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When chlorella is taken as a nutritional supplement, it offers the body many internal beauty benefits by supporting cellular repair and rejuvenation. But have you considered using the powerful superfood as part of a homemade chlorella face mask to brighten and clarify the appearance of your skin?
The quality of ingredients you put on your skin is equally as important as the foods you eat. Since the skin is your biggest organ, anything you put on your face is absorbed by your body. This means that substances found in commercial cosmetics, face washes and lotions (such as parabens and phthalates and gluten) might be absorbed when they're applied to your face. Using natural, chemical-free ingredients on your skin is the best way to clarify the look of your skin, and promote a brighter, younger-looking complexion.
Why is Chlorella Good for Your Skin?
Mother Nature was feeling generous when she blessed us with chlorella: the king of superfoods.
One of the reasons chlorella may be beneficial for the skin is because it contains a compound called Chlorella Growth Factor, or CGF. Chlorella Growth Factor can only be found in chlorella (as suggested by the name) and is the reason why chlorella can multiply rapidly every four hours. When ingested, CGF can help support tissue repair and cellular renewal.
Simply put, the healthier your skin cells are, the brighter and younger-looking your skin will appear. In addition to Chlorella Growth Factor, chlorella contains several other beautifying ingredients for the skin, such as:
Nucleic Acids
Nucleic acids are found in Chlorella Growth Factor. The importance of nucleic acids for the skin cannot be stressed enough. The body produces nucleic acids on its own, but their production decreases with age. Nucleic acids are the blueprints, or materials, your body needs to repair and regenerate your cells. They contain the instructions that tells your body what to do, and how to do it. Without nucleic acids, cellular repair and renewal cannot happen as efficiently. Including nucleic acids in your skincare regimen through nutritional supplements such as chlorella, may help to promoting younger, healthier-looking skin. Taking chlorella as a daily supplement or using it topically in a face cream are both great ways that may increase the nucleic acids available for your skin.
Antioxidants and Minerals
Antioxidant vitamins and minerals are important nutrients to support your entire body, including your skin.
By offering the body vitamins and minerals that act as antioxidants (such as vitamins A, C, E and selenium), you can help keep your skin looking refreshed. Chlorella contains beta-carotene, a form of vitamin A which acts as an antioxidant, as well as several trace minerals.
With all the beauty benefits chlorella has to offer, it only makes sense to include it as part of your skin care routine. Here's a fun and easy homemade chlorella face mask. Perhaps the best part about this chlorella face mask recipe is that it's hassle-free and only requires 2 ingredients: Sun Chlorella and water.
Ingredients:
3g (1 tsp) Sun Chlorella Powder
1-2 tsp water, or until desired consistency is reached
Instructions:
Place Sun Chlorella Powder in a small bowl. If using Sun Chlorella tablets, crush tablets with the back of a metal spoon.
Add water, starting with 1 tsp, and combine to form a thick mixture.
Add a few extra splashes of water until a clay-like texture forms. The face mask shouldn't be too thin, or too thick to apply to the face.
Once the desired consistency is reached, apply to a clean, exfoliated face immediately. If left for more than ten minutes, the chlorella mixture will begin to dry out. Leave on your skin for 10-15 minutes. Rinse off, and follow with your favorite toner and moisturizer.
I personally recommend enhancing the benefits of this face mask by following with a hydrating moisturizer that contains additional antioxidants and Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF), such as Astarella Primetime Skin Cream. This moisturizer offers a mega-boost of skin hydration with ingredients such as CGF, astaxanthin, shea butter, and jojoba oil. Astarella Primetime Skin Cream is also formulated without parabens, phthalates, and gluten.
Author: Brandi Black, RHN
Sources:
[1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11150448
[2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20026063
[3] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11347287
[4] http://www.cyanotech.com/pdfs/spirulina/sptl06.pdf