Superfood Beauty!
We are all aware of superfoods, right? Things like pomegranate, kale, goji berries, quinoa are all, apparently, very good for us. We should be consuming large amounts of them. And perhaps we should be using them in other forms as well. Like in beauty products, for instance!
Superfood beauty is feeding your skin with all of these wonderful anti-oxidant packed natural ingredients. I’ve had kale-enhanced nail polish, shampoo with quinoa, and many more products land on my desk over the last few years. But I have picked out just four that I’ve recently been trying, because I think they’re some of the best I’ve used in a while.
First up, one that I was hugely intrigued by when I first discovered it. French brand Aloree go one step further than just using superfood ingredients in their products – by using chlorophyll, the green pigment that allows plants to convert sunlight into energy.
Alorée is currently the only skincare range that has been able to extract the active ingredient chlorophyll and capture its highly effective anti-ageing properties. Chlorophyll cannot be extracted by itself from plants and so, iut isn’t straightforward to capture this powerful ingredient. After years of research and in collaboration with the University of Montpellier, Alexandra Croce (skincare expert and brand founder) developed the unique C.H.C serum (Chlorophyllin Hordeum Complex) that is present in each of the Alorée products.
This complex contains chlorophyll from young organic barley shoots as well as polyphenols, vitamin E, organic grape seed oil, organic camelina oil and organic muscat rosebush oil. I tried their hero product, the Aloree Radiant Mask (£24, Wholefoods Stores, aloree.co.uk), which is surprisingly green, and a more gel like texture than I expected. You can use it as a 10 minute luxury mask, applying a thick layer, and rinsing off, or you can use it as a three minute instant beauty boost, using a thin layer, and removing the excess with a damp cotton pad. It’s a lovely mask, and certainly seems to boost the skin.
L’Erbolario are an Italian beauty brand with a huge range of products. From Lodi, near Milan, the brand are about to luanch a brand new line harnessing the power of the much-lauded Goji berry. L’Erbolario are combining the Goji with another powerful anti-oxidant berry, the Maqui berry. This berry is dark and purple, and grows wild throughout the southern temperate rainforests of Chile and Argentina. The indigenous Mapuche Indians of southern Chile have eaten these berries for years. The Goji berry can be traced back to the first Emperor of China, and influential botanists believe that it came to Europe around 1740 via the Duke of Argyll.
Combining the two has given L’Erbolario a rich range with great anti-oxidant properties. The Antioxidant Face and Body Oil (£39, erbolario.co.uk) leaves the face and body skin deeply moisturised, whilst the Antioxodant Face Cream (£39) is a gentle emulsion where the berries are combined with the protective benefits of red cotton stem sells. It also contains Abyssinia oil, cocoa and coconut butters and sunflower oil. Delicious!
Not so delicious, to me anyway, is Coconut water. I’ve tried, but I’m not a big fan. However, Natural World’s Cocount Water Hydration and Shine Weightless Hair Oil (£3.49, 25ml, 6.99, 100ml, beautyandthebunch.com) is great. I used this product last week on my hair before below-drying, and it felt silky, smooth and shiny, and I am in love! Using certified organic coconut, this is a lovely oil, with no parabens, and if your hair needs a little TLC, I’d recommend. The 25ml bottle will be the first thing in my holiday washbag!
The Organic Pharmacy Glamour Food range uses all sorts of superfoods, from blueberries to pomegranate, to acai and Goji berries. The range has facial and bodycare products, and was inspired by The Organic Pharmacy chocolate. I love the Bath and Shower Gel (£14.95, organicpharmacy.com), full of blueberries and dark chocolate, and the Body Lotion (£14.95) to match.
to Finally, Glasgow based The Beauty Kitchen have utilised Abyssinian Oil in a whole range,and their Facial Moisture Cream (£19.99, beautykitchen.co.uk). Okay, so this oil, harvested from the flowers of the Abyssinian tree, isn’t strictly a superfood, but it is a fantastic ingredient, brilliant as a natural moisturiser, and excellent in hair care as well. Combined with cocoa butter and shea butter, this cream is great for those of you who are not a huge fan of facial oils. Think of Abyssinian oil as a turbo-charged Argan oil…
What are your favourite superfoods?
