For all of the things that we love about beauty, keeping it natural and plant-based is at the top of our lists. When organic beauty is your jam, you quickly become a pro at reading labels and furiously googling when you find an ingredient even Siri can’t pronounce. And in our quest to bring you vegan-powered products, we’ve definitely seen our share of interesting ingredients that hold so many benefits! So odd in fact, that we went ahead and put together our list of beauty’s weirdest ingredients because we knew you’d get a kick out of these the same way we did, babe!

One of beauty’s weirdest ingredients you’ve been using all wrong: DHA

If you’re a sucker for a good self tan, babe we feel that! We love to glow up a storm around here, sans actual sun tanning involved. But did you know that some of those other self tanners out there contain this beauty ingredient called DHA?

DHA is the ingredient that makes your skin pigment darker, thus giving you that bronzed look you’re after. Think about this - you cut open an apple and leave it out. Over time, your apple will start to brown... this reaction is similar to how DHA reacts with the dead skin cells on your skin's surface!

BBE’s self tanners are formulated with non-GMO, sugar beet-derived DHA, leaving you with that beautiful natural glow.

So don’t go thinking you need to give up self tanner because of this ingredient. Instead, switch out your ex self tanner for one of BBE’s options. Vegan, plant-based Self Tanners!

Starvation Fruit

Also known as morinda citrifolia, this weird ingredient is credited with having a slew of benefits.

From repairing damaged cells to its stellar anti-aging properties, this bizarre sounding fruit is actually *super* amazing for your skin. It is a rich source of Vitamins A and C, which you already know work wonders for improving skin elasticity and boosting collagen production.

All and all, you shouldn't mind seeing this weird looking little guy on your list of beauty ingredients. He's cool, we promise. You can find him and all the benefits in our Hyaluronic Acid Serum.

Seaweed

If you thought this green algae was only good for getting caught between your toes during beach days, think again.

We have to agree that seaweed initially sounds like quite the weird beauty ingredient. However, this stuff has loads of benefits and should not be overlooked. You’ll be surprised to know that seaweed is rich in humectants that quite literally draw moisture into your skin. Moreover, it contains vitamin E, which has unmatched anti-aging properties.

Suffice it to say, don’t squirm the next time you notice seaweed being incorporated into one of your favorite beauty products. Instead, lather it on baby. Your skin will thank you!

Beeswax, buzz buzz!

These guys are putting in work, as we all know, but did you know Beeswz works a worrior skin barrier protector? After doing some further research, we were pretty astounded at this next one on our list of beauty’s weirdest ingredients.

You can find Beeswax in our Lip Balms and Lip Scrubs, to keep moisture locked in ensuring all day hydration for your lips!

Placenta

You’ve surely heard of a celebrity ingesting their own placenta to reap some extreme health benefits after giving birth. And if you haven’t, well, you probably don’t watch as much reality television as we do. So snaps for you, girlfriend.

The reason some beauty junkies flock to this, umm, *kinda really weird* beauty ingredient is because it is extremely high in proteins that can make your hair and skin luscious and radiant. And while you can find placenta in various beauty items these days, should you really reach for them?

The presence of hormones in the placenta is a concern to many experts, even though there are studies that exist that support this weird ingredient’s benefits. What’s more, the placenta you are getting from these products is most likely derived from animals and honestly – that’s enough to turn us off of this one ladies & gents.

The truth is, there are tons more weird beauty ingredients out there babe.

via GIPHY

For real. From fish enzymes to snail mucus – we’ve pretty much seen it all. As we noted above, some bizarre properties are actually a win (i.e. seaweed), while others we can certainly live without (umm, no thanks to the placenta, sorry Hollywood).

To the best self tanner & only the best weird beauty ingredients,

Carey <3