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Amino Acids and Essential Fatty Acids are the building blocks for overall skin health. Starflower Essentials products are packed with these compounds that play an important role in maintaining naturally beautiful skin. Read on to discover more about their properties and their role in skin health.

 

Essential fatty acids, or EFAs, are fatty acids that humans and other animals must ingest because the body requires them for good health but cannot synthesize them. The most beneficial EFAs for our skin are Linoleic Acid (Omega-6), Alpha-linolenic Acid (Omega-3), and Oleic Acid (Omega-9), which is technically a “non-essential” EFA because the body is able to produce a small amount on its own.

 

How do EFAs benefit your skin? 

  • Strengthen and smooth the skin’s surface
  • Repair the skin barrier to improve moisture and elasticity
  • Soothe irritated, sensitive, and red skin
  • Reduce UV-induced damage and signs of aging
  • Eliminate flaky, dehydrated skin
  • Nourish and protect skin against environmental damage
  • Retain moisture, regulate oil production and maintain elasticity

 

Ingredients that are rich in EFAs include oils of almond, black currant, hemp, borage, and evening primrose, extra virgin olive oil, sesame, safflower, moringa oil and powder, as well as seed extracts of rosehip and rosemary. A rare EFA, GLA (Gamma-Linolenic Acid), can only be found in oils such as black currant, hemp, borage, and evening primrose oils. Black currant can contain up to 18% GLA, while borage can contain up to 24%. Moringa contains a very high concentration of 72% of Oleic Acid (Omega-9).

 

 

Amino acids are organic compounds composed of nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, along with a variable side chain group. Your body needs 20 different amino acids to grow and function properly. Though all 20 of these are important for your health, only nine amino acids are classified as essential. These are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Amino acids are versatile ingredients that are a nice addition to other active skincare ingredients such as antioxidants, plant extracts, and omega fatty acids that are all found in Starflower Skin Care products.

 

How do amino acids benefit your skin?

  • Work together with aquaporins (the water transport system of your body) to transport moisture through the skin.
  • Antioxidant properties / help your skin to reproduce its own antioxidants.
  • Maintain the skin’s hydration, resilience, and an overall healthy appearance. 
  • Protect skin from free-radical damage and reduce signs of aging. 
  • Help to restore visible skin damage.
  • Strengthens the skin’s surface.
  • Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

 

Ingredients that are rich in amino acids include spirulina (blue-green algae), dulse (North Atlantic sea vegetable), hemp, almonds, olives, cacao, bee pollen, moringa, and royal jelly. Royal jelly contains a whopping 18 amino acids as well as collagen, which contains 19 different amino acids, with a particularly high content of hydroxyproline, glycine, and proline. The abundance of hydroxyproline is noteworthy because this amino acid isn't found in other proteins.

 

 

As you can see, Amino Acids and Essential Fatty Acids are at the core of many vital skin processes like protein synthesis, tissue repair, and nutrient absorption. Fortunately, these vital compounds are found in many Starflower Essentials products, helping you achieve healthier, younger-looking skin...naturally!