Explore Natural Ingredients
An A to Z directory of the natural ingredients guides on AlternativeMed with scientific names, origin, group, caution topics and a link to each guide.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Safety first. Natural products can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read natural ingredient safety before you use anything on this page.
Find a guide by its common name. Scientific names are given where an ingredient comes from a living species, so you can tell similar plants, algae and animal products apart; the guide explains which part is used. Names were checked against GBIF (the Global Biodiversity Information Facility), which lists each of the names below as accepted unless a note says otherwise. [1]
How to use the table
The "Caution topics" column only points to what the guide covers. It is not a safety statement, and it is not complete. The facts, numbers and sources are in the guide itself. "Natural" does not mean safe: for example, NCCIH notes that kava comes from a plant yet kava supplements can cause liver disease. [2] For how medicines can interact with natural products, see How Interactions Work. If someone has swallowed something and may be poisoned, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US), or 911 if the person has collapsed, had a seizure or has trouble breathing.
The directory
| Ingredient | Scientific name | Origin | Group | Caution topics | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Activated charcoal | Not a species | Processed carbon material | Clays, charcoal, salts and minerals | Poison treatment versus wellness claims; medicine interactions | More about Activated charcoal → |
| Aloe vera (gel, juice, latex) | Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f. | Plant, leaf | Food-based ingredients | Latex versus gel; medicines | More about Aloe vera (gel, juice, latex) → |
| Apple cider vinegar | Malus domestica (Suckow) Borkh. (the fruit it is made from) | Fermented apple juice | Food-based ingredients | Teeth, throat, medicines | More about Apple cider vinegar → |
| Argan oil | Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels (GBIF lists this as a synonym of Sideroxylon spinosum L.) | Plant, seed kernel oil | Oils, fats and butters | Skin and hair claims; allergy | More about Argan oil → |
| Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) | Not a species | Mineral salt | Clays, charcoal, salts and minerals | Swallowing risks; kidney disease | More about Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) → |
| Bee pollen | Apis mellifera L. (the bee) | Bee product | Bee-derived ingredients | Allergic reactions | More about Bee pollen → |
| Beef tallow | Bos taurus L. (the animal) | Rendered animal fat | Oils, fats and butters | Skin and cooking claims | More about Beef tallow → |
| Beeswax | Apis mellifera L. (the bee) | Bee product | Bee-derived ingredients | Skin contact and allergy | More about Beeswax → |
| Bentonite clay | Not a species | Clay mineral | Clays, charcoal, salts and minerals | Lead and metals; medicine interactions | More about Bentonite clay → |
| Black seed oil | Nigella sativa L. | Plant, seed oil | Oils, fats and butters | Medicines for blood sugar and blood pressure | More about Black seed oil → |
| Cacao and cocoa | Theobroma cacao L. | Plant, seed | Food-based ingredients | Caffeine; heavy metals | More about Cacao and cocoa → |
| Castor oil | Ricinus communis L. | Plant, seed oil | Oils, fats and butters | Strong laxative; pregnancy | More about Castor oil → |
| Chlorella | Chlorella vulgaris Beij. | Microscopic alga | Sea vegetables, algae and salts | Contamination | More about Chlorella → |
| Cocoa butter | Theobroma cacao L. | Plant, seed fat | Oils, fats and butters | Skin use | More about Cocoa butter → |
| Coconut oil | Cocos nucifera L. | Plant, fruit oil | Oils, fats and butters | Eating, skin and hair claims | More about Coconut oil → |
| Colloidal oatmeal | Avena sativa L. | Plant, finely ground oat | Food-based ingredients | Skin protectant; oat allergy | More about Colloidal oatmeal → |
| Colloidal silver | Not a species | Silver particles in liquid | Popular home remedies | Argyria; not meant to be swallowed | More about Colloidal silver → |
| Diatomaceous earth | Not a species | Mineral deposit | Clays, charcoal, salts and minerals | Food grade versus pool grade; inhaling dust | More about Diatomaceous earth → |
| Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) | Not a species | Mineral salt | Clays, charcoal, salts and minerals | Swallowing risks; kidney disease | More about Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) → |
| Fulvic and humic acid | Not a species | Natural compounds | Resins and complex substances | What they are; contamination | More about Fulvic and humic acid → |
| Honey | Apis mellifera L. (the bee) | Bee product | Bee-derived ingredients | Infant botulism; allergy | More about Honey → |
| Hydrogen peroxide | Not a species | Chemical compound | Popular home remedies | Why poison centers warn | More about Hydrogen peroxide → |
| Jojoba oil | Simmondsia chinensis (Link) C.K.Schneid. | Plant, seed oil (a liquid wax) | Oils, fats and butters | Skin and hair claims | More about Jojoba oil → |
| Kaolin clay | Not a species | Clay mineral | Clays, charcoal, salts and minerals | Skin and digestive use; metals | More about Kaolin clay → |
| Lemon water | Citrus x limon (L.) Osbeck (the fruit) | Fruit juice in water | Food-based ingredients | Claims checked | More about Lemon water → |
| Manuka honey | Leptospermum scoparium Forst. (the plant the nectar comes from) and Apis mellifera L. | Bee product | Bee-derived ingredients | Medical dressings versus jar honey; infants; allergy | More about Manuka honey → |
| Mastic gum | Pistacia lentiscus L. | Plant, resin | Resins and complex substances | Evidence and safety | More about Mastic gum → |
| Natural sweeteners (honey, maple syrup, agave, stevia, monk fruit) | Varies by sweetener | Plants and bee product | Foundations | Sweetener claims checked | More about Natural sweeteners (honey, maple syrup, agave, stevia, monk fruit) → |
| Olive oil | Olea europaea L. | Plant, fruit oil | Oils, fats and butters | Food and skin use | More about Olive oil → |
| Propolis | Apis mellifera L. (the bee) | Bee product (resin the bees collect) | Bee-derived ingredients | Allergic reactions | More about Propolis → |
| Raw milk | Bos taurus L. (the animal) | Unpasteurized animal milk | Popular home remedies | Foodborne illness outbreaks | More about Raw milk → |
| Royal jelly | Apis mellifera L. (the bee) | Bee product | Bee-derived ingredients | Allergic reactions | More about Royal jelly → |
| Salt (sea salt, Himalayan salt) and salt-water rinses | Not a species | Mineral salt | Sea vegetables, algae and salts | Mineral claims; rinse water safety | More about Salt (sea salt, Himalayan salt) and salt-water rinses → |
| Sea moss | Several red seaweeds are sold under this name, for example Chondrus crispus Stackhouse; the product label may not say which | Seaweed | Sea vegetables, algae and salts | Iodine; heavy metals | More about Sea moss → |
| Seaweed and kelp | Many species (for example Saccharina latissima (L.) C.E.Lane, C.Mayes, Druehl & G.W.Saunders) | Seaweed | Sea vegetables, algae and salts | Iodine and thyroid; heavy metals | More about Seaweed and kelp → |
| Shea butter | Vitellaria paradoxa C.F.Gaertn. | Plant, seed fat | Oils, fats and butters | Skin use | More about Shea butter → |
| Shilajit | Not a single species | Natural substance whose composition varies | Resins and complex substances | Contamination; heavy metals | More about Shilajit → |
| Spirulina | Arthrospira platensis Gomont | Microscopic alga-type organism | Sea vegetables, algae and salts | Contamination | More about Spirulina → |
| Turmeric milk (golden milk) | Curcuma longa L. (the spice) | Spice with milk | Popular home remedies | Claims checked | More about Turmeric milk (golden milk) → |
What is not covered
Ingredients without a guide in this library are not listed. Herbs and botanicals, adaptogens, mushrooms, essential oils, herbal teas and extracts, and functional foods have their own areas of the site. Start with What Does "Natural" Mean? and Natural Ingredient Safety. The Research Library keeps study records separately.
Frequently asked questions
Why are some scientific names missing?
Clays, salts, charcoal and similar substances are minerals or chemical compounds, not species, so they have no species name. For blends such as seaweed products, the species can vary by product, and labels do not always say which one was used. We did not find a single standard name for those in the sources we read.
Does a listing here mean an ingredient is safe or works?
No. The directory is a finding aid. Each guide separates traditional use from research and sets out the cautions it found in the sources. [2]
Where do I look for plants, mushrooms or essential oils?
Those have their own areas: see Herbs & Botanicals, Adaptogens, Mushrooms, Essential Oils and Herbal Teas.
Are bee products and sea products included?
Yes, under Bee-derived ingredients and Sea vegetables, algae and salts. Both groups carry cautions that the guides explain, such as allergy and contamination.
What should I do if I am unsure whether an ingredient is right for me?
Ask a pharmacist or clinician, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, have kidney or liver disease, or have surgery planned. Check How Interactions Work for how interactions are classed.
References
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy, species match service (names checked individually). Read 2026-10-23.
- Using Dietary Supplements Wisely, NCCIH (NIH). Read 2026-10-23.