Top 6 emotive botanical ingredients for 2025: A path to enhanced customer experience

Regenerative beauty: the joyful essence of upcycled botanicals

Regenerative beauty has a double meaning, regenerating the skin with effective active ingredients and regenerating the environment with ingredients and processes that actively restore ecosystems, biodiversity, and local communities. In marketing to this trend, ingredient suppliers must provide transparency in sourcing and upcycled ingredients that just don’t minimise harm, they actively support farmers and local businesses.

A positive boost for well-being with banana flowers

Sourced from organic banana farms in Mayotte, Crodarom™ Banana Flower EC is an upcycled ingredient derived from banana flowers that are a waste stream the fruit crop. Renowned for its hydrating properties, this extract nourishes the skin. It also imparts a sense of tropical joy which aligns with the growing consumer desire for beauty products that evoke positivity, happiness and liveliness to enhance mood, relieve stress and improve mental well-being.

The Island of Mayotte was devastated by a hurricane in December 2024. Our partnership with the local community is helping to support the rebuild through guaranteeing a fair source of income. So not only our extract delivering benefits to skin, it is helping to deliver benefits to local community.

Through incorporating this extract, brands can tell a story mixing sustainability and positivity, particularly appealing to eco-conscious consumers.

Inner peace and mindful rituals with amethyst

Crodarom™ Amethyst GL is another product that turns a byproduct that would otherwise go to waste into a powerful emotive ingredient. Sourced from a small mining company in the south of France (close to one of our botanical research and production sites), Crodarom Amethyst GL is made from amethyst stones that are unsuitable for jewelry and which otherwise would be wasted. By partnering with this mining venture we provide another source of income that enables them to maintain a mineral extraction activity that fully respects the Auvergne Forest and its soils.

Amethyst has long been associated with calming energy, balancing and protection. Its inclusion in beauty formulations offers consumers a sense of inner peace and harmony, transforming skin care routines into mindful rituals that connect consumers to the ancient traditions of crystal healing, merging spirituality with self-care.

Culinary treasures in beauty rituals

There are few things more emotionally evocative than food. Incorporating botanicals associated as much with the dinner table as the dressing table provides a wealth of storytelling opportunities linked to health, traditional recipes, seasonality, culture and provenance.

The finest in French cuisine for skin radiance

Crodarom™ French Saffron provides a luxury aspect to radiant skin. Saffron, one of the most precious spices in the world, is synonymous with luxury and elegance. Revered since ancient times, saffron owes its therapeutic properties to its powerful antioxidants (crocin and crocetin) that help protect the skin against free radicals, ensuring a glowing and healthy complexion.

Our saffron is and-harvested in the idyllic of French Normandy and connects ideas of traditional French skin care with the world renowned French gastronomic tradition.

This ingredient bridges ancient Ayurvedic traditions with modern skincare, making it a perfect addition to high-end beauty formulations. As it is locally sourced in Normandy from a family-run business, this saffron also supports small-scale farming and regional economic growth, reinforcing the narrative of ethical luxury.

Back to basics for confort and nourishment

The concept of culinary treasures can also be taken in the opposite direction, with very common ingredients that have a strong emotional dimension linked to memory and nostalgia. Ingredients linked to cherished experiences are a key asset to enhance emotional well-being, reinforcing the power of beauty as a holistic self-care ritual.

Cosme-Phytami™ Oat, is a preservative-free, 100% natural extract, which brings the comforting essence of cereals into skin care. Oats have been cherished in both diets and skin care for their soothing and nourishing properties. Their inclusion in cosmetic formulations offers a sense of familiarity and comfort, appealing to consumers seeking gentle and effective skin care solutions. This ingredient allows brands to tap into the trend of food-inspired beauty, creating skin-friendly formulations that are both wholesome and indulgent.

The power of ingredient origins in brand storytelling

The origin of an ingredient can be as much a part of brand storytelling as what the ingredient actually is and does. Aligned with the "slow beauty" trend, consumers value botanical ingredients whose origins are connected to traditional harvesting techniques, craftsmanship, and a deep emotional connection to nature.

The "Champagne of Honeys" from New Zealand preserved nature

Native to New Zealand, Manuka honey has unique soothing and healing characteristics that make it ideal for dry, irritated skin, offering a luxurious natural touch to skincare, lip care, and body products. The rare honey we source to manufacture Crodarom™ Manuka Honey is renowned for its unparalleled antibacterial and skin-hydrating properties, providing a sense on enhanced efficacy compared to a traditional honey. Collected from the pristine wilderness of New Zealand, it embodies purity, nourishment, and authenticity. Its storied use in traditional Maori medicine adds depth to its narrative, allowing brands to highlight themes of purity, potency, and cultural heritage in their products.

The "Food of the Gods", the perfect embodiment of a slow, conscientious harvest

Traditionally used for wound healing and skin regeneration in Central America, Floral Nectar, is the nectar of the Combretum farinosum flower. To retrieve the nectar from the magnificent blooms harvesters must use a syringe. They are only able to retrieve around 45μl of nectar per flower, i.e. 3.5ml per panicle. They do so during a period of only 3 weeks, and only once the inflorescences are at human height. This ensures that the non-destructive harvesting method guaranties the survival of the species and preserves biodiversity, while promoting ethical sourcing. This difficult, meticulous and time-sensitive process is necessary to preserve South American native tropical forests but also provides a storytelling opportunity for brands that connect their product to traditional and sensitive cultural practices.

Floral nectar delivers a revitalising and softening effect, making it a compelling ingredient for gentle, skin-nurturing formulations. Incorporating floral nectar into beauty products not only provides the natural benefits of this unique flower from the wilderness of South America, but also connects consumers to the ephemeral beauty of nature's blossoms.

Emotive ingredients: the future of beauty storytelling

As beauty continues to evolve, emotive ingredients stand at the intersection of sensory experiences, sustainability, and meaningful storytelling. Our top six ingredients for 2025 offer brands an opportunity to craft beauty products that go beyond skin benefits, immersing consumers in rituals filled with joy, authenticity and comfort.

Emotive botanical ingredients are deeply aligned with market trends such as holistic wellness and sustainability. The demand for responsibly sourced, upcycled, and eco-conscious formulations has never been higher, making these ingredients a perfect match for brands looking to make an impact. From upcycling initiatives and local sourcing to spiritual wellness and nostalgia-driven beauty, these ingredients align with the strongest market trends, ensuring that beauty remains an engaging and transformative experience.

Discover More with Croda Beauty

Emotive botanicals are a powerful asset in formulating the next generation of beauty products. Explore our full range of botanical ingredients and discover how they can enhance your formulations. Contact your Croda Beauty sales representative today to learn more.