The Surprising Secret Ingredient in Top Natural Beauty Products

Welcome to Form+Function, our series with INFINITI that focuses on health and wellness ideas that have one thing in common: they are simple, streamlined, and elegant—but powerful. Here’s to the the small changes that can pay huge dividends in your diet, your fitness, your health, and your career.

We've been taught that it's what's on the inside that truly matters. But what's on the outside of some natural beauty products (as in, the packaging) is becoming as important to in-the-know beauty gurus as the chia seed oil or rosewater inside.

Believe it or not, there's a certain type of glass that can keep non-toxic products fresher longer (so it cuts down on the amount of preservatives needed) and can help maintain potency—while doing its "day job" of, you know, holding it all in the bottle. How's that for an elegant solution?

Sleek and visually striking, with its smooth black appearance, Miron glass is both beautiful and functional—and prized by a growing number of natural beauty brands because it protects products from the damaging effects of sun exposure.

"Miron glass blocks the full spectrum of visible light with the exception of the violet component, which has been studied for both its protective and enhancement effect on organic material," says Gigja Hlín Wesneski, founder of natural beauty brand Root Science.

"So not only does Miron glass work as a way to naturally preserve the inherent product, but also helps to extend and strengthen the potency. This power combo protects the aging of natural ingredients, which makes natural products last longer while remaining potent."

Since natural beauty products use fewer toxic preservatives (hello, parabens) than mainstream brands, shelf life is a huge issue—and with a shorter shelf life, you have smaller batches (which can ultimately result in eye-popping price tags). So a little sun protection can go a long way, especially for natural beauty fans who prize quality and affordability.

"Maintaining freshness and potency results in enhanced efficacy for our clients. And an added bonus—the bottles are visually stunning," says Wesneski.

It's also recyclable. When Kari Gran launched her namesake natural beauty brand, "I knew immediately I wanted black glass containers that were geometric with sharp edges; something aesthetically pleasing," she says, but "when I started researching black glass, I found out that most black bottles are clear glass with black paint on the inside, which meant they couldn’t be recycled."

So add "helping the environment" to the list of things one little glass bottle does. How's that for a simple yet powerful, elegant solution?  Move over, sea buckthorn and turmeric—Miron glass is the new (Instagram-worthy) hero of the natural beauty world.

What else is elegantly simple yet powerful? The exhilarating INFINITI Q60, for one. With handling so responsive it feels like it’s an extension of you, getting behind the wheel of a Q60 is a seriously powerful experience. Learn more about it at infinitiUSA.com