Botanical Hyaluronic Acid

Q.) What's Botanical Hyaluronic Acid?
A.) We use "Botanical Hyaluronic Acid" in our Vital Balm Cream, Advanced Hydration Mask, and it’s also in our Hydration Boost Concentrate.  We make our Botanical Hyaluronic Acid extract in-house, so it’s pure, organic, and free of questionable additives and preservatives. Botanical HA is a polysaccharide sugar molecule that has the amazing ability to attract and hold moisture, thus making it an incredibly hydrating and skin-health supporting ingredient. Our bodies produce Hyaluronic Acid naturally but our ability to produce HA declines with age, leading to dryness and fine lines.  

Botanical Hyaluronic Acid has the unique capability of making up for that lost, naturally occurring HA in our own skin, without some of the ethical and synthetic chemical issues correlated to other HA products on the market today.

So what’s the difference between “Natural,” “Man-Made,” and “Botanical” Hyaluronic Acid?

There is a big difference when it comes to the source and efficacy of HA. Hyaluronic Acid is a humectant, which means it grabs moisture from the air and holds it in the epidermis, keeping the skin plump, firm and dewy. Natural HA is a polysaccharide produced in the skin, eyes and connective tissues of humans and other animals and is most commonly derived from horses and rooster combs for consumer use.  

Animal cruelty issues aside, with the huge rise in popularity of HA in recent years, it has become more cost-effective to sell skincare products with synthetic HA man-made in a lab through genetically modified bacterial fermentation.  And though many dermatologists recommend the use of Hyaluronic Acid (either animal-derived or synthetic) for temporarily moisturizing skin, most recognize that the molecule is actually too large to pass through the epidermis. Therefore to receive the real skin-health benefits of HA in diminishing fine lines and wrinkles, it has to be injected with a needle into the deeper dermis, just like Juvéderm and Restylane (which also contain HA).

The Hyaluronic Acid WE use in our products is needle and cruelty-free, vegan and purely botanical.  And clinical studies have shown it has a better effect than natural and man-made Hyaluronic Acid in providing higher moisturizing, softening and overall improvement of skin complexion.  Botanical HA’s Latin name is Cassia Angustifolia and is also known as the Ayurvedic Indian Senna Seed (the leaves have been used for thousands of years as a powerful cathartic, relieving constipation and healing wounds.)

Mimicking the polysaccharides found in the body’s naturally-produced HA, botanical HA molecules (B-Glucans) are extracted directly from the Senna seeds (not the leaves) and combined with water or glycerin, making the agent completely natural, safe and clean.  Studies have also demonstrated that the high content of these polysaccharides in the Indian Senna seed effectively repair dryness, provide longer-lasting suppleness, exhibit film-forming capacities and also function as an anti-inflammatory treatment for acne and other skin conditions.

So when choosing the source of our Hyaluronic Acid, there is no question we would use the purest, safest and most humane option in delivering the best results for moisturizing, restructuring and healing. Botanical Hyaluronic Acid is incredibly effective in making your skin clear, supple and plump, for all skin types and conditions, while also being 100% natural and ethically derived.