I have a confession to make. I tend to favor my beauty products with a touch of romance and drama, and by that I mean I get no special joy from using very cut-and-dry, “Dr. xxx…” type of products. One of my favorite skincare lines Earthwise Beauty, for example, features wildcrafted ingredients from the Pacific Northwest, and infused with gemstone and floral essences. I feel a connection to Africa every time I put on my Chantecaille Lip Veil lipstick, which benefits an African elephant charity. Recently I’ve started slathering on Oribe Côte d’Azur perfume; not only does it remind me of the South of France, it also is a proven Meghan Markle favorite and therefore, makes me feel like a duchess even when I don’t even bother with the pretense of getting out of my pajamas. (This week my best friend FaceTimed me and asked, “you went to the store wearing your pajamas?” I said, “I changed my bottoms to jeans—look at you being all critical during pandemic times!!”)
I digress. The point is, there is something about beauty products with a *story* that feels very alluring to me. And since the whole point of a beauty routine is to make oneself more alluring, I get a kick out of finding ingredients that are not only super effective, but spark my imagination. The latest such ingredient is dragon’s blood. And let’s take a deep breath and first confirm that no dragons are harmed in the making of these products! 🐉
Although sounding like something the baddies in Harry Potter would use to stay immortal, dragon’s blood is actually a real-life resin from a group of trees called dragon trees. (Their Latin names are pretty cool—Croton, Pterocarpus, Daemonorops, Dracaena.) The red, blood-like sap is collected by cutting the tree’s bark. When done correctly, this supports a sustainable local economy while preserving the trees. Dragon’s blood has been used for millennia for medicinal and spiritual purposes in Ancient Greece and Rome, India, China, the Middle East, and the Amazon. It has an intense, sweet aroma similar to vanilla and spices.
Studies have shown that dragon’s blood is antimicrobial and anticancer. It is also proven effective against topical ulcers and sores—which makes sense given its use in traditional medicine for wound healing.
So what does this mean for your skin?
Dragon’s blood contains powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds. That means that it can protect your skin from environmental stressors, reduce inflammatory conditions like acne, rosacea, and eczema, and restore balance. It also improves firmness and elasticity by repairing collagen and stimulating new cell generation.
Vegan, eco, and cruelty-free dragon’s blood products
Skin Physics Ultra Plumping Night Cream
Australian brand Skin Physics is a cruelty-free and eco brand that harvests its fair-trade dragon’s blood in partnership with local communities in the Amazon jungle. This is one of their bestselling, cult-hit products with “3D plumping spheres that deliver a high dose of hyaluronic acid…to plump out wrinkles, smoothing facial lines and firming skin.”
Skin Physics Facial Sculpting Gel
In addition to dragon’s blood, this advanced gel features microhydrators to visibly tone, lift, and firm skin.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBhdFlzD8Dn/
Aussie vegan model Ashlee Anne is a fan.
Will I get dragon’s blood potion and channel my inner Daenerys Stormborn? Stay tuned!😆
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Photo: Wikipedia commons; Skin Physics; Ashlee Anne via Instagram
