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Let the Bachelor contestants fawn over their roses. The flower we’re obsessed with right now is jasmine. Long beloved as a key ingredient in perfumery, the heady white bloom is now popping up in other beauty categories, too — and for good reason. “Jasmine oil has been shown to provide wound healing, and antioxidant and antimicrobial effects on the skin,” says Joshua Zeichner, a dermatologist in New York City. “It’s used in skin-care products for its ability to promote collagen production, protect the skin against free radical damage, and even reduce inflammation.” (Jasmine is safe for all skin types, Dr. Zeichner says, though he recommends being cautious if you have a history of skin allergies, especially to other essential oils.)
And though jasmine is certainly trending — and has found a home in a bunch of great products — it’s hardly ubiquitous yet, perhaps because it’s a notoriously finicky ingredient to get right. “It is very challenging to harness the benefits of jasmine,” says Francesco Clark, creator of the Clark’s Botanicals skin-care line, which is based entirely around the ingredient. “When the nocturnally blooming jasmine flower closes as the sun rises, it releases a special enzyme that benefits the skin — and you have to capture it then. It took us four years and 78 versions to create a formula that is properly balanced and effective.” (Clark actually first discovered jasmine after a devastating spinal cord injury that not only paralyzed him, but left his skin without the ability to sweat or regulate itself. “My skin was congested, gray, and prone to chronic breakouts,” he says. “I tried every over-the-counter and prescription medication, and nothing worked until we stumbled upon this powerhouse ingredient.”)
Ahead, some of our favorite jasmine products that smooth our skin, soften our hair, and make us smell incredible.
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