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Renowned for its calming, de-stressing properties, ashwagandha is now making its way into our skincare. But is it worth the hype?
A popular ingredient in wellness powders, herbal teas and stress-relieving supplements, you may already be familiar with ashwagandha. The adaptogenic herb is widely used in many medicinal recipes and health supplements but now, it’s making its way into our skincare routines – promising anti-inflammatory responses, boosted cell turnover and a calmer complexion.
And while many skincare ingredients start out in the health space (think turmeric, CBD and coconut oil), whenever an ingredient seemingly gains popularity overnight, we want to make sure it’s worth the hype – rather than just another buzzword in the beauty industry that’s added to marketing claims without adding anything significant to the formula.
So, we rounded up skincare experts and aesthetic doctors to help us figure out if the hype behind ashwagandha is legit. Plus, we’ve compiled some of the best skincare products that harness the powers of this ancient herb within their formula. Keep scrolling for your ashwagandha 101.
What are the benefits of using ashwagandha in skincare?
“Typically ashwagandha is used to calm inflamed and stressed skin,” explains skincare specialist Parisa Bahramian.“When applied topically it also helps to support collagen production, which can help prevent visible signs of premature ageing.” And it’s not just skincare that’s jumping on the ashwagandha bandwagon. “When used in shampoos, ashwagandha is also known to stimulate the scalp, improve blood circulation and fight dandruff,” explains Dr Usman Qureshi, aesthetic doctor and founder of The Luxe Clinic.
What skin types could benefit from using ashwagandha products?
Ashwagandha is great for many skin types – thanks to its adaptogenic properties that calm, soothe and help skin become less reactive. Oily skin types will benefit as it naturally prevents and reduces oil secretion, without stripping essential moisture from your skin. It can also increase cellular turnover – which helps to brighten dull skin. And for those concerned with hyperpigmentation? Well, ashwagandha can help control the overproduction of melanin in the skin and help reduce inflammation. Clever stuff.
8 ashwagandha-based skincare products we really rate
Interested in giving ashwagandha a go? We’ve rounded up eight skincare products that we think are totally worth the hype. While ashwagandha may not always be the hero ingredient, it is included to help support other more potent actives, while calming and soothing your complexion. Ahhh…
Youth To The People Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream
With an adaptogenic blend of ashwagandha and fermented reishi mushroom, this calming cream helps skin cope with dryness, irritation, redness, and fine lines and wrinkles. Soft, soothed skin at the ready.
Shop Youth To The People Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream at Cult Beauty, £15
buy now
Herbivore Emerald Deep Moisture Glow Oil
Perfect for soothing and nourishing stressed-out complexions, this omega-rich oil is enriched with cannabis sativa seed oil to calm areas of irritation, while shiitake mushroom and ashwagandha root provide a safeguard against environmental aggressors.
Shop Herbivore Emerald Deep Moisture Glow Oil at SpaceNK, £44
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Moon Juice Cosmic Cream Collagen Protecting Moisturizer
For a plumper, more radiant-looking complexion, this juicy cream is blended with fatty acids, superfood mushrooms and ashwagandha, plus soothing aloe, nourishing vitamin E and hyaluronic acid to deeply penetrate the skin and lock in moisture.
Shop Moon Juice Cosmic Cream Collagen Protecting Moisturizer at Cult Beauty, £58
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Dr Dennis Gross Skincare B3Adaptive Superfoods Stress Repair Face Cream
Packed with niacinamide to help repair skin plus avocado, cordyceps mushroom and ashwagandha – this soothing face cream is specifically formulated to target and reduce signs of stress on the skin.
Shop Dr Dennis Gross Skincare B3Adaptive Superfoods Stress Repair Face Cream at Lookfantastic, £73
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Forest Essentials Ayurvedic Soundarya Advanced Serum with 24 Karat Gold
Blended with ayurvedic herbs (including our hero ashwagandha), this rich serum helps to improve skin texture over time, nourishing the complexion and reducing any areas of pigmentation.
Shop Forest Essentials Ayurvedic Soundarya Advanced Serum with 24 Karat Gold at Lookfantastic, £68
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Disciple Skincare Good Skin Face Oil
Formulated with breakout-prone skin in mind, this oil-serum is a great moisturiser for acne-prone complexions. Enhanced with prebiotic burdock root to fight breakout-causing bacteria – plus ashwagandha to soothe and calm, it promotes a brighter, more balanced-looking complexion in just a few uses.
Shop Disciple Skincare Good Skin Face Oil at Lookfantastic, £23
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Youth To The People Adaptogen Soothe + Hydrate Activated Mist
This soothing skin mist unities adaptogen-rich reishi mushrooms together with ashwagandha to help calm and redness, combat dehydration and address stress.
Shop Youth To The People Adaptogen Soothe + Hydrate Activated Mist at Cult Beauty, £10.50
buy now
Grown Alchemist Detox Toner
With an advanced blend of Indian ashwagandha, ginkgo leaf and ginseng extracts, this soothing tonersupports collagen and elastin production, while targeting environmental aggressors and damaged cells in order to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Clever.
Shop Grown Alchemist Detox Toner at Cult Beauty, £40
buy now
Main image: courtesy of brands
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