Why You’ll Never See Truly Natural Products Go Viral (And Who’s Behind It)

Why Truly Natural Skincare Doesn’t Fit the Commercial Model

Here’s what they don’t teach you on the shelves of the beauty aisle: Most synthetics in commercial skincare are designed to do one thing. Hydrate. Exfoliate. “Plump.” Brighten. Whatever. They’re engineered for that one specific job, and they often come with side effects or filler ingredients to balance them out. It’s a patch-job approach.

Now compare that to whole botanicals —

• Calendula doesn’t just soothe. It also helps control bacteria, reduces inflammation, and supports healing.
• Chickweed calms irritation, eases itching, and delivers minerals your skin actually recognizes.
• Kawakawa is a native powerhouse of balancing, cleansing, and regenerating goodness.

Each of these plants is like a medicine cabinet in a single stem. Nature doesn’t make one-trick ponies.

But Here’s the Catch…

Nature doesn’t make things in predictable, scalable batches either. You can’t speed up a six-week solar infusion to meet quarterly goals. You can’t get 5,000 L of consistent calendula extract unless you start spraying it with things that ruin its whole purpose.

That’s why big brands don’t use whole botanicals. They can’t scale it. So instead, they distract you. They create The Star Ingredient™—some trendy term you’ve been trained to associate with results—and build an entire marketing empire around it.

✨ Shiny Marketing Syndrome™ & The Great Natural Skincare Con ✨

Let’s talk about a very modern paradox: People say they want natural, chemical-free, gentle-on-babies’-bums kind of skincare. But then they see something truly natural and handmade, and go: “Oh… it must be expensive.”

But here’s the kicker: They’ll drop $48.99 on a “natural” lotion from a big name that spent most of that price on packaging, photo shoots, influencer deals, and calling water a miracle ingredient. 💧✨

Meanwhile, the actual makers—people who infuse herbs by hand, grow the calendula, stir the balm, and don’t cut corners—often get skipped because it looks too real. Too plain. Too “affordable.”

So your brain whispers: “Wait… if it’s cheaper, is it not as good?” 👈 That’s not truth. That’s conditioning. That’s the marketing spell talking.

Let Me Break the Spell for You

Big brands know the game: They deliberately inflate prices—not because the ingredients are expensive (spoiler: they’re usually not)—but because the illusion of luxury makes you trust them more.

Small makers? We price things fairly—for time, ingredients, energy. Not ego. Not empire.

But when we do, it’s often met with: “Why isn’t it $80 like that fancy ‘natural’ face serum I saw on Instagram?” Because, dear reader, I didn’t hire a drone to film a rosemary leaf floating in slow motion.

🎭 Real Talk

I once had Procter & Gamble quietly trademark an ingredient name I was using in a handmade product. One day, my ad account was suspended—no notice—because they’d locked down the word I’d been using for years.

Was it frustrating? Absolutely. Was it a weird kind of compliment? Honestly, yes. Because if a billion-dollar company is going out of its way to kneecap your kitchen-sized operation… you must be doing something right.

So Here’s the Takeaway

• 💡 Stop letting fancy branding tell you what’s valuable.
• 💡 Trust your instincts. Read the ingredients. Know your maker.
• 💡 And remember—beauty isn’t in the bottle. It’s in the intention.

Because real freedom—real skincare freedom—starts when you stop buying the shine, and start looking for the soul.

Support small. Support slow. Support truth.
And don’t let Shiny Marketing Syndrome™ get you.

🧡 You’ve got better instincts than that.