Formulating Botanical Skincare
Limited edition course: For formulators who are ready to go deeper.
Enrollment closes June 2026, before the first live session.
Formulating Botanical Skincare is a specialist course that takes you beyond ingredient lists and usage rates — into the chemistry, behaviour, and full potential of botanical ingredients.
You know how to formulate. Now learn what plants can really do — with cosmetic chemist Tina Svetek.
This course goes beyond formulation to teach you how to work with the incredible chemistry of plants — even if you’re not a scientist.
If you’ve ever felt drawn to botanical ingredients — oils, extracts, herbs, essential oils — but want to truly understand how they function in skincare, this course is for you.
Instead of simply using plant ingredients, you’ll learn how to select them with purpose, understand their chemistry, and design formulations that harness their full potential.
You might already be using botanical ingredients in your formulations but still feel unsure about:
• which oils or extracts to choose
• how plant ingredients actually work
• whether you’re getting the best results from them
It’s easy to rely on trends, marketing claims, or surface-level knowledge when working with botanical ingredients.
But if you want to create truly effective botanical skincare, you need to go deeper.
You don’t just want to use plant ingredients — you want to understand them.
Our Formulating Botanical Skincare course will help you deepen your expertise in plant-based formulation
In this specialist program, you’ll gain the knowledge and confidence to:
- Understand how botanical ingredients actually work by exploring plant chemistry and linking composition to function in skincare formulations.
- Confidently select plant oils, extracts, and essential oils — based on their chemistry, function and properties, not trends or guesswork.
- Work across the full spectrum of botanical ingredients — including lipids, glycerites, alcohol extracts, CO2 extracts, infusions and essential oils.
- Create more intentional, effective formulations by combining botanical ingredients in a balanced and purposeful way.
- Formulate with greater depth and sophistication, moving beyond surface-level knowledge to a more professional approach.
- Make your own botanical extracts and understand their role within modern skincare formulations.
Move from simply using botanical ingredients to truly understanding them
— and create skincare that reflects your knowledge, skill, and expertise.
Find out more
Is the Formulating Botanical Skincare course right for you?
WHO THIS COURSE IS FOR
WHO THIS COURSE IS NOT FOR
This course is perfect for you if you:
This course is not suitable for you if you:
- already make your own skincare products
- understand the basics of formulation (emulsions, preservation, ingredient roles)
- enjoy working with botanical ingredients
- want to deepen your knowledge of plants, herbs, extracts and essential oils
- want to create more sophisticated, science-backed botanical-focused formulations
- are completely new to making skincare
- have never worked with emulsions or preservatives
- are unsure how to design or adapt basic formulations
- are looking for a beginner, recipe-based course
- want a full formulation qualification
This course is especially valuable for:
• Graduates of our Certificate or Diploma courses
• Formulators looking to strengthen their botanical expertise
• Brand founders wanting a stronger botanical positioning
If you’re still building your foundation, we recommend starting with our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation to learn professional formulation skills, or Certificate in Making Natural Skincare Products to follow professional-created recipes.
Already a Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation graduate?
This course is the perfect next step. The Diploma introduced botanical ingredients. This course goes into the chemistry behind them — why they work, how to make your own extracts, and how to work with essential oils at a scientific level. One module (plant oils & fatty acids) is shared with the Diploma curriculum. Everything else goes significantly further.
See our full breakdown of how this course is different in the FAQs below.
Build a deeper understanding of botanical skincare formulation
Take your botanical formulation knowledge further by exploring plant chemistry, creating your own extracts, and developing more advanced, specialist formulations with confidence.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Plant Chemistry for Skincare Formulators
Understand the key chemical compounds found in plants — such as lipids, flavonoids, and tannins — so you can select ingredients with purpose and formulate more effectively.
- Learn how plant compounds influence ingredient function, performance, and skin benefits.
- Explore key groups including lipids, flavonoids, tannins, carotenoids, sugars, and proteins.
- See how plant species, growing conditions, and plant parts affect ingredient behavior.
- Discover how extraction methods change what compounds are present — and how ingredients perform.
- Confidently select botanical ingredients based on chemistry, not trends or assumptions.
Plant Oils & Fatty Acids
Work with plant oils at a deeper level by using their fatty acid profiles to make more informed formulation choices.
- Understand how fatty acid profiles influence skin feel, absorption, stability, and performance.
- Learn the roles of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids in skincare.
- Explore unsaponifiables, vitamins, and antioxidants and how they enhance oil functionality.
- Confidently compare and select from a wide range of carrier oils based on their properties.
- Formulate more intentionally by choosing oils that support specific skin types and product goals.
Making Botanical Extracts
Create your own botanical extracts and effectively capture plant actives for use in your formulations.
- Work with fresh and dried plant materials, including fruits, herbs, and flowers.
- Create your own extracts using glycerin, oils, ethanol, water, and propanediol.
- Learn how to select the right solvent to extract specific plant compounds.
- Follow step-by-step methods to create stable, effective extracts for your formulations.
- Understand safety, stability, and how to use your extracts confidently in skincare.
Formulating with Botanical Extracts
Work with active-rich botanical extracts and formulate with them effectively across a range of skincare products.
- Formulate with water-, glycerin-, ethanol-, and oil-based botanical extracts.
- Select the right extracts based on their properties and skin benefits.
- Understand extract compatibility and how they behave in different formulation types.
- Create a complete botanical skincare range including cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer, and oil.
- Use botanical extracts to create products with soothing, antioxidant, calming, skin-brightening, and other targeted skin benefits.
Formulating Herbal Skincare
Work confidently with herbs in skincare by combining traditional knowledge with modern formulation approaches.
- Explore 18 carefully selected herbs traditionally used in Europe and North America—and now widely cultivated worldwide—including calendula, chamomile, lavender, nettle, marshmallow, and echinacea.
- Understand traditional herbal uses alongside modern, science-backed skin benefits.
- Confidently choose and work with different herbal extracts for specific skin needs.
- Create a range of products, including toners, balms, oils, gels, creams, and masks.
- Make your own infused oils and bring the benefits of herbs into your formulations.
Essential Oil Chemistry & Formulation
Take your use of essential oils to the next level with a deeper dive into their chemistry and the science behind their skincare benefits
- Understand how essential oils work through dermal absorption, olfaction and emotional responses.
- Get to know essential oils by their chemical families and how this influences their properties and effects.
- Move beyond simple blends by selecting essential oils based on both function and science-backed skin benefits.
- Create more sophisticated fragrances by blending top, middle, and base notes with intention.
- Apply key formulation and safety guidelines, including usage rates, solubility, dermal limits, and stability.
Two live sessions with cosmetic chemist Tina Svetek — included with enrollment.
Join live to ask Tina your questions and get expert answers in real time, or watch the full replay at your own pace. Either way, you get everything.
🌿 Plant Chemistry for Skincare Formulators 24th June (9am New York/ 2pm UK/ 11pm Sydney)
🌿 Essential Oil Chemistry & Formulation 19th August (9am New York/ 2pm UK/ 11pm Sydney)
Full replays, slide decks, and transcripts available shortly after each session.
Enrollment closes on XXX June, before the first live session.
Create a complete range of botanical skincare products with professionally developed formulas you can recreate, customize, and build on.
Cleansers & Toners
- Raspberry and Lime Facial Cleanser – a gentle foaming cleanser with glycerine-based extracts to cleanse, hydrate, and support smoother, more radiant skin.
- Brightening Licorice Toner – a refreshing toner with botanical extracts to hydrate, protect, and visibly brighten the skin.
- Calming Rose and Chamomile Facial Toner – a soothing hydrosol mist to calm sensitive skin and boost hydration.
Gel Serums & Facial Oils
- Superfruit Revitalizing Serum – a hydrating gel serum with botanical extracts to improve firmness, elasticity, and skin vitality.
- Hydrating Aloe and Echinacea Gel Serum – a lightweight gel to hydrate, cool, and support the skin barrier.
- Rejuvenating Facial Oil – a nutrient-rich oil with carotenoids to protect and support skin renewal.
- Antioxidant Facial Serum – a nourishing oil-based serum with carefully chosen antioxidant rich essential oils.
Creams & Moisturizers
- Soothing and Hydrating Botanical Facial Moisturizer – a nourishing cream to hydrate, soothe, and support dry or sensitive skin.
- Replenishing Marshmallow Cream – a calming emulsion to deeply hydrate and restore the skin barrier.
Oils, Balms & Masks
- Soothing Calendula and Plantain Salve – a protective balm to calm irritation and support skin repair.
- Nettle and Clay Detox Face Mask – a clarifying mask to absorb excess oil and calm blemish-prone skin.
- Soothing Aromatherapy Body Oil – containing carefully chosen essential oils with proven soothing benefits.
Work with a wide range of botanical ingredients
Plant Oils
Work with a wide range of carrier oils and lipid-rich ingredients, and learn how their fatty acid profiles influence performance.
- Rosehip oil
- Jojoba oil
- Argan oil
- Raspberry seed oil
- Sea buckthorn oil
- Evening primrose oil
- Meadowfoam oil
- Passionfruit seed oil
- Kukui nut oil
- And many more (35+ oils in total)
Botanical Extracts
Formulate with a diverse range of botanical extracts rich in active compounds to support different skin needs.
- Green tea
- Licorice
- Hibiscus
- Blueberry
- Cucumber
- Coffee
- Turmeric
- Vanilla
- Kiwi
- Carrot
- And many more (30+ extracts)
Herbs
Explore traditional herbal ingredients alongside modern formulation techniques.
- Calendula
- Chamomile
- Lavender
- Nettle
- Marshmallow root
- Echinacea
- Elderflower
- Plantain
- Yarrow
- And more (18 herbs in total)
Essential Oils
Work with essential oils to create products with both functional skin benefits and sensory appeal.
- Tea tree
- Chamomile
- Lavender
- Rosemary
- Frankincense
- Geranium
- Sweet orange
- Immortelle
- And more
Meet your cosmetic chemist
This course is created, taught, and supported by the School’s cosmetic chemist, Tina Svetek, who has been formulating botanical skincare professionally for 15 years.
Learn from Tina directly
Tina has created every module in this course and leads both live sessions
Get your questions answered
each week in our dedicated Tutor Q&A
Join the professionals
for formulation challenges, activities and discussions
Expand your understanding
with our monthly Formulators Forum, a LIVE learning and discussion session on Zoom
Plus
Receive an invitation to join our private student and graduate online community.
Connect with like-minded formulators from around the world, along with the School of Natural Skincare’s cosmetic scientists and team, inside our friendly student community. It’s the perfect place to discuss, support and inspire each other.
Where are our graduates now?
Meet some of the formulators who have studied with the School of Natural Skincare.
The School of Natural Skincare has helped over 25,000 students across 150 countries develop their formulation skills and launch award-winning brands. Here are some of their stories.
How Graduate Stephanie Went From Years of Dabbling In Her Kitchen To Launching Her Brand Coco-Bare
The Inspiring Journey of a Natural Skincare Entrepreneur, Esther Julius
Memhet Shevki’s Rewarding Journey in Crafting Natural Cosmetics: It’s A Family Affair!
A Mother’s Personal Quest for Truly Natural Skincare
Organic skincare products: How formulating organic skincare products is a revolutionary act for Good Flower Farm
How Tanya juggled life with kids, work and studying natural skincare to launch her beauty brand, Indagare Beauty
What you need to know:
Level
Intermediate to advanced. Designed for formulators who already understand the basics and want to deepen their knowledge of botanical ingredients.
Schedule
Self-paced with on-demand lessons. Two modules are delivered live, with full replays available so you can join live or learn in your own time.
Study time
Approximately 25–50 hours. Your total study time will vary depending on how deeply you explore the materials and how many formulations you choose to create.
Course access
12 months of access, with the option to extend if needed.
Prerequisites
An understanding of basic formulation is recommended, including the main types of products (anhydrous, water-based, and emulsions).
When can I start?
Enrollment is open now for a limited time.
Everything you need to become a specialist in botanical skincare formulation:
You’ll receive:
6 in-depth modules
Covering plant chemistry, oils, extracts, herbal skincare, and essential oils to deepen your botanical formulation skills.
Live classes + replays
Two modules delivered live, with full replays available to watch anytime.
Formulation demonstrations
Five step-by-step videos showing how to create botanical skincare products and extracts.
12+ formulation examples
Professionally developed formulas to recreate, customize, and build on.
Downloadable learning resources
PDF textbooks, transcripts, and slide decks to support your learning.
Botanical ingredient library
Explore plant oils, extracts, herbs, and essential oils with science-backed insights.
Supportive global community
Connect with like-minded formulators and continue learning together.
Certificate of completion
Earn a certificate after completing the end-of-course quiz.
Take your botanical formulation skills to the next level
Enrollment is open for a limited time
Sign up to
Formulating Botanical Skincare
Here’s what you get:
- Six specialist modules
- Video demonstrations and video classes
- Professionally developed formulations
- Botanical ingredient library
- Tutor support from cosmetic scientists
- Student and graduate community
- Live learning sessions
Total value:
$3,991
All included
Enroll now for just:
It’s easy to get started
Enrollment coming this March - stay tuned!
Choose your preferred payment option below and get immediate access to our online classroom.
Pay in full
Get started
right away
US $1997 $1,497
Immediate access to Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation Business Plus Edition.
*Labelling Cosmetic Products with Confidence available in April 2026
*Manufacturing for Small-Batch Beauty Brands available in October 2026.
or
Installments
Six monthly
installments of
US $397 $297
*Spread your investment over six months, with new course material available monthly*
*Labelling Cosmetic Products with Confidence available in April 2026
*Manufacturing for Small-Batch Beauty Brands available in October 2026.
*A full breakdown of the release schedule can be found in the FAQ section of this page
We accept all major debit and credit cards and Paypal
By joining the course you accept our terms and conditions found here.
ALTERNATIVELY...
Enroll in the Business Plus Edition of the
Natural Haircare & Skincare Formulator Program
Here’s what you get:
- Diploma in Natural Haircare Formulation
- Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation
- Price Your Cosmetic Products for Profit
- Labeling Cosmetic Products
- Manufacturing for Small-Batch Beauty Brands
- Four bonus classes
- Haircare formulation tutor support
- Skincare formulation tutor support
- Student and graduate community
- Live learning sessions
Total value:
$5,500
All included
Enroll now for just:
Pay in full
Get started right away
US $2,497 $1,997
Immediate access to Natural Haircare & Skincare Formulator Program Business Plus Edition.
* Labelling Cosmetic Products with Confidence available in April 2026
* Manufacturing for Small-Batch Beauty Brands available in October 2026.
or
Installments
Six monthly
installments of
US $477 $397
Spread your investment over six months, with new course material available monthly*
*Labelling Cosmetic Products with Confidence available in April 2026
*Manufacturing for Small-Batch Beauty Brands available in October 2026.
*A full breakdown of the release schedule can be found in the FAQ section of this page
We accept all major debit and credit cards and Paypal
By joining the course you accept our terms and conditions
Top FAQs
The Diploma gives you the foundations of professional formulation. This course takes your botanical knowledge significantly further — into the chemistry, behavior, and full potential of plant ingredients.
Here’s what’s new:
12 brand new formulations. None of these appear in the Diploma. You’ll have a complete set of professionally developed botanical skincare formulas to recreate, customize, and build on — supported by five step-by-step demonstration videos, including two dedicated to making your own botanical extracts.
Herbal skincare. This course includes a dedicated module on formulating herbal skincare, with detailed profiles of 18 herbs — their properties, skincare benefits, and how to work with them effectively in formulations.
Plant chemistry. You’ll explore the key chemical compounds found in plants in detail — lipids, flavonoids, tannins, and more — and learn how understanding them makes you a more intentional, confident formulator.
Botanical extracts. The Diploma introduces the main types of extracts and profiles around 20 individual ones. This course goes much deeper — including how to make your own extracts from scratch and how to work with them with greater precision across a range of formulations.
Essential oil chemistry. The Diploma covers essential oil safety and usage. This course explores the chemistry behind why they work — the compounds responsible for their skincare benefits — so your decisions are grounded in science, not just guidance.
One module — plant oils and fatty acids — is shared with the Diploma curriculum. Diploma graduates will find it reinforces their existing knowledge and extends it through the lens of plant chemistry, but it isn’t new content.
If you want to go deeper with botanical ingredients specifically, this course is designed for exactly that.
Yes — this course is open to any formulator with a solid foundation in skincare formulation, regardless of where you trained.
To get the most from this course, you should already be comfortable with:
- Reading and writing a professional formula
- The main ingredient functions and roles in oil-based, water-based, and emulsion products
- How to use preservatives and emulsifiers correctly
This course builds on that foundation rather than explaining it from scratch. If you’re confident in the basics and want to deepen your expertise in botanical ingredients specifically, you’re in the right place.
If you’re unsure whether your existing knowledge is the right level, feel free to get in touch and we’ll help you decide.
Yes — all six modules in this course are available individually within the Club.
If you’re an active Club member and you’re happy working through them module by module in your own time, you may not need this course, and can instead exchange your credits for the modules.
If you’re unsure, feel free to get in touch and we’ll help you figure out which option makes the most sense for where you are.
Yes. If you’ve already purchased the Making and Formulating with Botanical Extracts course — which includes the Making Botanical Extracts and Formulating with Botanical Extracts modules — you can upgrade to the full Formulating Botanical Skincare course for $250.
To arrange this, please contact us directly at [email protected] and we’ll get it sorted for you.
This course includes two live sessions led by Tina Svetek, our cosmetic chemist:
Plant Chemistry for Skincare Formulators — Wednesday 24th June (9am New York / 2pm UK / 11pm Sydney)
Essential Oil Chemistry & Formulation — Wednesday 19th August (9am New York / 2pm UK / 11pm Sydney)
If you can’t attend live, the full replay, slide deck, and transcript will be available shortly after each session. You won’t miss the content — but joining live gives you the opportunity to ask Tina questions directly.
Enrollment closes in June, before the first live session, so enrol now if you want the option to join live.
This course uses a range of formats to support different learning styles:
- Live teaching sessions led by cosmetic chemist Tina Svetek, with full replays, transcripts, and slide decks available afterwards
- Comprehensive PDF textbooks — beautifully designed and downloadable for long-term reference
- Step-by-step video demonstrations showing how to create botanical skincare products and extracts
- Quizzes and activities throughout the course to consolidate your learning
- A final end-of-course quiz to earn your certificate of completion
This course covers a wide range of botanical ingredients — including plant oils, botanical extracts, herbs, and essential oils — and you’ll choose which ones to work with based on your own interests and formulations. We don’t provide a set ingredient list because there are many options to explore, and part of the learning is developing your ability to select the right botanicals for your specific products.
As part of the course, you’ll receive access to our global supplier list to help you source ingredients wherever you are in the world.
We offer several types of support to help you get the most from the course:
Tutor support. Have questions as you work through the course? Our cosmetic scientists are available each week in our dedicated Tutor Q&A to answer your questions relating to the course material. You can also bring your questions directly to Tina Svetek during both live sessions.
Technical and administrative support. Our customer service team is available to help with any technical or administrative questions to ensure a smooth learning experience.
Peer support. As a student, you’ll be invited to join our private Online Community, where you can connect with fellow formulators from around the world. It’s a great space to ask questions, share your work, and learn from others who share your passion for botanical skincare.
This course does not include assignments. Instead, each module builds your knowledge progressively, and the course concludes with a final quiz. Students who pass the quiz will receive a certificate of completion.
This structure reflects the nature of the course — it is designed for formulators who already understand the foundations of formulation and want to deepen their botanical expertise, rather than teaching formulation from scratch.
Most students complete the course in approximately 25–50 hours of study time. Because the course is self-paced, you can spread this across as many weeks or months as suits you. How deeply you explore the material and how many formulations you choose to create will also influence your overall study time.
You have 12 months of access to the course materials from the date of enrolment. If you need more time, you have the option to extend your access. This means you can study at a pace that fits around your life without feeling rushed.
Yes — this course is designed to be taken from anywhere in the world. It is hosted inside an easy-to-use online classroom and can be studied from home at your own pace.
We have students in over 150 countries, so wherever you are, you’ll be joining a thriving global community of formulators.
You have 12 months of access to the course materials from the date of enrolment. If you need more time, you have the option to extend your access. This means you can study at a pace that fits around your life without feeling rushed.