How To Use Hibiscus In Your Beauty Ritual
Written by Lauren Arent (Lo Clark)
Magic Mom behind Becoming Bewitched & Licensed Esthetician since 2013
May 26th, 2026
Hello my darlings,
For centuries, hibiscus has been treasured across cultures for its beauty-enhancing properties—most notably in Ayurvedic tradition, but also in African herbal practices, Polynesian adornment rituals, and broader holistic healing traditions around the world. There is profound wisdom in ancestral beauty practices, and I believe it deserves to be remembered rather than lost to time. As a holistic esthetician, I want to share with you how to use hibiscus in your beauty ritual to enhance your natural beauty, inside and out.
Where To Find Hibiscus
The hibiscus flower can natively be found in many different regions, but the species will vary from region to region. The good news is you do not need to wild harvest the plant as you can find it online as herbal tea, dried flower, or powder. You can have it shipped to your front door OR you can usually get it at your local apothecary! (If you haven’t discovered your local apothecary yet, try typing ‘apothecary near me’ or ‘herbal supply store near me’ into your internet browser.)
How to Use Hibiscus in a Face Mask
Hibiscus has many wonderful properties for the skin, which as a holistic esthetician, this is the part I revere the most! When used in skin care products, the hibiscus flower can be hydrating and can soften the skin by reducing transepidermal water loss (hold moisture within the skin). It also has strong antioxidant protection, which is an epic factor in slowing down the aging process as well as supporting the skin in repairing existing signs of aging – reducing collagen breakdown, preventing premature fine lines, improving radiance, and reducing environmental skin damage. (This is why hibiscus is often referred to as the “botox plant”)
The presence of vitamin C means that not only is hibiscus wonderful for treating premature aging but hyperpigmentation as well. This means it is excellent for naturally brightening the skin, especially for ‘winter skin’ or postpartum/pregnancy dullness.
A few easy suggestions for how to use hibiscus in a face mask at home are:
Hibiscus + raw honey + aloe – for Radiant Glow
- If using raw aloe directly from the plant, be sure to drain the “yellow latex” out to prevent skin irritation. Only use the clear gel, drain the liquid from the plant first. Wash the gel before using in your mask.
- Thoroughly mix the raw honey and aloe into a gel like paste, then add your hibiscus. I recommend either using fresh petals or grinding the dried herb into a fine powder with a mortar and pestle, or for ease of use try this ready made beauty powder from Anima Mundi Herbals.
- Apply to the skin for a minimum of five minutes before rinsing off with cold water.
*Hibiscus can stain fabrics and towels, please take precautions.
Hibiscus infusion + oat gel + glycerin – for Hydration
- Add ½ cup of organic rolled oats into 1 cup of filtered water
- Let rest for 3 to 4 hours
- Stir or lightly blend the mixture to create a milky, silky water
- Strain through a cheesecloth or nut milk bag
- Brew a cup of organic hibiscus herbal tea, the stronger the better (more herb, less water)
- Allow the tea to cool, honestly I recommend chilling all the ingredients
- Mix the glycerin + oat gel + hibiscus infusion, slowly adding your hibiscus tea until the perfect texture is achieved. You do not want the mixture to be too runny.
- Apply to the skin for a minimum of five minutes before rinsing.
Hibiscus + yogurt + raw honey
- Grind your dried hibiscus into a fine powder or use this ready made beauty powder from Anima Mundi Herbals.
- Add your hibiscus powder to the raw honey and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Blend the yogurt into your honey and hibiscus mixture, be patient as it can take some time. I love using a probiotic rich yogurt – to not only get the benefits of the lactic acid but the microbiome support from the yogurt!
Homemade Hibiscus Body Scrub
Hibiscus contains natural alpha hydroxy acids, or AHAs, that loosen dead skin cells, smooth texture, and improve any dullness in the skin for brighter, more radiant looking skin. To really bank off the gentle exfoliating properties of the hibiscus flower, I absolutely love making this into a homemade hibiscus body scrub, perfect for radiant summer skin.
There are many delicious additives for a full body scrub, however let’s just keep it simple by mixing sugar and ground, dried hibiscus flower or this ready made beauty powder from Anima Mundi Herbals with a little bit of coconut oil! Use in the shower on your whole body to polish away dead skin, paving the way for radiant summer skin.
How to Use Hibiscus for Internal Beauty Support
You may have noticed my reference to my favorite ready made beauty powder from Anima Mundi Herbals but I want to take a second to go deeper with this product because it has DUAL purposes for beauty, making it an incredible stack for your beauty ritual.
If you have followed me over the years, you will already know how much I love supporting natural beauty from within the body. Holistic beauty recognizes the importance of what we put into our bodies just as much as we put onto our bodies.
The Mangosteen Hibiscus Beauty Tonic is a dried powder made from the highest quality ingredients that can be used when making your face mask or body scrub but can also be added to recipes like bread, pastries, smoothies, frosting, yogurt, and more!
Supplementing with hibiscus is much stronger than making an herbal infusion or tea and considered more therapeutic dosing, which means using enough of the herb to see a measurable effect in the body.
So using the Mangosteen Hibiscus Beauty Tonic on a consistent basis is most likely to show a measurable difference in natural beauty. If you are dipping a toe into herbalism, you might just want to try drinking a cup of hibiscus tea on occasion, which is considered more supportive than therapeutic. You still receive the benefits of the herb, just not in a transformative way. Herbs are magical, but they take time to work within the body.
Results of Internal Use of Hibiscus: brighter complexion, reduced dullness, healthier microcirculation, collagen preservation support
I am fond of both methods but teach an approach that considers a reverence for plant medicine. There are always possible side effects when using herbs, though not always as potent as with pharmaceuticals. I am not a licensed medical professional, therefore any wisdom I share should be discussed with your doctor. Precautions to consider with hibiscus: low blood pressure, on blood pressure medication, diuretics, blood sugar meds, pregnancy, very sensitive stomach / reflux (it’s acidic)
Hibiscus Herbal Bath Soak
The most diluted method for how to use hibiscus in your beauty ritual but also one of the easiest and relaxing ways is in a bath. Think of your tub like a giant cup of herbal tea, simply add the dried hibiscus into the hot water. Or if you want a luxurious bath soak made easy, check out my Hibiscus Lemonade Herbal Bath Salts, the perfect summer soak.
How to Use Hibiscus in a Refreshing Facial Toner
For a more refreshing use of hibiscus, try making a facial toner or mist that requires only two ingredients! Simply make a cup of organic hibiscus herbal tea in filtered water, pour into a mister bottle and store in the fridge.
I recommend using a toner before applying skincare products, to guide your products deeper into the skin. This particular mix may lead to your skin feeling tighter and pores appear smaller temporarily due to the astringent properties of hibiscus, allowing for a smoother makeup canvas. Don’t forget to “set your make-up” with a refreshing spritz! *Your make-up usually pulls hydration from the skin, so finishing with a final spritz of hydration gives it the moisture it needs without taking it from your skin.
Homemade Hibiscus Hair Oil Treatment
Your final tip for how to use Hibiscus in your beauty ritual is for healthy hair! This method is an ayurvedic tradition: a hibiscus hair oil. Now you can infuse hibiscus into many different oils for the hair but my preferred blend is:
- Sesame oil
- Hibiscus flower
- + Hibiscus leaves
The hibiscus leaves add scalp soothing and detangling support to this conditioning oil.
How to make: gently infuse the ingredients over very low heat. We do not want to fry the ingredients as that will create oxidative stress and diminish the therapeutic properties. Maintain this low heat (a crock pot works so well or even the hot sun) for 30-60 minutes.
Apply the oil to your hair thoroughly, from scalp to ends, massing into the strands and wrap to protect. Leave it on overnight or for at least several hours.
I hope you enjoyed learning about the magical beauty of hibiscus. Take some time to make life a little more enchanting by trying one or two of the methods I’ve given you. Beauty happens with intention. If you do decide to try, please tag me on social media @becoming_bewitched so I can share, I would love to connect!
Wishing you a life full of enchantment!
