Some things never go out of style—and such is the case with these time-tested ingredients that remain natural beauty go-tos.
Jojoba oil
BEST FOR: fine lines, sensitive skin, dry cuticles
Derived from the jojoba plant native to Arizona, California and Mexico, jojoba is nearly identical to skin’s natural sebum oil, making it ideal for moisturizing and reducing the appearance of fine lines in sensitive areas (crow’s-feet, anyone?). It also hydrates dry hair and restores damaged cuticles. Bonus: Because its molecular profile is extremely stable, jojoba is one of the most common carrier oils, used to dilute essential oils. Mix in a few drops of your favorite essential oil, and you’ve got yourself an easy DIY massage oil.
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Coconut oil
BEST FOR: dry skin and hair
Coconut oil’s healthy medium-chain fatty acids—most notably its high concentration of antibacterial and antiviral lauric acid—and molecular structure allow it to moisturize and penetrate deep into skin. “This silky oil is a concentrated moisturizer that magically vanishes into the skin,” says Lori Schmidt, esthetician at the Oaks at Ojai in Ojai, California. “A mere spoonful can cover my whole body. Yet unlike the cocoa butter that we used to tan with in the ’70s, this is nongreasy.” It also makes an excellent single-ingredient leave-in conditioner.
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Tea tree oil
BEST FOR: sensitive skin and breakouts, dandruff
This potent antimicrobial is found in washes and serums that combat common skin woes, namely acne—the nation’s most common skin condition. Decade-old research, which used a topical application of 5 percent–concentration tea tree oil, has supported it as an effective treatment for breakouts. Prior to that, research from the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology proved the same concentration’s ability to mitigate dandruff.
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