What the ingredient list doesn’t say

Unlike synthetic petroleum-derived ingredients or highly refined, barely recognizable “naturally-derived” ingredients, minimally processed botanical ingredients are fragile and have relatively short shelf-lives. Because of this, they are expensive to buy, difficult to formulate with and costly to store, which is why organic, unrefined ingredients are hard to find in commercially-made products. The degree to which an ingredient is refined, deodorized, chemically extracted or otherwise processed is not reflected in the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) list because both highly-refined and raw organic ingredients are labelled exactly the same way.

The refined and extra virgin avocado oil, pictured above, and the different types of grapeseed oil, pictured below, are different in colour, scent, even in viscosity.

Different types of grape seed oil. Organic, cold-pressed grape seed oil is about 15x the cost of its solvent-extracted counterpart.

Hyangii skincare is formulated with sustainably-sourced unrefined, cold-processed, organic ingredients where available, and is made fresh-to-preorder only twice per year. Preordering your “skin food” means it will be fresh and waste minimized thereby keeping cost as low as possible. The products are hand-made in an artisan lab and delivered within fourteen days of manufacture directly to your home. Since Hyangii products contain about 95%-100% botanical ingredients with the exception of clay-based products, they should be used within nine months.

Which ingredients make the cut?

It just occurred to me, as I'm writing ingredient features, that the common thread seems to be that the ingredients are expensive. You might wonder if that is my selection criteria. The answer is no...and yes!

1) No, the pricey ingredients are rare, hard to extract, or difficult to formulate it, but they are worth it. 

a) That is why formulators from luxury brands include ONE of these luxury items as their key ingredient:
*L'Occitane might use immortelle extract (in M2)
*Drunk Elephant uses marula oil (in M2)
*Biossance uses squalane (in M3)
*Neal's Yard Remedies uses macadamia nut oil and frankincense (but it is the Boswellia neglecta oil, not the prized Boswellia carterii essential oil) (in M2)
*Strivectin uses peptides (in M1, M3)
*Skinceuticals is known for Vitamin C (which is actually not an expensive ingredient-it is hard to formulate with) (in C2.5 and SPA)
* La mer uses seaweed extract (seasonally in C2.5)

b) Also, let's not forget about the ingredients that often don't make it into commercial skin care because they are fragile, but can be found as single ingredients at your health food store, often as raw ingredients or supplements:
* MSM (in M1)
* Evening primrose oil (in M2)
* Rosehip seed oil (in M2)
* Aloe juice (in C3, M1, M3)
* Argan oil (in M2, M3)
* Green tea extract (C2)
* extracts of grape, banana, licorice root, cucumber. (M1)
* etc. There’s more. Pls see ingredient list. 

c) And the other obscure ingredients that can only be found at specialty trade wholesalers or those that are valued by aromatherapists
* cupuacu butter (M3)
* broccoli seed oil (M2)
* pomegranate seed oil (M2)
* myrrh essential oil (M2)
* carrot seed essential oil (M2)
* rose geranium essential oil (M2, M3)
* the "good" frankincense (Boswellia cateri) (M2, M3)
* sandalwood essential oil (M2)
* mandarin essential contains l-limonene which aids absorption of other ingredients into the skin (M2, M3) 
* etc. Pls refer to ingredient list for details. 

2) YES, I chose luxury ingredients that you couldn't buy yourself, that you couldn't possibly make for yourself, available for purchase in order to provide value. 

I also encourage safe DIY with ingredients that are readily available at local drug store, grocery store, Costco. If you'd like DIY suggestions, please ask the friend who added you to the private Hyangii FB Group to also add you to the Secret Selfcare Society FB Group (a secret group).

I will never dilute the Hyangii face with good, but cheaper oils: caprylic/capric triglyceride or other coconut oil derivatives, oils of almond, sunflower, apricot kernel, almond, jojoba, olive, avocado, grape seed. I will use them for body products later this winter.

Enough rambling for today. Thanks for reading all the way to the end!

Written October 13, 2018 as FB post.

Real friends don’t let friends skip sunscreen.

To all of my dear friends who resist-with all of their might-using sunscreen everyday. Sunscreen may not give you a glow that you can see, even your skin tone, or reduce fine lines immediately, but if you don’t use it, you will come to regret it. By then it will be too late to undo the damage. The damage is not just cosmetic. Forget expensive face creams if you’re not going to use sunscreen. If you do just ONE thing, let it be daily sunscreen application. It’s worth doing the work to find one that works for you. My affordable recommendations are given at the end of this article.

There are many articles on the internet about sun-safety that contain questionable/unsubstantiated/debatable/inaccurate/misleading claims like:
* coconut oil has a natural SPF so use that instead of chemical sunscreens. 
* chemical sunscreens cause cancer and disrupt the endocrine system. 
* sunscreens inhibit the body’s ability to produce vitamin D and lack of Vit D causes cancer. 

I read these articles because I’m a hippie at heart and I really do think that whole foods are our best medicine. HOWEVER. I do have degree in medical science and professional background in medical research so It would be irresponsible for me to turn a blind eye to the importance of effective sun protection.

The fact that UV light causes DNA damage is undisputed. The body has an amazing ability to fix errors in DNA transcription and destroy mutant cells but mistakes can go unchecked which leads to mutation and possibly the development pre-/cancerous cells. I will link the shortest, most accessible article I can find in the Reference section of this article below.

All of this ranting just to say: Don’t let the internet scare you. Arm yourself with facts so that you can make informed decisions. It might seem scary at first but I personally find it empowering. 

* FIRST line of defence against the sun is to cover up in light, loose fitting clothing, hats, sunglasses etc. This is also good for preventing tick bites so win-win. 
* SECOND. Use mineral sunscreens. There are only two: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Use on the body which has more surface area if you don’t like it on your face. 
* THIRD. If you can’t tolerate that, use chemical sunscreen on exposed areas. I would avoid oxybenzone though.

Sunscreen doesn’t work (or not work) like homeopathy— you need to use enough: Nickel/almond sized amount on face alone, and apporximately two (2) tablespoons for the face and body. Different sunscreens on different body parts optimize my sunscreens by cost and “clean-ness”.  Lightweight sunscreens are expensive and may not be as “clean” in composition. “Clean” sunscreens are heavy, sticky, thick or greasy or all of the above. 

Save your favourite lightweight sunscreens for your face and use a more cost-effective, but still comfortable one on your ears, neck and chest. If you come across a sunscreen you find difficult to tolerate on your face, use it on other parts of the body. Don’t forget the backs of your hands!

Here are some of my favourite, relatively affordable sunscreens for the face*

Australian Gold Botanical Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 Tinted Face, Fragrance Free (89mL for $19.99)

This mineral sunscreen is light-weight, non-greasy, mineral and non-nano.

Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+/PA++++ (50mL for $14.81 CAD)

This chemical sunscreen is lightweight, feels like nothing on the skin, is great for oily skin types.

*These links are Amazon Associate links. if you enter Amazon via this link or any of the product links, and purchase within 24 hours, Hyangii will earn a small commission without extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

References

Sun protection. World Health Organization.

How does ultraviolet light kill cells? Scientific American.

Ask the Expert: How much sunscreen should I be using on my face and body. Skincancer.org

What happens to your face when you wear sunscreen might shock you. Upworthy.com

Half of truck driver’s face prematurely aged due to sun damage; Man’s face altered by unilateral dermatoheliosis. NYDailynews.com

Two ways to use H2 Hair & Scalp Serum

Protect the skin you're in

I notice a concurrent regret of not taking better care of our skin in the past and resistance to daily skincare practises in the present. I was in this boat, too, and I have the sunspots to prove it.

I also noticed that many people would rather have treatments done to them, rather than doing the manual work on themselves. This is curious because I don't like to be touched and I even cut my own hair. 😆

But here’s the truth. Daily, consistent consumption of fresh, plant-based, whole foods will do more for us than the occasional "cleanse" or vegan meal at a yoga retreat. Daily exercise will do more for us than the occasional manic workout weekend. In addition to getting our teeth professionally cleaned every few months, brushing our teeth twice-daily is necessary for good health. Likewise, consistent daily practice of skincare will do more for our skin than the occasional spa treatment.

Protect the skin you’re in now. Don't regret not doing so later. You will end up with better skin via protection and prevention compared to subjecting yourself to invasive, and inflammation-inducing anti-aging procedures and products in the future.

Yours in selfcare,

Cee