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How to Best Use Watercress for Skincare Benefits?

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WATERCRESS INGREDIENT GUIDE: Watercress works wonders. Read a short synopsis of the science behind how it encourages collagen and elastin production for younger, firmer skin
Watercress supports collagen and elastin within the skin

Watercress supports collagen and elastin within the skin

The Role of Collagen and Elastin

We obsess about Collagen in our skincare regimens, and rightly so.

Collagen is the scaffold of our skin, keeping it firm and wrinkle-free. Skin with more collagen has smaller pores and fewer wrinkles.

But our skin can be devoid of these tell-tale signs of aging yet still not look YOUNG.

  • Elastin is as important as collagen for the appearance of younger skin because it keeps skin resilient.
  • We lose elastin as we age and from sun damage.
  • Elastin can be replaced in the skin, but fewer products address the loss of skin elastin.

What is the secret of youthful skin? Collagen AND Elastin.

How do you increase both Collagen and Elastin in your skin? By slathering Watercress all over it.

Watercress boosts collagen and elastin

Nasturtium Officinale boosts collagen and elastin

The Science of Watercress

Watercress, also known as Nasturtium Officinale, is a tiny plant with big beauty benefits.

A groundbreaking skincare study showed Watercress uniquely promotes Collagen III in the dermal cells of the papillary dermis skin layer. [1] Collagen III is known as “baby collagen” – it is the type we lose as we age.

Nasturtium Officinale also builds Elastin.

Elastin gives skin its’ youthful bounce.

The same study found that the more elastin skin has, the smoother skin looks. But as skin loses elastin, it becomes dull and rough.

Enhanced collagen levels ALSO increase skin elasticity. And together, they make skin taut, resilient, and radiant.

It also is an antioxidant full Vitamins A, C, E, K, and notably, Copper. [2]

Watercress boosts collagen and elastin

Nasturtium Officinale promotes Collagen III – the type of collagen we lose as we age.

What are Watercress Skincare Benefits?

Watercress contains Copper which has an amazing ability to restore skin elastin

Elastin gives skin its’ youthful bounce and the ability to spring back.  Few ingredients support elastin as copper does.

Copper peptides promote collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid production within the skin. All three are vital for skin firmness, texture, radiance, and appearance.

Copper extraction is costly, which often makes it costly in skincare products. Watercress is an excellent way to get topical copper in your skincare program.

Read more about how copper benefits the skin here.

Watercress Contains Vitamin K to erase dark circles

The Vitamin K in Nasturtium Officinale reduces brown and blue-tinged under-eye dark circles caused by leaking capillaries.

As we age, we tend to get more broken capillaries, resulting in red and brown heme pooled under the skin. Vitamin K strengthens these capillaries so they are more resistant to breakage.

Watercress also contains Vitamins A and C to fight free radicals.

Featured Products Containing Watercress

We love Watercress in an eye treatment!

It is found in skin-savvy beauty brands such as SK-II.

This Farmaesthetics Watercress Eye Gel contains Watercress and certified organic herbs, flowers, and oils from American family farms. An ideal combo to restore, revitalize and refresh. Plus it comes in this charming cobalt bottle.

We love using products with watercress on the delicate eye area skin

Perfect for delicate eye area skin

Farmaesthetics Eye Gel

Watercress Ingredient Guide Summary

Was this Ingredient Guide helpful? Then you may like other Ingredients Guides such as:

Find more natural ingredients in the Style Chicks Defining Beauty Glossary. The Defining Beauty Glossary contains many helpful hair and skin care ingredients.

Thinking about jumping starting your collagen enhancement with an at-home skin device?

And stay tuned for more Style Chicks Ingredient Overviews!

References

  1. “Shiseido Succeeds in Visualization of Internal Skin Elasticity “ Decrease of Type III Collagen Involved in Age-Dependent Degradation in Skin Elasticity.”  Shiseido, Shiseido, Apr. 2018, corp.shiseido.com/en/newsimg/2423_c3b40_en.pdf.
  2. Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology, July 2001, pages 392–399

Farmesthetics Watercress Eye Gel

How to Best Use Green Tea Beauty Benefits Guide

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GREEN TEA INGREDIENT GUIDE
Green Tea is consumed as a beverage for health and beauty benefits. But it also works wonders when applied topically. Read about the hair and skin beauty benefits of topical application.

Green tea comes from Flowering Camellia Sinensis

Flowering Camellia Sinensis, the plant that makes tea leaves

Green Tea, also known as Camellia Sinensis, is an ingredient in many skin and hair products, this anti-aging superstar offers a host of beauty benefits.

What are Green Tea Skin Benefits?

Camellia Sinensis feeds and moisturizes the skin. It calms irritation, and is an excellent antioxidant.

Topical application can calm the irritation that aggressive topicals such as Retinol cause.

Green Tea on a compress or cotton pad can soothe inflammation from sunburn or angry cystic acne.

Drinking green tea has anti-aging benefits from polyphenols. It can reduce sun damage, decrease collagen breakdown and increase cell regeneration.

Camellia Sinensis contains polyphenols that soothe skin while providing antioxidants. Polyphenols may improve sun-damaged skin. [1]

High in Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), Camellia Sinensis is a major player in skin health and appearance. EGCG is the potent antioxidant from Camellia Sinensis. It protects against environmental damage and neutralizes free radicals that prematurely age skin.

Research shows EGCG reactivates dying skin cells.  This shows promise for repairing sun damage and scar healing.  [2]

Fermentation can increase the benefits.

What are Green Tea Hair Growth Benefits

Topical application can reduce hair fall.

Dermato-trichologists use it as an excellent scalp massage as it nourishes the scalp, soothes inflammation and dandruff.

The Polyphenols in green tea are good for hair roots and follicles, promoting hair regrowth. [3]

Topical application also can remove DHT from the scalp. DHT is a hormone that accumulates on the scalp and chokes out hair follicles, shrinking them until they no longer grow new hair.

HOW TO BEST USE FOR HAIR FALL:

Brew tea for 2 hours and allow to cool. Pour into a squirt bottle to use as a 5 minute treatment on your hair and scalp in the shower.

Choosing the Best Tea

Superior results come from full leaf tea that is fresh.  Choose full leaf loose tea whenever possible, not the dust found in tea bags.

Green tea leaves

  • Adagio teas has loose leaf teas that are fresh and do not contain preservatives. Choose one without added sugars.
  • Local health stores may also have bulk loose leaf tea.
  • Choose a quality whole leaf tea to brew your own green tea for DIY beauty benefits, or choose from some of our favorite products below that incorporate green tea in their ingredients.

DIY Treatment Ideas

  • Use brewed and cooled green tea as a soothing and nourishing face wash.
  • Rub your face with green tea ice cubes for a refreshing morning pick me up that makes skin glow.
  • Soak a muslin cloth in green tea and place in a Ziploc baggie in the refrigerator. Use as a cooling facial compress over a moisturizer or mask.
  • Rinse washed hair with green tea for shine. Focus on a gentle scalp massage to remove DHT.

Recommended Beauty Products Featuring Green Tea

Some products we use that feature green tea in their ingredients include:

Haruharu Wonder Honey Green Brilliant Cream

Haruharu Wonder Honey Green Brilliant Cream is a lightweight gel like cream that absorbs quickly with no tacky dry down.  It is lightweight enough for day use but packs the ingredients of a decadent treating night cream, including several synergistic fermented ingredients, such as fermented green and white teas, that promote collagen synthesis.

Haruharu Wonder Honey Green Brilliant Cream

Haruharu Wonder Honey Green Brilliant Cream

ROIL LIFE SHAMPOO

Developed by celebrity hair stylist Amanda George, the ROIL Private Collection range features Camellia Sinensis in products such as their Roil Shine Shampoo and Roil Body Lotion.

ROIL Shine Shampoo has a decant lather and leaves hair clean yet hydrated. Camellia Sinensis pairs well with Indian Gooseberry and Rosehip Oils.

BeautyStat

BeautyStat Universal C Refiner combines green tea’s EGCG with a stable Vitamin C for strong anti-aging protection. The green tea makes an excellent buffer so skin can tolerate the vitamin C.

emerginC Eye Serum

EMERGINC Scientific Organics Eyelight Serum combines green tea with Komucha, White Tea, Grape Stem Cells, Seaweed Extract and Yerba Mate.  It depuffs eyes while treating signs of aging.

Ingredient Guides

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References

  1. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, February 2015, pages 456-463
  2. Journal of Pharmacol Exp Ther 2003 306: 29-34
  3. Journal of Leukoc Biol. 2001; 69:719-726

How to Best Use Mango Oil Butter for Beauty Benefits

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INGREDIENT GUIDE: Mango Oil and Mango Seed Butter is an ingredient that contains natural skin-enhancing nutrients, including copper for collagen and elastin production. Read about this skincare beauty superhero and find some of our favorite products using skin-loving Mango Seed Butter
Mango Seed Oil

Mango

Mango Seed Butter for Skincare 

Mangifera Indica is Mango.

Mango Oil is the liquid form of mango seed butter.

What are Mango Skincare Benefits?

  • It provides a long-lasting emollient.
  • Rich in fatty acids, it is perfect to keep skin hydrated and dewy, even overnight.
  • it is non-comedogenic
  • it has some UV protection
  • a natural antibacterial and antimicrobial
  • unscented
  • Makes a good substitute for cocoa butter for stretch marks
  • does an excellent job treating cracked heels of skin
  • treats scars

Mango has Copper

Mangifera Indica is high in copper.

What is the skincare benefit of copper?

Copper peptides promote:

  • collagen
  • elastin
  • hyaluronic acid production within the skin.

All three are vital for skin firmness, but all three of these components decrease with age.

Copper peptides also remove damaged collagen. [1]

  • Copper is rare within skincare products because copper extraction is costly.
  • Copper is found in boutique brands such as Osmotics. 
  • Mango extract and Mango Seed Butter provide the benefits of copper at a generally more accessible price point.

Few skin products build Elastin like copper. Elastin is a necessary part of younger, resilient skin with less sagging.

While we focus great deal on collagen, elastin is what gives skin its’ youthful bounce.

For best results, Copper should be paired with supporting ingredients. These include Peptides, Vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and retinoids. [2]

Vitamin-Rich

Mango Seed Butter also contains Vitamins C, A, E, K, and B6. These refine the skin and fade discoloration, while protecting against environmental stressors.

  • Vitamin C to reduce fine lines, quell acne, and reverse photodamage
  • Vitamin A to refine the skin texture
  • E to soften the skin
  • Vitamin K to reduce redness
  • B6 to strength the skin

Omega Fatty Acids

  • Mangifera Indica is rich in oleic acid, better known as Omega-9 acid.
  • It provides long-lasting moisture.

How to Best Use

BUTTER:

Apply only a pea sized amount for skin. It melts and spreads quickly. Apply more sparingly.

OIL: Warm a small amount of oil in your palm, apply sparingly.

Mango Seed Butter for Hair

Hair benefits from the rich omegas.  It also makes hair soft and shiny.

Featured Products With Mango Seed Butter

We’ve featured several Mango Seed Butter beauty and skincare products.

Here are some of our favorites:

Cosmetics

Caley Cosmetics Beach Babe Cream-to-Glow

Caley Cosmetics Beach Babe Cream-to-Glow is a buildable blush and contour containing mango and probiotics for healthier skin. Not bad for a easy to use makeup duo!

The color is buildable and not at all too orange or fake spray tan color.
Mango Butter gives Caley Glow a lovely dewy loo

Mango Seed Butter makes a great addition to the probiotics in Caley blush duo

Caley Cosmetics Color Wave Natural lipstick

Caley Color Wave Natural Lipsticks deliver skincare serum quality ingredients and vibrant color payout with a smooth finish. It has an exceptionally smooth application, even on very chapped, dry lips.

Mango keeps lips hydrated while Copper promotes collagen and elastin to keep lipskin smooth and plump.

Celebrate National Lipstick Day with Caley Cosmetics Color Wave Natural Lipstick

Skincare

GOOPGLOW 15% Glycolic Acid Overnight Glow Peel

Wake up with glowing skin with this Overnight Glow Peel.

This once a week treat is chock full of skin-friendly ingredients including mango. The peeling is gentle without irritation.

Mango seed butter is a great hydrating ingredient in a aha peel

GOOPGLOW 15% Glycolic Acid Overnight Glow Peel

Le Vesque CBD Skincare

Le Vesque CBD skincare has several clean beauty ingredients like Mangifera Indica to protect and treat the skin.

Mango Seed Butter skincare benefits

Aging, Dry & Damaged Skin Salvation Le Vesque CBD Luxe Skin Cream

Haircare

Strawberry Leopard

Hair dye can be so drying to the hair, especially in bright and pastel colors like blue, pink, and purple.

Strawberry Leopard is a demi-vegan formulation that is gentle to the hair because it contains ingredients like Mango Seed Extract to keep hair soft despite bleaching and coloring.

Strawberry Leopard Vegan Demi-Permanent in Loyal Blue contains Mango Seed Extract

Strawberry Leopard Vegan Demi-Permanent in Loyal Blue

Strawberry Leopard Haircolor

About Our Ingredient How to Best Use for Beauty Benefits Guides

Was this ingredient guide useful? Then you may like other skincare guides like:

Also visit the DEFINING BEAUTY A to Z Skincare Glossary of Ingredients You Will Love. It contains hundreds of glossary terms and definitions to amazing skincare, haircare and other beauty ingredients.

There are also best use how to guides and clean beauty product recommendations. Find the best ingredients for your beauty needs!

References

  1. Pickart L, Vasquez-Soltero JM, Margolina A. GHK Peptide as a Natural Modulator of Multiple Cellular Pathways in Skin Regeneration. Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:648108. doi:10.1155/2015/648108
  2. A.A, Abdulghani & A, Sherr & S, Shirin & G, Solodkina & Morales Tapia, E & B, Wolf & A.B, Gottlieb. (1998). Effects of topical creams containing vitamin C, a copper-binding peptide cream and melatonin compared with tretinoin on the ultrastructure of normal skin – A pilot clinical, histologic, and ultrastructural study. Disease Management and Clinical Outcomes. 1. 136-141. 10.1016/S1088-3371(98)00011-4

Why Use Rosehip Seed Oil for Better Skin and Hair

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ROSEHIP INGREDIENT GUIDE: Rosehip Seed Oil is an ingredient we may take for granted, but rosehip oil gets things done. Organic rosehip oil is a beauty superhero.

We’ve recently featured it in shampoos, skin, and body treatments. Let’s examine the research on this beauty powerhouse and its’ skin and hair benefits.

Plus, find some of our favorite products that use Rose hip Seed Oil.

What is Rosehip Seed Oil?

Rose hip Seed Oil is also known as Rosa Canina Seed Oil.  It comes from the fruit and seeds of the rosa canina rose bush. The fruit and seeds are packed with nutrients.

Rosehip Seed Oil is both a treating and a hydrating ingredient. It offers the benefits of Vitamin C and Retinol serums (Vitamin A). It refines texture and lightens dark spots but without the skin irritation associated with the aforementioned actives.

When unrefined, Rose hip Oil retains more of the benefits. It also carries a heavy scent. Refined Rosehip oil has far less scent but fewer benefits. Cold-pressed Rosehip oil retains maximum benefits.

Rosehip Research RoundUp: What Rosehip Oil Does

Rich in nutrients and vitamins, Rose hip Seed Oil addresses multiple skin concerns at once.

Wild Rose hip Oil is high in Vitamins A, C, and E. They provide nutrients, fade acne scars and promote cell turnover.

Reduce Wrinkles, Keep Skin Hydrated

Rose Hip oil retains moisture in the skin cells. Vitamins E and C work synergistically to keep skin hydrated during rejuvenation. This hydration reduces wrinkles and improves skin elasticity. [1]

Skin That Glows, Dry Skin Relief

Rose hip oil has omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 makes skin glow, as well as soothe and moisturize eczema or dry skin. [2] It is also useful to soothe the skin from any irritation. I find it works well on acne scars and rougher skin areas.

Cold Pressed Rose hip Oil retains linoleic acid. Linoleic acid (Vitamin F) is an omega-6 fatty acid with skin barrier-strengthening, healing, hydrating and anti-inflammatory properties.

It is the predominant fat in skin cells. This forms a lipid barrier that holds moisture in skin cells, which keeps skin at optimal hydration levels.

Rosehip Seed Oil is Collagen Enhancing

Rosehip oil is collagen enhancing and preserving. It contains Vitamins A and C for collagen production.

Rosehips have one hundred times more C than an orange. Studies show topical Vitamin C application creates meaningful anti-aging change within Rosehips contain vitamin C60 days. Improvements were seen in all ages groups and were notable for improvement to the thickness of the epidermis and dermis. [3] Rose Hip oil delivers potent Vitamin C without the irritation found in many topical Cs.

Rosehip oil also inhibits MMP-1, an enzyme that breaks down collagen within the body. [4]

Antioxidant

Rose Hip Oil contains powerful antioxidants to remove toxins and improve skin texture. Visible results can be seen especially quickly on sun-damaged skin.

Redness, Rosacea & Skin Tone

Rose Hip oil has retinoic acid. This clears red marks, uneven skin tone and even helps rosacea.

If you can’t tolerate retinol, rose hip oil is an option.

Hair & Scalp Health

Healthy scalps grow healthy hair, Rosehip oil balances oil production for clearer scalp skin. Vitamin E keeps brittle hair hydrated. Rose hip oil combined with a carrier oil makes for a wonderful scalp massage.

Favorite Products With Rosehip Seed Oil

We have featured several skin and hair care products that use Rosehip Seed Oil.  Check out some of our favorites in the article “SCIENCE OF SKINCARE: FAVORITE PRODUCTS FEATURING ROSEHIP SEED OIL”

  

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?

Have any comments or questions? The Style Chicks are here to answer them.

Know a rose hip seed oil product that should be on this list? Tell us!

Leave a comment or email us at questions@stylechicks.com

References

  1. Phetcharat, L et al. “The effectiveness of a standardized rose hip powder, containing seeds and shells of Rosa canina, on cell longevity, skin wrinkles, moisture, and elasticity.” Clinical interventions in aging vol. 10 1849-56. 19 Nov. 2015, doi:10.2147/CIA.S90092
  2. Grajzer, Magdalena, et al. “Characteristics of rose hip (Rosa canina L.) cold-pressed oil and its oxidative stability studied by the differential scanning calorimetry method.”  Food Chemistry 188 (2015): 459-466.
  3. Crisan D, Roman I, Crisan M, Scharffetter-Kochanek K, Badea R. “The role of vitamin C in pushing back the boundaries of skin aging: an ultrasonographic approach. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2015;8:463″ 470. Published 2015 Sep 2. doi:10.2147/CCID.S84903
  4. Phetcharat, The effectiveness, Clinical

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