What ingredients do we use in our natural skincare products?

Honey is created by bees mixing their enzymes with nectar obtained from flowers. It consists of minerals, and elements of iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and amino acids. It also contains vitamins B, C and H2O. Honey is valued all over the world as a source of food, medicine and beauty. Widely known for its nourishing and hydrating properties, honey has increasingly earned a solid reputation for being a prized ingredient in skincare and cosmetic products.

Hydrate – Honey has a hygroscopic effect, which means it has the ability to absorb moisture from the air. This helps to keep skin hydrated, fresh and elastic. Hydrated skin guards against fine lines, wrinkles and dryness.

Nourish and Protect – Honey has a very high content of minerals, amino acids, numerous phenolic and non-phenolic anti-oxidants and vitamins, which help to keep skin healthy, promote skin cell renewal and guard against free radical damage. These minerals and vitamins help protect skin from ultraviolet damage and guard against premature aging.

Heal – The antibacterial and antimicrobial properties of honey give it a healing component. It produces hydrogen peroxide, which makes it a great natural treatment for wounds, cuts and abrasions. Honey can also help soothe and prevent acne by penetrating pores and unclogging blocked follicles to kill acne-causing bacteria.

Royal jelly is produced by young nurse bees as a form of superior nutrition for bee larvae and queen bees. Royal jelly helps queen bees grow to 40 times the size of worker bees and live 50 times longer. It is known as “Bees Milk” for its highly nourishing properties. Considered to be one of the world’s most nutrient-rich substances, it is packed with 134 nutrients including essential amino acids, minerals, vitamins B1, B2, B5, B6, C and E, biotin, niacin, folic acid. These nutrients give royal jelly its anti-aging, cholestrol-lowering, anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, antibiotic and antibacterial properties.

The fat in royal jelly, suspended as a natural emulsion, has powerful moisturizing properties. It serves to protect skin from dehydration and reduce inflammation. When used in skincare and beauty products, royal jelly is able to regenerate and repair skin, aid the increase of collagen and treat hormonal imbalance.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, some of the benefits of royal jelly include:

• improving the appearance of wrinkles and stretch marks

• boosting elasticity and firmness of skin

• normalizing the fat secretions of skin glands to reduce oiliness

• softening dry skin

• soothing stressed skin

• protecting the skin from the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun

• stimulating the growth of collagen and decreasing melanin formation (i.e. brown discoloration of the skin)

Bee propolis is a sticky resin that bees collect from the bark and leaf buds of trees. It is combined with beeswax to produce an antiseptic resin used to sterilize the beehive and protect it from disease. It is no wonder then that it is known as “Russian Penicillin” for its antimicrobial properties. Unlike chemical antibiotics which weaken your immune system over time, bee propolis helps boost and stimulate the body’s immune system naturally.

This multifaceted bee adhesive is antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-acne, anti-inflammatory and has powerful antioxidant properties as it is rich in flavonoids (a class of anti-oxidants). Bee propolis can help to fight acne and improve the skin’s immunity. A recent study done in England identified more than 180 compounds in bee propolis.

Bee pollen is the male seed of flowers and is gathered by bees as food for young bees. It is known as the world’s most perfect food that contains all the nutrients required to sustain and support life. Bee pollen is actually different from the pollen that triggers allergy symptoms because it is combined with the natural nectars and saps from the flowers the bee has chosen to visit and then stirred with bee saliva and other natural secretions, which give it anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal properties. It is for this reason that bee pollen is able to effectively soothe the skin, treat allergies and stimulate the growth of skin tissue.