We used to think they were good for pulling out. But now they’re back in our creams, shampoos and oils. Forgotten plants are bringing nature back into our beauty routines for a return to ancestral rituals.
Faced with a beauty industry saturated with synthetic active ingredients and ephemeral trends, a new wave of brands is banking on a return to ancestral rituals. Their credo is to rehabilitate the virtues of ancient, local and sometimes scorned plants. Nettle, horsetail, hogweed and yarrow are becoming the stars of natural formulations inspired by the traditions of our ancestors.
The power of neglected active ingredients
Far from being herbal relics, these plants have now been selected for their effectiveness. Nettle, for example, is a treasure trove of minerals, known to stimulate hair growth and regulate oily skin. Horsetail, rich in silica, is prized for strengthening brittle hair and nails.
Another example is yarrow, with its healing and soothing properties, perfect for reactive skin. Formerly consumed as an infusion or applied as a poultice, it is now used in serums, oils and masks.
Rooted, local and committed to beauty
This return to forgotten plants is often accompanied by a more global approach: local harvesting, artisanal processing, respect for biodiversity and short supply chains. These choices reflect a desire to revive ancestral knowledge, while offering responsible, sustainable beauty.
Some French brands work with herbalists, organic producers and wild plant gatherers. The aim is to give pride of place to these “simple” products, which have no reason to be jealous of synthetic active ingredients, in terms of both effectiveness and respect for the skin.
A bridge between modernity and tradition
The return of forgotten plants is not a rejection of modernity. Rather, it is a form of reconciliation between innovation and tradition, between nature and science. These ancestral rituals, reinterpreted in a contemporary cosmetic language, nurture a beauty that is more sensorial, more connected to the living world.
By giving a new voice to nettles and burdock, beauty learns to be simple, powerful and effective over the long term.
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