5 LUXE INGREDIENTS YOU NEVER KNEW YOU NEEDED
We’re all about deep diving into the ingredients we use in our beauty products, from dissecting and eliminating the toxic ones, to cultivating and integrating unique, healing & beautifying ones. Today we’re focusing on curating ingredients that are indulgent, divine & luxurious. Ingredients with rich history & usage in ancient cultures. Ingredients with decadent properties that make you look & feel like the beauty queen that you are.
PEARL
Pearl has held its place as one the most renowned, coveted & highly sought after beautifying skin care ingredients throughout history. It has been documented as a skin care treasure for over 4,000 years by ancient Egyptians, Chinese, Mayans & Ayurvedic practitioners and was utilized in the beauty rituals of Empresses, queens and priestesses to add luminosity, stimulate new skin growth, lighten the complexion & promote a youthful appearance. Using pearl powder topically on the skin helps reduce signs of aging by increasing the wound healing abilities of fibroblasts, the cells that help to build collagen (1), making wrinkles and fine lines less prominent. Additionally, pearl works to promote ageless skincare by preventing melanin development, helping the skin appear more radiant, light and clear of dark spots, sun spots, age spots & scaring. Pearl also protects the skin from sun damage thanks to its antioxidant properties, keeping the skin youthful, clear & protected.
Pearl is essentially the dream ingredient that any skin type will benefit from, especially those suffering from blemishes or acne. Rich in magnesium, Pearl contains anti-inflammatory properties to help calm and soothe the skin upon application. Pearl is also a very gentle exfoliator, working to smooth & buff the skin while eliminating impurities within the pores. Pearl has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries to enhance the skin’s detoxification process, making it the perfect ingredient for anyone experiencing dull or clogged pores.
One of our most beloved products containing pearl is Agent Nateur’s Holi(Water). This product is a unique toner/essence that works to plump, hydrate, exfoliate and nourish the skin with beautiful pearl powder sourced with care from Europe. This is one of Melissa’s holy grail products that she uses both morning and night as a part of her skincare ritual. This product is truly transformative when used consistently and will leave your skin so hydrated, soft, soothed and free of redness & blemishes. The antioxidants from the pearl keep your skin protected & clear. Holi(Water) is one step in the three-part Holi(Trinity) collection. The set also includes the Holi(C) which is to be directly combined & activated with the Holi(Water), plus the Holi(Oil) which is a beautiful facial serum.
AGENT NATEUR
HOLI (WATER)
Aside from utilizing pearl as a topical skincare ingredient, consuming it is also one of the best kept secrets for radiant hair, skin & nails. In ancient Egypt, pearl was taken internally to nourish the skin from within, enrich cells with nutrients, promote a sense of calm, and to strengthen bones. Promoting health from within, pearl is loaded with a rich bioavailable nutrients and amino acids that heal, regenerate and renew.
Another fabulous product by Agent Nateur is their <ahref="https: citrinenaturalskin.com="" products="" agent-nateur-holi-mane"="">Holi(Mane) Supplement - a powerful combination of pearl and marine collagen. This easy to consume powder supplement has been flying off the shelves since its launch due to its incredible results. It works by activating cellular repair and collagen production to strengthen and rebuild dull and fragile hair & nails, leaving them with more vitality than ever. By ingesting pearl, you are receiving a potent dose of nacre, one of the natural compounds found in pearl that stimulates the regeneration of your natural collagen, leaving your skin plump, your hair hydrated and your nails strong. Containing over 30 trace minerals, including calcium, silica, selenium and iron, this beautifying ingredient keeps our hormones balanced and our immune system strong.
ROSE
Another one of the most coveted skincare ingredients by our ancient ancestors is the Queen of flowers, the rose. The rose has been utilized extensively in Ancient Rome, Greece, Persia and many other cultures for beauty rituals. We can’t blame them, as the rose contains a unique combination of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory & antibacterial properties that make it one of the most restorative, healing, harmonizing & beautifying ingredients of all time. Containing antioxidants citronellol & geraniol, rose destroys free radicals and protects against UVA & UVB rays, ultimately slowing down the aging process. Rose also balances & soothes the skin with its natural astringent properties, so it’s perfect for those suffering from any redness, irritation or acne. It’s such a soft & gentle ingredient that works overtime to perfect & restore the skin.
Agent Nateur’s Holi(Water) is not only loaded with pearl, but its other key ingredient is Bulgarian rose water. Rose water’s antibacterial properties combined with its potent antioxidants help to strengthen the skin’s barrier. Rose water is extremely nourishing & hydrating to the skin and prevents transdermal water loss, leaving the skin supple, plump & instantly glowing. Ingredients that retain moisture and reduce water loss help to balance the skin’s pH levels, preventing the skin’s oil glands from overproducing to accommodate dried skin, making it a perfect choice for dehydrated, irritated or blemish prone skin.
Active Botanical Serum by Vintner’s Daughter is another beautiful choice if you’re looking for a multipurpose product that utilizes the benefits of rose in combination with other potent, nourishing ingredients. Aside from rose, this award winning serum contains over 22 active botanical ingredients and over 60 nutrients & vitamins that help to balance, brighten, moisturize and heal the skin. Rose works in conjunction with frankincense, tamanu and turmeric to naturally protect & defend the skin from free radicals.
VINTNER'S DAUGHTER
ACTIVE BOTANICAL SERUM
Our obsession with rose goes so deep that we have an entire blog dedicated to its majesty, diving into the many benefits that go far beyond just its beautifying properties. There’s a reason we are so magnetized to the rose, so rose lovers, read up to find out what makes the rose so magical and so special from not only a beauty & skin perspective, but a spiritual & wellness one as well. Here are some more beautiful products that contain rose.
HONEY
This sweet, indulgent ingredient is just as radiant & luxurious as it is medicinal. The ancient healing properties of honey have been utilized since the days of Hippocrates (400 BC) to heal wounds, regenerate skin and promote an ageless lifestyle (2). The sacred honey bee was so honored & revered in Ancient Egyptian culture that she was the symbol of the Pharaoh. It was said that bees were created from the tears of the sun god Ra. Upon the tear drops falling from the sky and touching the barren earth, his tears transformed into the honey bees, giving the inhabitants liquid gold - honey. Records of bees & their hives have been found in hieroglyphics and were held in such high regard (3). Cleopatra, of course, used honey in her beauty regimes. She used a combination of honey & olive oil as a face mask and bathed in a mixture of milk & honey to firm and soften her skin... taking notes.
Similar to pearl and rose, honey is also loaded with powerful antioxidants. The preventative effects of the antioxidants in honey, which include glucose oxidase, phenolic acids & flavonoids plus amino acids and proteins help to keep damaging free radicals at bay, the unstable compounds that compromise cell function (4). These antioxidants also help to reduce inflammation in the skin, making honey perfect for irritated, red or reactive skin.
The reason honey has been utilized as a medicine throughout history is for its antibacterial, antimicrobial & anti-fungal properties, making it the perfect ingredient for any major skin concern, from acne to dryness, and even wounded, burnt or infected skin. The unique enzyme that makes up a majority of honey is glucose oxidase, which creates a chemical reaction when put in contact with the skin, creating a natural hydrogen peroxide. This substance gives honey its natural bacteria-killing power as well as helps break down proteins on the skin, allowing the skin to naturally repair itself. Alongside the antibacterial properties, honey also promotes a clear complexion by decongesting & unclogging pores due to its sticky consistency. It works to draw out impurities such as excess oil & dirt.
One of our absolute favorite honey-laden products is Leahlani’s Honey Love, a 3-in-1 treatment product that works to gently exfoliate the skin. This is the perfect product for those experiencing blemishes and irritation as it works to fight breakouts with honey, stimulating clays, maqui berry and hibiscus. This mask style exfoliant gently removes dead skin cells, deeply hydrates and stimulates cellular renewal, leaving your skin nourished, soft and clear.
Another honey laden luxe treatment product we’re sure Cleopatra would have loved is Leahlani’s Meli Glow Illuminating Nectar Mask. If your skin is feeling lackluster, dull or dehydrated, this is the mask you’ll want to go for. Filled with incredible vitamin-rich ingredients, this mask works to illuminate the skin from within, increasing blood circulation & oxygenation at the molecular level. The honey works to deeply strengthen the skin’s barrier and deliver those enzymes & antioxidants to your cells for a glowing complexion.
SAFFRON
If you’re looking to brighten your skin, heal any hyperpigmentation & really get that even, illuminated complexion, saffron is the beautifying ingredient you’ll want to reach for. Saffron has extremely luxurious roots, being one of the most highly priced, exclusive spices for centuries, dating back to the days of the Silk Road. Saffron has been widely sought after throughout history to protect, calm, tone, purify and even out the complexion. It’s rumored that Cloepatra added saffron strands to her famous milk & honey baths on occasion to give her skin a radiant glow. An ancient Ayurvedic sacred spice, Saffron has been utilized by practitioners for centuries to heal alignments, and treat the skin.
Saffron is the true gold of the spice trade. This is due in part to the harvesting process of saffron which is done by hand picking the crocus flower, requiring an immense amount of labor. The crocus flower is a stunning flower with rich purple petals and reddish-orange stigmas that are delicately plucked & dried, creating saffron. Each individual flower only produces three stigmas, so it takes over 150 flowers to produce just one gram of dried saffron threads (7). Additionally, the flowering season of the crocus is approximately 3 months, making the harvesting process even more elusive & production costs even higher. Saffron’s brilliant gold color comes from crocin, a pigment-rich chemical compound while its robust fragrance comes from phytochemicals safranal & picrocrocin, which also gives it a boost of medicinal qualities (7). The scent, color & delicacy of saffron make it a sensual mood enhancing aphrodisiac as well.
When it comes to skin & beauty benefits, saffron is most known for its brightening properties & ability to bring radiance to dull skin. Saffron is also an antioxidant, so along with resurfacing the skin, leaving it fresh and illuminated, it also works to reduce inflammation, age spots, dark circles, & hyperpigmentation all while protecting against harmful free radicals. It’s been used to nourish & heal blemishes due to its antibacterial properties while also helping to stimulate blood circulation and gently exfoliate, making it the perfect product to regenerate & refine the skin.
Two of our favorite products that contain saffron are by Ranavat. First up, the Radiant Rani- Brightening Saffron Serum is a miracle in a bottle for achieving that bright, even, healthy complexion. Rich in vitamins & nutrients such as turmeric to reduce inflammation and manjistha to help boost circulation, this luxurious oil helps to soften, nourish, and heal the skin. To really treat yourself to a luxurious skincare moment, try pairing this serum with a massage using their Kansa Wand tool.
One of Melissa’s personal favorites, the Flawless Veil- Resurfacing Saffron Masque is another regal skincare item rich in saffron. This mask actually contains individual saffron strands, making it ultra-luxe, ultra-special & ultra-illuminating. Combined with papaya enzymes, aloe vera & a blend of AHAs, this elegant mask soothes the skin & gives you the perfect glow. Use this for a true resurfacing treatment to smooth and freshen up your skin before applying makeup.
DIAMOND
Well nothing sounds more luxurious than using diamonds on your skin for ultimate opulence in your beauty routine. One of the reasons diamonds hold the prestige that they do is for their level of hardness on the mineral scale. As one of the hardest substances on our planet, it only makes sense why the super fine dust of these brilliant diamonds makes for the perfect exfoliant. Need to buff & polish a dull or tired complexion? Products that include diamond dust will give you that natural resurfacing effect by opening pores and gently removing impurities from within while scrubbing off dead skin cells and even stains on the surface of the skin, helping to deep clean decongested pores. Diamond dust works to eliminate the build up of environmental toxins that may be trapped under the skin’s surface as well.
Aside from being a master exfoliator & helping with any texture issues in the skin, diamond dust is a youth promoting, ageless ingredient that helps to stimulate collagen formation, reduce the appearance of sun damage & retain moisture. Diamonds bond easily with water molecules allowing the dust to deeply penetrate the pores while locking in moisture for a supple, soft complexion (9). In ancient Rome diamond dust was honored as the gemstone of Venus, the goddess of beauty & love, and was used for the same reasons we use it today; to brighten the skin, promote radiance of our spirit & preserve a youthful glow (9).
On a metaphysical level, diamonds have another set of benefits. The diamond is associated with activation of the Crown Chakra, which connects us to our highest, most divine self. Using diamonds in our skincare works on an energetic level as well, elevating our auric field. Working with crystals & gemstones in our beauty rituals has the ability to raise our frequency & enhance our energies, boosting our magnetism & allure, allowing us to really sparkle and glow. Diamonds are amplifiers of energy and promote rejuvenation and drawing in positive energy, success & abundance. It’s all intertwined.
To bestow your spirit with a renewed sense of radiance & your skin with an illuminating glow, we recommend two of Tata Harper’s products. The Illuminating Moisturizer is a beautiful everyday moisturizer that can be used day and night to perfect the complexion. Since it’s formulated with actual diamond dust, it gives a luminescent highlighting effect to the skin. It sits on the skin like a soft focus filter while reflecting light to give your skin a subtle contoured appearance. Diamond is renowned for its light-reflecting, illuminating properties that create an optical diffused look & a skin-blurring effect, helping to minimize the appearance of any imperfections. This moisturizer plumps, hydrates and gives you the ultimate luxurious glow.
TATA HARPER
ILLUMINATING MOISTURIZER
The Illuminating Eye Creme is a similar formulation that has the same incredible benefits and is made to be used on the delicate eye area. This eye cream works over time to improve the quality of the skin, filling in fine lines & stimulating collagen. Never have we ever felt so radiant & sparkling as when we start our day off with this brilliant eye cream. It truly gives your eyes a luminous veil & the perfect natural highlight that we can all use from time to time.
TATA HARPER
ILLUMINATING EYE CREME
In closing, know that indulgence is often necessary. Whether it’s from a luxurious skincare treatment, or some incredible high-vibrational products incorporated into your daily routine, you deserve to treat yourself like the goddess you are.
