Totarol: Your Skin’s Natural Champion

When it comes to skin care, there are the recognizable ingredients most of us have heard of…Shea butter? Yes, heard of it. Eucalyptus? Sure, rings a bell. Aloe? Check. But totarol? That one may be a bit of mystery. But it’s one you should know.

What does this naturally occurring, superhero ingredient do for your skin? For starters, it’s an extremely potent antioxidant and antibacterial (ahem…are you acne- and oil-prone guys listening?).

WHAT IT IS

Its name might make it sound like a fictional storybook protagonist, but totarol is far from fabricated. The natural ingredient is actually extracted from the fallen bark of the extremely large totarol tree, which is native to New Zealand. Since the totarol tree has been known to grow for over 1,000 years, you can think of this extract as a rare, naturally aged goldmine.

As I mentioned, this extract is rich antioxidants and packs a powerful punch in the antibacterial and antimicrobial department. These properties not only make it great for acne prone skin, it’s also been used in oral applications as a disinfectant.

HOW IT WORKS

In addition to totarol’s abundance of antioxidants it also inhibits the degradation of lipids (the molecules that act as the structural support of the cell membranes). It does this by going after the reactive oxygen species (ROS) that damage lipids and cells overall.

The antimicrobial and antibacterial properties clean up the bacteria that can accumulate in the skin, which is why this ingredient is so ideal for those who battle acne or an overproduction of oil.

Luckily you don’t have to go to New Zealand hunting for fallen bark to get your hands on totarol. It can be found in higher quality toners and cleansers like the CTRL. HALT. DEL. Salicylic Cleansing Pads and the ReZone Sake Toner.