Is Snow Algae The Coolest Skincare Ingredient Ever?
As skincare ingredients go, snow algae might not be top of mind, but things are about to change because this wonder of nature looks set to make a real difference for aging skin.
Nature is a wonderful thing. From the power of our oceans to the smallest cellular matter, nature is everywhere. Quite frankly, without it, life as we know it would not exist.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, surrounding ourselves with nature keeps us emotionally, psychologically and physically healthy. It’s no wonder, therefore, that ‘feeding’ your skin with nature’s greatest offerings is one of the most effective ways to optimize the health of your skin.
At TruSkin we harness the powers of plant extracts and botanical oils across all of our products, combining nature’s finest with potent, lab-created ingredients to provide you with what we truly believe is the best of both science and nature. We take pride in crafting effective treatments that are formulated with the crème de la crème of synthetic skincare (think retinol, niacinamide and vitamin C). We then blend these science-backed powerhouses with natural ingredients that provide equally as incredible benefits to your skin. Oat and rice milk are fabulous examples that immediately spring to mind – both of which are packed into our new Soothing Cleansing Milk alongside synthetic favorites such as hyaluronic and stearic acids to provide comfort and nourishment to sensitive skin.
Nature: it’s what we live for. What’s more, every now and again, a new natural ingredient comes to our attention that offers something new and exciting to skincare. And most recently we hit on a very special type of algae called snow algae.
Already proving its worth in the anti-aging world, here’s what you need to know…
What Is Snow Algae?
Snow algae, otherwise known as pink snow, red snow or sometimes even watermelon snow, is found in the ice caps and mountain tops of some of the coldest, most extreme climates in the world. The Alps, Himalayas and Arctic Coast are often covered with pink blankets of snow algae. Basically, it’s found anywhere where there is permanent snow all year round.
Although green at warmer temperatures, snow algae turns pink thanks to red-tinted carotenoid pigments which kick in when the mercury drops and levels of UV radiation increase. Without getting too technical on you, this clever defense system protects its growth, shields it from harmful UV radiation and allows snow algae to survive and, more than that, totally thrive in extreme, frigid conditions.
Kudos for that. Most other plants stand no chance in such brutal climates.
Impressive, But What Does That Have To Do With Your Skin?
Snow algae’s unique defense mechanism offers all manner of awesome skincare benefits.
Studies show that when it’s applied to the skin on a regular basis, snow algae activates certain enzymes and longevity genes which put your skin cells on a kind of diet. By restricting energy to your skin, they’re encouraged to work in a more efficient way, thus accelerating and improving DNA repair, encouraging collagen synthesis and slowing down the aging process of your skin while boosting restoration and regeneration. By strengthening the skin at a cellular level, snow algae also works hard to fortify your skin’s barrier function, helping to prevent transepidermal water loss and increase overall hydration.
But that’s not all, snow algae also has potent antioxidant properties which is how it keeps itself protected from extreme UV damage. And the same can be said when you apply it topically to your skin.
Antioxidants are a super important part of your skincare routine because they’re pretty much the only way to destroy free radicals and stop them from aging you up. Free radicals are formed when your skin is exposed to environmental bad guys like pollution, smoking and the inevitable UV radiation. If left to their own devices free radicals play havoc with your skin, ruining your collagen and elastin supplies, chipping away at your important barrier function and accelerating the visible signs of aging – most notably fine lines and pesky wrinkles.
Thankfully, antioxidants help neutralize free radicals and slow down their damaging force. And that’s why they should play a valuable part in your daily skincare routine.
As you know, we’ve long been fans of antioxidants – our whole reason for existing grew from vitamin C – and learning of new, powerful antioxidants from nature gets us very excited. This is why we’re charging two of our exciting new skincare innovations with extracts of rare but wonderful snow algae: Rejuvenating Longevity Serum and Renewing Longevity Moisturizing Cream.
Our NEW Longevity range provides the ideal solution for mature skin, working hard to correct the visible signs of aging while promoting more healthy aging as your skin moves forward. Alongside snow algae, each product contains bakuchiol – nature’s fabulous and super effective alternative to retinol – plus a whole bunch of nourishing, hydrating and age-resisting ingredients like lingonberry stem cells and hyaluronic acid.
Fancy seeing what all the fuss is about snow algae? And bakuchiol for that matter? Then try our NEW Longevity range today. You will not regret it.
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![What Is Salicylic Acid And Does Your Skin Need It?]()
Salicylic acid is right up there with glycolic acid for exfoliating your skin. But it also has an extra string in its bow. Listen up, oily skin folks, this one’s for you…
Salicylic acid is one of those ingredients that truly delivers. Forget your snail mucus and 24k gold flakes because they simply don’t live up to the hype. Along with skincare greats like retinol and vitamin C, however, salicylic acid does exactly what it sets out to do. And frankly, that’s all you can ask from a skincare ingredient, is it not?
If you’re not sure what salicylic acid is all about, not a problem, that’s what we’re here for.
So, read on for everything we know about salicylic acid: glycolic acid’s equally as effective, but really quite different cousin…
What Is Salicylic Acid, Exactly?
You’ve heard of AHAs and BHAs, right? Well, salicylic acid sits in the BHA camp. In fact, it’s really the only BHA you need to know about being the single most common BHA used in skincare and cosmetics.
BHAs, or beta-hydroxy acids are fat-soluble chemical exfoliants that break down the bonds between your skin cells to encourage them to slough away more efficiently. Physical scrubs have the same effect, but they use physical pressure alongside grains or textured surfaces to exfoliate your skin. Chemical exfoliants just harness the powers of acids like salicylic to do the same job, improving cellular turnover as a major part of the deal.
Salicylic acid, in particular, is extracted from the bark of willow trees and has amazing exfoliating benefits. But there’s more. It also has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial qualities (take that, pimples!) and, because it’s fat-soluble, it has an uncanny knack of penetrating into your pores and getting to work on your sebaceous glands. And that’s a big plus if you have super oily skin you find hard to control…
The Benefits Of Salicylic Acid In Skincare
Exfoliants are a crucial part of a healthy skincare routine. Not only do they boost cell turnover to help give you a smoother, softer and brighter complexion, but they also work hard to improve collagen synthesis. And as you mature, that’s really important since collagen degradation becomes a huge deal as you hit your 30s and beyond.
As we mentioned, however, salicylic acid differs to other water-soluble chemical exfoliants like glycolic, citric and lactic acids. And that’s because it’s fat-soluble which allows it to go deeper below the skin’s surface, penetrating through the lipid layers to really get into the pores. We mean no disrespect to the AHAs of the world, of course, because they’re incredible at what they do – which is to exfoliate at a more surface level. But, if you have oily skin or have trouble with breakouts, blackheads or blocked pores, salicylic acid can offer so much more.
Salicylic acid is almost unbeatable at preventing your pores from becoming clogged with dead skin cells and excess sebum, AND it gently exfoliates your skin by loosening the bonds that hold together those tough, outer layers of dead skin cells. This not only improves the tone and texture of your complexion almost immediately, but it stimulates collagen production helping to stave off premature lines and wrinkles as time goes by.
To summarize, the key benefits of salicylic acid are…
* Exfoliates the skin and removes dead skin cells* Improves cellular turnover* Balances and controls excess sebum* Detoxifies pores* Reduces acne breakouts* Calms inflammation5 Ways To Make Salicylic Acid Work For You
Like most active ingredients, salicylic acid must be given the respect it deserves. Here’s how to use it wisely and effectively...
1. Always Patch Test Salicylic Acid First
Most salicylic acid treatments are well-tolerated by all skin types and safe for daily use. However, there’s always a chance your skin could freak out by this potent, active ingredient, so patch test any new product before applying it regularly. And yes, we know patch testing sounds like a bit of a headache, but it’s really easy and will only delay your product use by a day or so... but it can save your skin a whole lotta pain.
To patch test your product, apply a small amount to a discreet area of your skin (we like to do it behind an ear). Then leave it for 24-48 hours to check for any negative reactions. Most likely, your skin will be fine other than mild redness or tingling which is to be expected with any active product. However, if you experience anything like burning, discomfort, swelling or itching, stop use immediately – this product is not a good fit for you.
2. Listen To Your Skin To Get Your Routine Right
Once you know you’re safe to use your salicylic acid formulation without any negative reactions, introduce it slowly into your routine. Your skin might be strong enough to take it every day… then again, it might not. Start with once a week and then build on that after a couple of weeks as your skin acclimates. And remember to always read the labels of your products as not all serums are built to be used daily, anyway!
Our Vitamin C Super Serum+, for example, is packed with potent ingredients and combines salicylic acid with other skin superheroes like retinol and vitamin C. Because of this we recommend you apply it just two or three times a week for the best results.
3. Get The Most From Salicylic Acid By Using A Leave-On Treatment
Salicylic acid can be used in pretty much any skincare formulation, from cleansers and toners, through to exfoliants, serums and moisturizers. To really maximize its benefits, however, we believe that leave-on products offer far superior results to anything you’re going to wash down the plughole. It’s common sense, right?
On that note, try our 6% AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant which is everything for brighter, clearer, smoother-looking skin. Apply it to clean skin, before your serum and moisturizer.
4. Combine It With Tea Tree Oil
Our Tea Tree Super Serum+ blends salicylic acid with tea tree oil to really hit breakouts from all angles.
Tea tree oil is extracted from the leaves of the Australian tea tree and it has awesome anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial benefits making it a shoo-in for helping to calm facial redness at a surface level. Meanwhile, salicylic acid goes deeper to improve cell turnover and help remove excess oil and dirt that can block your pores in the first place. Together they’re truly dynamite. What’s more, our serum has been crafted to be as gentle as possible while still providing all the benefits you could ever want.
As we said, dynamite.
5. Use Sunscreen Every Morning
All experts agree (us, dermatologists, the FDA, need we go on?) that salicylic acid must be used in conjunction with a broad-spectrum sunscreen in order to help protect the skin and avoid sensitivities to UV radiation. It’s basically non-negotiable, so make sure sunscreen is as much a part of your morning routine as cleaning your teeth and brushing your hair.
We like to keep our SPF30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C right there on the shelf next to our serums and eye cream. That way, we never forget.
What Is Salicylic Acid And Does Your Skin Need It?
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