Plant-Powered Beauty

WHAT THEY ARE

Exfoliants are materials used as ingredients in skincare products to encourage the outermost layer of the skin to slough off dead cells and support healthy skin-cell regeneration from the deeper layers in the epidermis.

Exfoliants include materials like:

— salts: Dead Sea salts, Celtic Sea salts, pink salts, Himalayan salts, Bolivian pink salts, mineral salts, French salts, and Epsom salts

— sugars: organic sugar, brown sugar, and coconut sugar

— flours: grains and powders

— dried plant materials: herbs and spices; finely ground nuts, seeds, and kernels; and even coffee grounds

Exfoliants are used primarily in facial and body scrubs, as well as in cleansers. They can also provide interesting textures to support the look and feel of a product.

We recommend selecting exfoliants that will not be too harsh on the skin, such as finely ground sea salts and organic sugar, since they soften and melt when they come into contact with water. Exfoliants that do not dissolve in water, like finely ground nuts, seeds, kernels, and coffee beans, may cause irritation for those with sensitive and/or mature skin. In fact, the unevenly ground edges of these particular exfoliant materials may possibly cause tiny microscopic tears on the skin’s surface that could weaken the skin’s immunity and contribute to signs of premature aging.

EXFOLIANTS

ALMOND MEAL /PRUNUS DULCIS
	WHERE IT IS SOURCED	METHOD OF EXTRACTION
ALL SKIN TYPES COLOR: white SHELF LIFE: within 6 months SAFETY CONCERNS: avoid if allergic to tree nuts	Origins believed to be from Central Asia	harvesting, shelling, and hulling

HOW IT IS PROCESSED	HIGHLIGHTED FEATURES	THERAPEUTIC ACTIONS
After cleaning and sorting nuts are generally left to air dry before being placed into hulling cylinders that crack the shells and vibrating screens that remove the shell. After hulling, the nut is ground into a fine meal.	high in a few key fatty acids, trace amounts of sterols, which can be balancing for the skin	emollient, relieves itchiness and dryness, soothing to symptoms associated with eczema and atopic dermatitis

DEAD SEA SALTS /MARIS SAL (DEAD SEA SALT)
	WHERE IT IS SOURCED	METHOD OF EXTRACTION
ALL SKIN TYPES COLOR: white SHELF LIFE: indefinite SAFETY CONCERNS: none	Israel, the Dead Sea	evaporation ponds

HOW IT IS PROCESSED	HIGHLIGHTED FEATURES	THERAPEUTIC ACTIONS
irrigation canals direct water into shallow evaporation ponds/pools, which then use the sunlight and the dry atmosphere to evaporate the water, leaving behind the salt	mineral-rich and containing high proportions of potassium, magnesium, and bromide	skin soothing, anti¬inflammatory, stimulates blood and lymphatic circulation, increased circulation moves trapped fluid from joints, improving joint movement, and reducing stiffness and pain

HEMP SEEDS /CANNABIS SATIVA
	WHERE IT IS SOURCED	METHOD OF EXTRACTION
ALL SKIN TYPES COLOR: green and white SHELF LIFE: within 6 months SAFETY CONCERNS: none	native to Central Asia; now widely cultivated	dried seeds collected from harvested and dried flowers

HOW IT IS PROCESSED	HIGHLIGHTED FEATURES	THERAPEUTIC ACTIONS
After cleaning and sorting, seed hull is removed to expose heart of the seed; this can be done using large machinery that vibrates, using water and air pressure, or by hand.	rich in vitamin E, essential fatty acids, and protein	anti-inflammatory, cell regenerative

ORGANIC SUGAR /SUCROSE
	WHERE IT IS SOURCED	METHOD OF EXTRACTION
ALL SKIN TYPES COLOR: off-white SHELF LIFE: indefinite SAFETY CONCERNS: none	grows well in a wide range of climates	shredding and squeezing cane stalks

HOW IT IS PROCESSED	HIGHLIGHTED FEATURES	THERAPEUTIC ACTIONS
cane juice is boiled down and centrifuged to separate the molasses, and then evaporated to create the crystals	natural humectants; brings moisture to the skin and balances pH of skin	soothing, balancing, evening out tone, supports skin microbiome