Earth’s Essential Skin Care Elements
Remember the periodic table? That fun chart of boxes containing more than 100 chemical elements you were likely forced to memorize in grade school. It actually contains about two dozen elements that are essential to life. Who knew?
In honor of Earth Day, let’s take a trip down “memory lane” back to your 5th grade science class and uncover some of the elements our wonderful Earth provides that are essential to life and, as it turns out, our skin.
THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
As I mentioned there are about two dozen (25 to be exact) of the 118 chemical elements on the periodic table that are essential to life. Of these, I’ll focus on eight that protect, purify, hydrate, and regenerate the skin.
- Phosphorus – phosphorus is actually the second most abundant mineral found in the human body, just after calcium. While like calcium it helps build strong bones, it’s also important to cell growth and reproduction, as well as cell protection, regulating what goes in and out of each cell. (Found in the Blue Agave cleansersourced from yucca root.)
- Calcium – the most abundant mineral in the body, we all know calcium is responses for strong bones and teeth. In skin care, however, various forms are used to reduce inflammation, heal, repair tissue, and hydrate. (Found in the EnviroProtect.)
- Magnesium – magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (MAP) is one derivative of this mineral commonly used in skin care. MAP actually comes from vitamin C and helps protect the skin from UV damage while also stimulating the key element that keeps us looking youthful…collagen. ((Found in the Mineral Freeze.)
- Iron – found in plants like yucca and other minerals like hematite. It helps strengthen the skin and increase collagen. (Also found in the Mineral Freeze derived from hematite.)
- Zinc Oxide (ZnO) – a natural mineral derived from the Earth’s crust, it acts as a protective and reflective shield for the skin against damaging UV rays. It’s also non-irritating and non-allergenic. (Also in the EnviroProtect.)
- Sodium – sodium comes in a number of forms, each providing a different benefit to the skin. For instance, concentrates from mineral sea salt like sodium chloride re-mineralize, soften, and detoxify and purify the skin, sort of acting like a natural cleanser. Sodium hyaluronate (L) helps with hydration, holding up to 1,000 times its weight in water. (Found in the Zeo Cleanse as sodium chloride and the Stone Poweras sodium hyaluronate.)
- Selenium – provides antioxidants to help fight free radicals – the culprits responsible for much of the damage of our cells. (Found in the Blue Agave cleansersourced from yucca root.)
While minerals come from obvious sources like the Earth’s crust, they are also found in certain plants. When you take into account that plants receive their nourishment from soil, it makes sense they would also retain the minerals found in the Earth’s soil.
Look for these in skin care products as well as food sources like yogurt, bananas, broccoli, legumes, brown rice, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and salmon. And be sure to celebrate the Earth this April 22 (and all year), it does after all provide us with some of the best ingredients to take care of our skin.
For more information about these ingredients and other Earth elements, visit the RA for Men product page.