing oil can be blended with similar oils to create calming facial or body oils, relaxing massage bars, nourishing body butters, or luxurious balms. Here are some free calendula formulations for you to try:
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4. Chamomile
INCI: Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Chamomile is a beloved ingredient, especially for sensitive skin, with a rich history in folk medicine. Renowned for its soothing, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, chamomile has been a staple in cosmetics for centuries. There are two main types of chamomile—Roman and German. Learn more about them below:
Chamomile is available in various forms, including powders, macerates, glycerites, tinctures, CO2 extracts, and essential oils, making it incredibly versatile. Chamomile macerate is perfect for incorporating into massage oils, body oils, soothing balms, and other solid cosmetics. Alternatively, you can use chamomile powder in powder face cleansers or masks for a gentle, calming effect. Check out these free chamomile-inspired formulations:
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5. Green tea
INCI: Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Beyond being one of the world’s most beloved beverages, green tea is a powerhouse ingredient in cosmetics. Packed with antioxidants, green tea extracts offer anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-ageing benefits, making them ideal for rejuvenating skincare products. Find out more about green tea’s properties below:
Available as a hydrosol, glycerite, or powder, green tea can enhance skin moisture, texture, and overall appearance. Green tea powder is perfect for incorporating into powder face cleansers or masks, especially when paired with other anti-ageing ingredients. Here are some ideas on how to incorporate green tea in your formulations:
How to make a skin loving green tea serum
6. Jojoba oil
INCI: Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Jojoba oil is a must-have ingredient for any formulator, prized for its unique similarity to the skin’s natural sebum, making it an exceptional moisturiser. This liquid wax offers a silky texture and boasts powerful anti-inflammatory properties that help repair the skin barrier and regulate sebum production. Find out more about jojoba oil below:
Suitable for all skin and hair types, jojoba oil is particularly beneficial for dry and acne-prone skin. It’s a versatile addition to massage oils, bars, and cleansing products like balms. For an extra touch of creativity, try incorporating jojoba beads, available in various colours, into your homemade scrubs. Here are some free jojoba-inspired formulations for you to try:
7. Lavender
INCI: Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Lavender is a true favourite in natural cosmetics, cherished for its enchanting fragrance and its powerful skincare benefits. Beyond its soothing scent, lavender boasts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that make it especially valuable for mature and acne-prone skin. Find out more about lavender below:
The ultimate guide to using lavender in cosmetic formulations
This versatile ingredient is available in various forms, including hydrosol, powder, essential oil, CO2 extract, and wax, making it a perfect addition to a wide range of face, body, and haircare products. Whether you’re enhancing a powder formulation with lavender or infusing its essential oil into balms and sticks, lavender adds both therapeutic benefits and a touch of luxury to your creations.
Explore some of our lavender-inspired formulations below:
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8. Shea butter
INCI: Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Shea butter is often a favourite among new formulators, and for good reason. It’s affordable, easy to source, and packed with nourishing properties. Particularly beneficial for dry skin and hair, shea butter is also known to improve the appearance of scars and stretch marks. Find out more about how to formulate with shea below:
Add shea butter to your skincare and haircare formulations alongside other oils and butters to create rich hair masks, luxurious body oils, creamy body butters, or soothing lip balms. Here are some fun formulations you can recreate at home using shea butter:
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9. Rosehip oil
INCI: Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil
A favourite of Lorraine Dallmeier, Formula Botanica’s CEO, rosehip oil is a must-have for any formulator. This nourishing oil deeply moisturises the skin and also helps soften scars and stretch marks. Its rich antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties make it especially beneficial for mature, hyperpigmented, and acne-prone skin. Find out more about rosehip oil below:
Experiment with rosehip oil in your balms, masks, butters, or scrubs to experience its remarkable benefits. Plus, with its natural red-to-orange hue, it adds a beautiful, subtle colour to your formulations.
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10. Rosemary
INCI: Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Last but certainly not least, rosemary is a powerful ingredient that deserves a place in your skincare and haircare formulations. Known for its invigorating scent, rosemary also offers potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial benefits. It’s particularly effective for acne-prone and mature skin, and it shines in haircare products for its nourishing properties. Find out more about rosemary below:
Incorporate rosemary essential oil into oil-based products like face balms and hair treatments. For a creative twist, try adding rosemary powder to dry formulations such as clay masks or face powders. Here are some fun rosemary formulations for you to try:
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Learn how to make your own formulations
Now that you’re familiar with the top 10 must-have ingredients for beginner formulators, you’re likely eager to learn how to put them to use. That’s where our free foundation course comes in.
This short online course teaches you how to create safe and effective organic skincare, and even offers insights on how to start your own skincare line. Additionally, you can dive into our free blog post on the 10 best beauty products to make at home to kickstart your formulation journey today.
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Ariane is Formula Botanica’s content creator and an active member of the student community. She has worked as a professional journalist, blogger, copywriter and editor before joining Formula Botanica full-time in 2024.
