Suzie's Beauty Tips

Superfoods: True Skincare Heroes

Baobab Super Fruit

The baobab ages well and majestically. Most baobabs today are over 300 years old. The tree has optimized how to extract most out of nature and create powerful molecules to battle environmental stressors. Oil from baobab seeds has been proven to have anti-inflammatory activity. It is therefore very exciting to explore the potential of baobab powder, another product from the fruit, in skincare. We know the powder is very rich in Vitamin C, so obviously it boosts collagen production but importantly has huge antioxidant potential. Antioxidants are free radical scavengers: they go about preventing and fixing DNA damage leading to cancer. Additionally, they reduce free radicals which cause inflammation in the body and breakdown of the building blocks of the skin: collagen and elastin.

What is little known about Baobab is that it is very rich in phytosterols, flavonoids and glycosides and that these have superior benefits on skin. Phytosterols are cholesterol-like molecules that repair and restore the skin barrier making it supple and pliant. Flavonoids boost the antioxidant action of Vitamin C. Naturally rich in acids it works as a wonderful exfoliant to reveal more youthful and radiant appearance.

Baobab fruit in various forms: whole fruit, nutrient-rich powder, and nourishing oil.

Spirulina

Spirulina are blue green algae , a cyanobacteria. They are thought to be the earliest lifeforms on earth and responsible for the evolution of life. They convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and water and nitrogen into usable nitrates so basically, they give us air to breath and food in form of plants.

Spirulina comprises of proteins, essential amino acids vitamins, including Vitamin A, B, C and E, essential fatty acids, Omega 3 and Omega 6, potassium, calcium, iron, copper, phosphorus, chromium, manganese, selenium , zinc and phycocyanin which makes it an exceptional ingredient for skincare.

Studies have shown that that spirulina is beneficial as an antioxidant, in would healing, skin brightening and hydration.

Hibiscus Flowers

Interestingly hibiscus belongs to the same Malvaceae family as baobab. It’s high mucilage content enhances the skin’s ability to retain moisture, a key factor in retaining a youthful complexion. Unique to this superfood is a component called Myricetin, which is shown to reduce UVB induced wrinkle formation. Owing to the slightly exfoliating effect of the organic acids found in the plant, hibiscus also helps speed up cell turnover, resulting in a more even-looking skin tone.

It may be time to swap botox for hibiscus. With its remarkable reputation for increasing skin elasticity, it’s no wonder hibiscus is called the Botox plant.