Also known as winterbloom, the extract of the witch hazel plant has been used as a natural astringent and remedy for a range of skin issues including hemorrhoids, acne, and psoriasis. It is praised for its ability to help treat inflammation, itching, irritation, and it may also play a role fighting certain types of viral infections.

Some of the magic in Witch Hazel comes from it’s tannins. Tannins are a natural compound with powerful antioxidant properties that can help protect your skin against damage. When applied topically, the tannins help reduce swelling, repair broken skin, and fight bacteria. One study found that tannins act as a barrier, preventing inflammation-causing substances from entering your skin cells. These antioxidant-rich tannins also help to remove excess oils from your skin, which is why it’s a popular ingredient in toners and mattifying products.

Witch Hazel may also help reduce acne, since it can remove the excess oils from your skin and fight bacteria.

One published study on plants used to treat skin conditions showed that the polyphenols contained in Witch Hazel also help fight premature aging. Los Angeles-based board-certified dermatologist Dr. Tsippora Shainhouse, says, “…Witch Hazel may have antioxidant effects that help mitigate and prevent free radical damage to skin from UV [rays] and oxidizing air pollution.”

Plus, its astringent properties can make your skin look firmer.

And the constricting compounds of Witch Hazel make the proteins inside of your skin cells come together, giving you tighter, smaller-looking pores. This same effect also helps reduce razor burn (the bumps you get on your skin after shaving). Combine its cell constricting abilities with its anti-inflammatory and astringent properties, and Witch Hazel may be the perfect ingredient for reducing puffiness and tightening the under-eye area, too.

Because its various properties refine the appearance of pores, reduce inflammation, and tighten your skin, this trifecta of perks adds up to a more even skin tone.

It’s magic, right?

Brilliant Eyes Daily Eye Cream

While you might immediately race to call them all bad for your body, they are not. (Think: mushrooms!)

Reishi mushrooms, specifically, are incredible for your skin.

Mushrooms are naturally anti-inflammatory, which makes them the darlings of ancient medicines. Reishi mushrooms have been used for centuries in Asia, where they are known as the “mushroom of immortality.”  Ayurvedic medicine, a system originating in India more than 5,000 years ago, favors reishi mushrooms for both internal and external use, where they are used for their powerful anti-aging and immune-boosting properties.

These colorful fungi are chock-full of beta-glucans, which means they can fend off environmental stressors and have serious anti-inflammatory properties. They are deeply hydrating, antioxidant-rich adaptogens (substances that help your body adapt to stress and fatigue). They possess anti-tyrosinase activity that improve inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, and they help balance skin pH and lipid levels.

UV rays, environmental pollutants, toxic ingredients found in make-up and personal products, all add additional oxidative stress and damage to your skin cells. This damage causes your skin cells to age more rapidly and degenerate faster.

Reishi mushrooms, when used topically, protect skin cells from this damage by improving the function and structure of the cells, which improves the overall appearance of your skin.

Brimming with skincare benefits, reishi mushrooms:

• Fight free radicals.
  Reishi mushrooms help sustain levels of two of the most powerful antioxidants in your skin: ergothioneine and glutathione. These antioxidants prevent premature aging and the formation of free radicals, which damage your skin and cause it to age faster. They also boost your skin’s natural sun protection. 
• Reduce redness and irritation.
  You may not realize this, but inflammation is the first step in skin aging. The immune boosting adaptogenic properties of reishi mushrooms soothe and calm your skin, decreasing inflamation. They also help reduce the appearance of redness. 
• Deeply hydrate.
  The polysaccharides in reishi mushrooms provide humectant and hydrating benefits. This means that they attract moisture deep in your skin while reducing moisture loss and repairing your skin’s moisture barrier. In your mirror, this shows up as a decrease in fine lines and wrinkles. Yay! 
• Fade discoloration.
  Reishi mushrooms inhibit the enzyme tyrosinase, which produces melanin. Melanin causes your skin to darken when exposed to UV light, or when injured or scared. This means that acne scars and hyperpigmentation (“age spots”) are reduced when reishi mushrooms are used.

Reishi mushrooms are the perfect anti-aging ingredient for your skin, making it look younger and brighter.

If you’ve got sensitive skin, you’ll be happy to know that reishi mushrooms work well with any and all skin types (that is, unless you are actually sensitivity to mushrooms). Even then, you may be in luck! The immune effects of reishi can help diminish allergic reactions. (But don’t take our word for it. Check with your medical practitioner if you have allergies!)

Summary

To recap, the reishi mushroom, which we use in our our Kakadu Vitamin C Brightening Serum, hydrates your skin, decreases inflamation, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, and fades skin discoloration leaving you with a more even toned complexion.

WOW!

That’s a fungi with superpower skin benefits. We’ll take the reishi, please!

Have you noticed that these cultures have amazing skin? Their complections fend of the hands of time and stay wrinkle-free well into their golden years. Tamanu Oil maybe their secret ingredient. Woo-Hoo!

Tamanu oil is a powerhouse in the fight against acne, rosacea, and psoriasis.

Because Tamanu Oil is rich in fatty acids, it locks moisture in and acts as a barrier to keep it there. Specifically, Taman Oil contains high concentrations of both oleic and linoleic fatty acids. These acids are classified as monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acids — which are good for you.

In skincare, oleic acid is used as a cleansing agent and texture enhancer. It’s a godsend for dry, aging skin because it penetrates easily and deeply into your skin’s surface, replenishing lost moisture and keeping moisture from evaporating. Without oil, your skin becomes dry. Dry skin is much more capable of showing fine lines, wrinkles, sagging, and a loss of elasticity. Oleic acid can restore this oil—without clogging your pores. You can kiss those fine lines goodbye!

Super Powers

Oleic acid is one of the antioxidant compounds that help fight free radical damage caused by the environment (think UV rays and pollution), which is a top reason for premature aging.

Free radicals are molecules that are missing one electron. Since two electrons keep them stable and make them happy, they go out and actively look for another electron. They damage your skin by taking an extra electron from another molecule that already has two. (Thieves!) When these molecules are stolen, it causes direct damage to your skin’s DNA, which results in accelerated skin aging. It also makes another free radical.

Ugh!

Antioxidants are like Super Hero crime fighters. They interact with and neutralize free radicals, which prevents them from causing any damage.

Oleic acid is also an anti-inflammatory that stimulates wound healing. It actually helps calm, balance, and repair skin, which is why it’s good for eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis.

Linoleic acid is lightweight and thinner than oleic acid, which means your skin can more easily absorb it. While Oleic acid feels rich and benefits those with dry or aging skin, Linoleic acid helps reduce acne breakouts because it can be absolved more readily, moisturizes, and will not clog your pores.

In fact, the science behind acne shows that most people struggling with acne have a lower concentration of linoleic acid on their skin’s surface, which could be contributing to their clogged pores. As an essential building block for ceramides, one of your skin’s main moisturizing elements, linoleic acid makes your skin’s barrier stronger so it can effectively keep moisture in and irritants out. When this barrier isn’t working, your skin will be dry. Over-dry skin will cause your oil-producing glands to step it up a notch. While your body is making more oil, though, the dry skin tends to clog these pores… This is acne’s dream environment!

Creating a strong barrier on your skin will help keep this nightmare from happening to you.

Where You Can Find It

We use Tamanu Oil (Calophyllum Inophyllum) in our ReNew Exfoliating Face Mask Polishing Scrub and our Brilliant Eyes Bio-Advanced Daily Eye Cream.

Olive oil is pressed from the Olive fruit. It’s prized for its emollient, moisturizing properties. (Emollients are what make your skin soft and smooth.)

How do we love thee?

Let us count the ways…

(Our sincere apologies to Elizabeth Barrett Browning for playing with the opening lines to her great poem on love.)

Olive oil is rich in antioxidants and vitamins. It contains vitamins A, D, K, and E, as well as squalane.

Used in skincare products, the antioxidant properties of olive oil protect skin cells from environmental damage and inflammation. This is a real boon for skin suffering with scarring and acne.

All of those vitamins decrease the effects of oxidative stress on your skin. Oxidative stress is an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in your body, and one of the causes of accelerated skin aging… So, say goodbye to wrinkles!

Olive oil’s main benefit to your skin is that it’s a great moisturizer. Olive oil hydrates and forms a protective barrier on your skin, thanks in part to the squalane it contains.

It’s the Squalane…

Squalane (with an “a“) is a plant-based version of squalene (with an “e”), which is naturally produced by your body. More specifically, Squalene is a lipid, or fat, made naturally by the sebaceous glands in your skin. It hydrates and maintains the barrier of your skin.

After the age of 30, the amount of squalene your body produces decreases. This is why you have drier skin as you age. The squalane in olive oil acts like the squalene produced by your body. It can benefit all skin types (including sensitive skin).

Because it works to naturally seal in moisture, squalane helps with problems where the skin barrier is disrupted and water loss is an issue. This includes conditions like eczema, acne, and psoriasis. These conditions also benefit from olive oil’s anti-inflammatory properties.

Olive that!

Olive oil is like a superfood for your skin. It:

• Prevents premature aging
• Moisturizes and softens
• Reduces inflammation and scarring
• Softens fine lines and wrinkles
• Reduces oxidative stress
• Protects from environmental damage

Olive thee purely, to continue along the lines of Ms. Barret’s poem!

Where You Can Find It

We use olive oil in our Remarkably Clean Purifying Facial Cleanser and ReNew Exfoliating Face Mask and Scrub.

Brilliant Eyes Daily Eye Cream

Take our new Organic Psoriasis Shampoo + Body Wash, for example.

• NO Parabens
• NO Sulfates
• NO Sodium Chloride
• NO Drying Alcohols

We didn’t stop there, though…

• NO Phthalates
• NO Mineral oil
• NO Petrolatum
• NO Formaldehyde
• NO Gluten

Some might say we went overboard, but we don’t think so.

Why all the NOs?

Well, we believe that beauty should not come at the expense of your health. We didn’t just make it our slogan, we use it as our guiding light. And these things are just NOT healthy.

Like parabens. Many products use parabens to inhibit microbial growth in their shampoos and lotions. The problem with parabens, though, is that they mimic estrogen and can disrupt your body’s hormone cycles. Why does that matter? Too much estrogen can cause breast tumors. Too little estrogen (your body can stop making it if it detects too much) could disrupt your reproductive health (for both men and women).

It’s a similar story for phthalates. They’re used in beauty products as solvents, which dissolve or dilute other ingredients, because they feel nice to the touch. The problem is that they break down quickly in your body and can disrupt the endocrine system, causing reproductive cancers.

Formaldehyde, a naturally occurring element, is used in everything from cosmetics, hair smoothers, and cleaning products, to air fresheners, paints, and pressed-wood products (in cabinets, furniture, and laminate flooring). Long-term exposure to Formaldehyde can cause asthma, dermatitis, itching, even Leukemia. Dermatitis and itching are exactly the things our Organic Psoriasis Shampoo + Body Wash are trying to heal!

These are the things we say YES to, and there are a lot of them in our Organic Psoriasis Shampoo + Body Wash!

Like Avena Sativa Oat Flour. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, oat flour can be instrumental in the treatment of psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema, and other skin disorders.

Not only does it reduce itching and redness, but it also has proven anti-aging, hydrating, and reparative properties.

So, “Yes, please!” to oat flour, and all of the other healing and nourishing ingredients we’ve chosen to use.

Organic Psoriasis Shampoo + Body Wash

Hyaluronic Acid is found in your skin, your eyes, and your joints. Scientifically speaking, Hyaluronic Acid is a thick, gooey substance that’s clear like water. The high viscosity of Hyaluronic Acid makes it great for keeping tissues lubricated and moist.

Wondering why so many skin care products are packed with Hyaluronic Acid if it occurs naturally in your body?

The truth is that your body produces Hyaluronic Acid daily, in small amounts, and this amount decreases with age. With a decrease of Hyaluronic Acid comes an increase in fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin.

Regular use of Hyaluronic Acid in your skin care products helps keep up the levels of this wonder agent in your skin. 

Where Does Hyaluronic Acid Come From?

Since Hyaluronic Acid is naturally found in your body, you may be wondering how this ingredient finds its way into skin care products.

There are two main sources of Hyaluronic Acid in skin care products: plant origins and animal origins. (We are adamant in our cruelty-free skin care, so we never even consider animal-based Hyaluronic Acid!)

While a lot of products use Hyaluronic Acid, not all of them are the same, or even equal.

We use Cassia Angustifolia Seed, a botanical, plant-derived form of Hyaluronic Acid in our serum. Cassia Angustifolia Seed has been clinically proven to be FOUR TIMES more potent than synthetic Hyaluronic Acid at retaining long-lasting moisture, and boosting hydration and elasticity levels in the skin. 

It’s known for binding up to 1000 times its weight in water and when combined with glycerin, magically holds and locks in moisture to plump the skin. This means that our vegan serum leaves your skin looking fresher and younger. An essential for your natural age-fighting skincare routine. 

What Does It Do For You?

Hyaluronic Acid has three main functions in your skin care products:

1. Hydrate and Moisturize Skin
2. Anti-Aging Properties
3. Heal Skin Injuries

Let’s look at these more closely.

Hydrate and Moisturize Skin

Hyaluronic Acid functions as a humectant, a water-attracting substance that delivers water to the skin’s surface. Hyaluronic Acid doesn’t create water, it pulls water, either from the atmosphere or from deep within your skin, to hydrate the outermost layer of skin.

While Hyaluronic Acid is said to hold roughly 1,000 times its weight in water, when combined with reishi mushrooms, another key ingredient in our serum, creates a double-boost of hydration, and can help  restore dry skin to its optimally hydrated state. With the mushroom hydration particles being smaller than those of hyaluronic acid, it can penetrate the skin more easily, and help to reduce inflammation, puffiness, wrinkles & free radical damage, while also promoting cell regeneration. 

A bit like Robin Hood, Hyaluronic Acid and Reishi Mushroom takes moisture where there is a lot of it, and delivers it where it’s needed. By regulating moisture like this, they help balance the amount of the oil in your skin.

We all know hydrated skin looks smoother and more youthful. You might not know that hydrated skin also helps fight acne. When your skin is dehydrated, it may become overly oily to compensate for the lack of moisture. This can lead to breakouts.

By treating dehydrated skin and excessive oiliness, the moisture levels in skin become balanced and acne is prevented. This might be particularly helpful nowadays, when mask mandates are causing acne outbreaks.

(Yes, Virginia, maskne is real.) 

Anti-Aging Properties

Its intense hydration capabilities make Hyaluronic Acid a key anti-aging ingredient. 

And the reishi mushrooms, referred to as the herb of immortality in Chinese medicine, fight premature aging, redness, and fine lines.

Heal Your Skin

Hyaluronic Acid is proven to heal wounds and plays a key role in tissue regeneration, specifically in repairing skin. Hyaluronic Acid levels actually increase where wounds are present. Science has shown that where Hyaluronic Acid is working its magic on skin damage, collagen is also present. You know collagen – a protein that helps skin maintain its elasticity.

It’s not a bad thing to make your skin resilient and strong.

New research shows that Hyaluronic Acid may also have antioxidant properties, which means that this substance defends against oxidative stress. Since Hyaluronic Acid assists in healing wounds and soothing inflammation, this is not a big surprise.

Studies also show that the extract of Cassia Angustifolia has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-bacterial properties, which could help speed healing of minor skin issues and keep breakouts at bay.

Yes!

The Bottom Line

So, let’s recap… Adding Hyaluronic Acid to your daily routine helps your skin:

• Attract and hold moisture
• Reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Even skin tone and pigmentation
• Prevent breakouts
• Speed wound healing
• Defends against free radicals
• Enhance skin’s natural barriers

Hyaluronic Acid benefits are not limited to hydration alone.

Yes, this water-grabbing substance is known for its ability to hydrate even the most stubbornly dry skin, but it plays a key role in repairing skin, restoring a youthful appearance, and improving skin texture.

With the added power of Reishi mushrooms and Cassia Angustifolia seed, our new skin brightening serum is like a trip to the fountain of youth for your skin.

Sounds pretty and good to us. Try it out and tell us what you think!

Kakadu Vitamin C Hyaluronic Acid Brightening Serum

Vitamin C Super Powers

They also contain the highest recorded levels of Vitamin C of any fruit in the world, and 55 times more Vitamin C than an orange!

Vitamin C is essential for glowing skin; it firms skin, helps fade dark spots and acne scarring, and improves the way skin responds to UV light—something you should consider during these beachy days of summer. So we consider Vitamin C a skincare essential.

The anti-inflammatory properties can reduce swelling and redness in your skin, while the antibiotic properties help get rid of bacteria-induced acne.

If you’re struggling with maskne – acne caused from or irritated by your pandemic face mask, Kakadu Plum extract may just be your heaven-sent miracle worker.

Antioxidant Magic

We know, it sounds like an over-hyped term, but antioxidants—they help protect your skin from environmental damage, like pollution and UV exposure—are crucial to your skin’s health when used topically.

It’s not just the Vitamin C, but additional lesser-known antioxidants like Gallic acid (good for restoring your skin’s natural barrier) and Ellagic acid (helps restore elasticity to skin) that give Kakadu Extract some of its healing benefits.

Kakadu plums contain such powerful antioxidants, they’re even being studied for use by Alzheimer’s patients.

We’ve Harnessed the Power!

LuxeOrganix is pleased to be part of the rise of this phenom fruit! Our newest product, Kakadu Vitamin C Brightening Serum with Hyaluronic Acid is an anti-aging skin brightener for your face. This hyaluronic acid serum rejuvenates and hydrates and is essential for glowing skin! When used daily, the Kakadu Vitamin C serum promotes fading of brown sunspots and acne scars, reduces swelling, redness, and even helps get rid of bacteria-induced acne.

It’s the wake up your skin has been longing for!

Kakadu Vitamin C
Brightening Serum