6 Plants to Add to Your Beauty Routine to Give Yourself a Garden Glow-Up

For many of us, the time spent in our gardens is our daily reset. Those moments spent cultivating plants in the yard can be some of the happiest of our day. Maybe it’s the joy of a visiting songbird or the tactile satisfaction of damp earth, combined with the pleasure of watching plants and flowers fill out with incomparable beauty.

But what if your plants did more than just soothe your mind? What if they could raise your beauty game with a veritable garden glow up? The “glow up” is more than a fad – it’s a return to ancestral wisdom. In a world of complex, synthetic routines, there is a profound power in the slow beauty movement, using plants that you’ve nurtured to nourish your hair and skin.

By cultivating your own beauty garden with these 6 flowers, plants and herbs for skin and beauty, you control the purity of your ingredients. And knowing how to glow up with homegrown ingredients doesn’t have to be complicated or drawn-out. Whether you have an expansive backyard or a modest sunny patio, these plants are the game-changers of the botanical beauty world. Here is how to transform your beauty care and grow your way to a radiant new you.

6 Best Plants for a Garden Glow Up

Selecting a garden glow up collection is like curation for a skincare shelf. Basically, you need ingredients that are high-performing, versatile, and reliable. I’ve chosen these 6 because they represent the gold standard of botanical beauty care, but also because they are remarkably forgiving for the home gardener. You don’t need loads of space, time, or technique – just the belief that you deserve the best, and that it is possible to grow it. These plants are easy wins that thrive in most USDA hardiness zones. They just need a sunny spot and (in the case of the flowers) a bit of deadheading to keep their beauty benefits flourishing.

In terms of extracting the goodness from the plants for these garden glow up tips, the process is surprisingly low-tech. Most remedies rely on simple infusions or solar-infused oils, where the sun does the hard work of pulling the nutrients into a carrier oil. To get started, just gather together a few clean glass mason jars, a cheesecloth or fine-mesh strainer, like the Cuisinart Mesh Set from Amazon, to ensure your toners are silk-smooth, plus a spray bottle for any finished mists. By keeping these preparations simple, your garden glow-up remains a relaxing ritual rather than a chore.

1. Roses

It’s no secret that roses and beautycare are intrinsically linked. Beyond their lush blooms, velvety textures, and (in may cases) heady fragrances, they are widely acknowledged as enduring symbols of grace. While there are are untold varieties and cultivars in all sizes and colors, many roses have powerful fragrances. Grow your roses in full-sun sites with well-draining soil. Roses need at least six hours of full sun and heavy feeding. Use a rose-specific organic fertilizer in early spring.

Rose petals are smooth, delicate and gorgeous, three adjectives most of us would love applied to our skin. It’s no surprise these petals are frequently used in natural beauty products. What is perhaps less well known is that they contain high levels of Vitamin C and phenolics, which act as natural anti-inflammatories. Old wives' tales suggest that rose water makes the eyes sparkle, and they weren't far off. Distilled rose petals contain mild astringents that tighten pores without stripping moisture.

Roses hydrate and soothe the skin. You can rub the petals on your face and neck to rejuvenate the skin and diminish fine wrinkles. However, it’s a mistake to think all roses are equal when it comes to skincare. For the best glow up results, a damask rose (Rosa damascena) or cabbage rose (Rosa centifolia) rate highly. Top varieties for homemade remedies include Rosa 'Gertrude Jekyll' for scent and Rosa rugosa for high-vitamin rosehips. If you would like to add a rose to your garden for future glowups, you can buy Hansa Hybrid Rugosa Roses from Nature Hills.

For a great 24-hour rose glow toner, place two cups of fresh, pesticide-free petals in a glass bowl. Pour boiling distilled water just over the top. Cover and steep for 24 hours. Strain and then spritz on your face after cleansing. You can get pretty Yocasii Atomizer Spray Bottles from Amazon.

2. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera (Aloe barbardensis Miller) is a pretty lsucculent, its plump leaves standing upright like so many green puffy fingers. Its thick leaves fan out from a central step, the margins serrated with tiny teeth. Aloe is the ultimate emergency room plant and is known for the cool gel in its leaves that soothes burns and rashes. However, this garden glow-up essential also increases collagen synthesis and skin elasticity.

In ancient Egypt, Aloe was referred to as the plant of Immortality. Cut open an aloe finger, and the clear gel inside is a star ingredient, used in many natural beauty treatments from moisturizers to face masks, and even used to condition hair. The gel works a treat in homemade face creams, or used directly on your skin to hydrate and rejuvenate. It also works as an anti-inflammatory, reducing swelling and redness.

Just don’t use the yellow sap just under the aloe’s skin, as it can be an irritant. In terms of how to get a glow up from this plant, only use the clear, inner gel when harvesting. For a homemade remedy, try making an overnight hydration mask. Mix 2 tablespoons of fresh gel with 1 teaspoon of honey. Apply a thin layer to the face before bed (with a towel over your pillow) for a replenishing sleep.

In terms of plant care, aloe thrives on neglect, so beware of overwatering. Use a cactus mix soil and a pot with excellent drainage, and keeo in a sunny spot. You can buy Costa Farms Live Aloe Vera Plants from Amazon to boost your beauty garden.

3. Lavender

Lavender is a garden favorite, a Mediterranean native which thrives in full sun in well-draining, sandy soil, offering stunning blooms with a soothing scent. If you are looking for particularly good varieties to grow for enduring fragrance and oil quality, then Lavandula angustifolia 'Munstead' or 'Hidcote' are ideal. You can buy ‘Munstead’ Lavender plants from Burpee.

Lavender is one of the best herbs for skin treatments, with a hundred uses in beauty products. Its ability to lower cortisol (the stress hormone) directly impacts skin clarity, and it is one of the few essential oils that can (in small amounts) spot-treat acne. Alongside this, it is also a powerful circulatory stimulant. Lavender-infused oil reduces puffiness, and also does an excellent job building skin health.

To incorporate it into your garden glow-up beauty routine, try drying some harvested blooms and adding to your bathwater. Pulse a handful of dried buds with one cup of rolled oats in a blender. Tie the mixture in a muslin bag and drop it into a hot bath for a milky, skin-softening soak.You can get Reusable Drawstring Muslin Bags from Amazon for your glow-up garden-grown bathing treats.

4. Chamomile

Often called the plant doctor because it seems to heal the plants around it, chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) does the same for your complexion and is one of the better herbs for better skin. It contains chamazulene, a compound that works as a massive anti-inflammatory. It is also a delicate and loving skin soother. So while you may associate this dainty bloomer more with herbal tea, it is a lovely glow-up go-to for calming sensitive skins and soothing eczema and rosacea.

To make an easy de-puffing eye compress, brew 4 tablespoons of chamomile flowers in a cup of water. Let it cool completely in the fridge. Soak cotton pads in the cold tea and then rest them over your eyes for 10 minutes. Just one little note of caution: if you are allergic to ragweed or daisies, patch-test chamomile carefully, as they are in the same family.

German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is an easy-to-grow annual that loves full sun and will happily self-seed. Buy some Chamomile Plants or Seeds from Burpee, and let this carefree herb run riot in a large planter or sunny border, keeping you well serviced in gentle skin care for years.

5. Yarrow

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is a secret weapon for the flower grower. These playful umbels of color are virtually indestructible. Plants seem to thrive in poor soil and are highly drought-tolerant once established. For some growers, they are dismissed as weed-like. But for glow-up gardeners, yarrow is one of the most effective natural toners around. Wild white yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is the most potent, but 'Moonshine' (yellow) is a stunning garden performer. You can buy Greenwood Nursery’s ‘Moonshine’ Yarrow Live Plants from Amazon.

In skincare, yarrow acts as a powerful astringent, meaning it shrinks pores and tightens the skin's appearance. It is also excellent for oily skin and reducing redness, and is believed to have anti-ageing properties. For a lovely pore refiner, simply steep some dried yarrow flowers in alcohol-free witch hazel. Leave this for 2 weeks in a dark cupboard. Strain, then use as a daily toner to balance those oily T-zones.

6. Elderberry/Elderflower

Elderberries are loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatories and rich in vitamin C. Commonly associated with immune health, this vibrant flowering and berrying bush is so much more than just a pretty face – although it’s an undeniable looker as well. Victorian ladies would use elderflower water to fade freckles and spots. Today, the flowers and berries of Sambucus are great for skin brightening and renewal.

You can knock up a quick brightening steam using fresh flowers or cooked berries (raw berries contain cyanogenic glycosides and should not be used in DIY skincare). Place umbels in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Drape a towel over your head and the bowl, steaming your face for 5 minutes. You can also boil berries for 20-30 minutes and use the cooked juice for topical applications like toners.

When growing, several elderberry varieties can get large. Give them space and plenty of nitrogen-rich compost, as well as slightly acidic soil. With its dark foliage and pink-tinged flowers, 'Black Lace' will bring natural beauty to your borders as well as your skincare routine. You can buy ‘Black Lace’ Sambucus from Nature Hills.

Growing a Glow Up Garden

To get the most pampering from these plants, you need to pamper them first. A stressed plant will produce fewer of the essential oils you need for your skin. Make these key growing pointers an integral part of your collective beauty care:

• Keep the soil around your glow-up plants in good condition. Use compost tea or liquid seaweed on the soil around flowering plants. Avoid heavy synthetic nitrogen, which can lead to lush green growth but weak concentrations of medicinal oils.
• Because elements of these plants are going on your skin, it’s important never to use chemical pesticides on your plants. If you spot aphids on flowering plants, use a strong blast of water or a diluted neem oil spray.
• Always harvest your beauty botanicals in the morning, just after the dew has evaporated but before the heat of the sun can sap those volatile oils.
• If you are making oil infusions (like rose oil), check your petals are 100% dry. Even a drop of water can cause your homemade beauty products to grow mold, which is the last thing you want anywhere near your skin.

Gorgeous Glow-Up Essentials

If your garden beauty counter is still in the “development” stage, there's no need to worry. You can look and feel great while you wait, with the help of these botanical beauty essentials:

Need more ideas for timely gardening jobs and seasonal expert advice delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for the free Gardening Know How Newsletter!