Planting for THE SKIN

Plants provide not just the food we eat, but the materials of our everyday lives. Their fragrances, sap and even their fi bres could be ingredients in your daily skincare products. Here are some of the horticultural heroes growing at Kew Gardens...

- TARRYN BARROWMAN 

ROSE

The Rose Garden at Kew is currently home to 170 different species and cultivars of roses, and there’s more to this perennial shrub than just a pretty face. It’s a popular ingredient in skincare, and many parts of the plant are used. Rose essential oil comes from the flower petals and rosehip oil is extracted from the small fruits that sit behind the flower. Rosewater, a by-product from rose oil production, is often used as a facial mist or toner.

LUFFA

Luffa is a tropical vine belonging to the cucumber family. The fruit is very fibrous when ripe, and once peeled the flesh is made into a sponge for exfoliating your skin – or even a sustainable alternative to plastic pan scourers!