How to spot low quality herbal extracts in botanical skin care: 6 warning signs

Once I overheard a significant figure in the botanical skin care industry claiming that “some commercial botanical extracts are transparent (i.e. lack colour), because they are filtered during manufacturing.”

As someone, who has been working with herbal extracts for over 10 years in both, a full-scale research laboratory and a smaller herbal skin care workshop (where I filter extracts to a laboratory standard), I have yet to see a herbal extract that turns out colourless. Indeed, making a herbal extract that lacks colour and vibrancy takes quite some effort! (Though there are notable exceptions!)

So, why are some commercial botanical extracts colourless? And why are mass-produced botanical skin care products often white?

The answer can be summarized by two words: QUALITY & SKILLS – or the lack thereof. But before I unpack this in more detail, let me get one thing straight:

Just because a herbal extract is mass produced does not automatically meant it is cr*p. And vice versa: a small-batch hand-made herbal extract does not always guarantee superior quality.

With this fact sorted, enjoy reading about 6 warning signs of low-quality herbal extracts. 

#1 Suppliers who don't have the answers

The quality of a herbal extract stands and falls with the quality of the herbs used to make it. Vibrant, seasonally harvested plants will always be superior to herbs that have been sitting in a warehouse for a year or longer. When buying commercial herbal extracts, we hand down our control over the quality of the herbs and the resulting extracts to the manufacturer and further still to the supplier.

A supplier, who is unable to tell you where the herbs came from, when they were harvested, or (shockingly) if they were grown pesticide-free, and when & how the extract was made is a warning sign #1.

#2 Wrong colour, aroma or texture

With a bit of herbal knowledge and experience, you will be able to judge the quality of a herbal extract by simply looking at it, sniffing it or rubbing it between your fingers.

• Is it pale or outright color-less even though the plant was full of pigments? 
• Does it smell like a floral fragrance when the aroma should be earthy?
• Does it lack slip despite being made from a mucilaginous plant?

These organoleptic properties and sensorial analysis tie directly into the chemistry of herbal extracts. Which brings me to the next common issue:

#3 Nonsensical claims

Herbal extracts should always present their distinct aromas and be rich on pigments and other notable phytochemicals that represent the herb they were made of. If targeting a particular herbal constituent, the herbs should be extracted with an appropriate solvent and method to maximize the extraction. This phytochemical approach requires knowledge of both, pharmacognosy and general chemistry principles. (Come learn both into Herbal Extracts for Natural Skin Care.) 

If a herbal extract is accompanied with a particular constituents-based claim, the chemistry has to hold up. If it does not, that’s your third warning sign. 

#4 Low concentration

In order for herbs and their extracts to impart any effect on the skin, they have to be used in an appropriate amount. This includes both, crafting herbal extracts of specific concentration, and adding them into skin care products in correspondingly sufficient amount. Many commercial herbal extracts contain only a minuscule amount of herbs, with concentrations as low as 0.1% not being uncommon. Additionally, if these extracts are only added into a product to make an ingredient list sound more complex and “medicinal”, they are close to useless. The practice of using too small an amount of an ingredient in a cosmetic formulation for it to have any effect, is referred to as "angel-dusting". 

#5 Long ingredients lists

In order to have long-shelf lives, (particularly) water-based commercial herbal extracts need to be adequately preserved. Some of them can contain more than 10 different ingredients, including preservatives. What are you paying for in such case – a quality extract or a stack of fillers?

#6 Lack of traditional skills and reverence

There are only a few things comparable with the beauty of gently nudging a plant to fully connect with her medicine. Importantly, a traditional herbalist will always treat a herb with reverence and utmost respect. How do you know if a manufacturer or supplier of botanical extracts holds herbs dear in their heart? Approach them and inquire. Notice how they speak about plants and how they present their work. Is it all formal business talk? That's your final warning sign!

The solution to low-quality herbal extracts?

Returning to the skillful practice of creating your own! You may find plenty of information about making your own herbal extracts online. Safe to say, majority of the information is as low-quality as the many of the herbal extracts you can buy. If you are looking for a well-researched database of information on herbal extracts, that has been curated by a herbalist / pharmacist / PhD chemist, consider taking part in the following class: 

Herbal Extracts for Natural Skin Care
A unique comprehensive online masterclass rooted in practical phytochemistry and leaning into chemistry, pharmacognosy and traditional herbalism. It focuses on the art & science of pairing an appropriate solvent (oil, glycerine, ethanol, water…) with herbs to take advantage of their dermal actions. It also introduces you to the common extraction techniques, giving you the confidence to skillfully craft your own herbal extracts and use them safely in your skin care formulas. Next live class takes place on 12-September 2026!