Rain forests are among the most impressive habitats on earth. Nowhere else does such a large variety of plants exist. It is estimated that there are 200,000 species in the Amazon region alone, of which very few have been researched to date. These are mainly used to produce medicines, but beauty companies are also discovering more and more rainforest plants that care for skin and hair.
The acai berry, for example, contains many polyphenols. They protect the cells from free radicals. Andiroba oil from jungle palms contains firming active ingredients, babassu oil provides a lot of moisture, cat’s claw (cat’s claw) and cashew nuts are great help against wrinkles and dry skin.
Tolfioow introduces you to the best rainforest active ingredients for different skin problems. And we asked the companies how they harvest without harming nature. Reassuring: No tree has to die for beauty. Above all, growing raw materials from wild plants are used: fruits, kernels, nuts or newly forming aerial roots, mostly collected under ecological control. And from 2011, a new seal promises security when shopping – that’s progress!
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Acai: strong as a berry against free radicals
Acai (Euterpe precatoria) is the name of a palm tree found in various regions of the Amazon. Among beauty experts, the acai berry is the new super fruit for skin and hair care. Its combination of vitamins A, C and B1 with polyphenols makes it one of the most effective radical scavengers, while also containing plenty of vegetable proteins, minerals and amino acids. A perfect bundle of energy, for example to moisturize stressed skin, to soothe and clarify it or to regenerate and protect stressed, brittle hair caused by bleaching. Ever since the energetic properties of the acai berry were scientifically proven, demand in Brazil has risen sharply. The natives have traditionally valued the nutrient-rich juice of the fruit for much longer because of its diverse effects. “Acai wine” is what the Indians call it; a delicious drink that they also use to refine purees made from cassava, bananas or fish.
Products: eg “Intensive Renewal Face Serum” from Snowberry, 15 ml approx. 110 euros; “Acai Damage-Correcting Moisturizer” from Kiehl’s, 60 ml approx. 52 euros; “Blond Gloss Shampoo” by Nivea, 250 ml approx. 3 euros; “Fructis Strengthening Color Protection Conditioner” by Garnier, 200 ml approx. 3 euros
Babassu oil helps with combination skin
Draw? Babassu oil helps with combination skin
The babassu palm (Orbignya phalerata) grows in north-eastern Brazil and reaches a height of more than 20 meters. A delicate yellow oil is obtained from its coconut-like fruits, which cares for particularly dry hair and keeps the skin supple. Babassu oil is solid at temperatures below 22 degrees Celsius, but melts immediately when applied to the skin and thus has a pleasantly cooling effect. At the same time, it gives a soft, silky feel. The oil is rich in vitamins – B1, B2 and antioxidant E – and contains saturated and unsaturated fatty acids that help retain moisture in the skin and have an antibacterial effect. In lotions or creams for combination skin, babassu oil nourishes dry and rough areas as well as oily zones that are prone to pimples.
Products: eg “Faces Balance Cream Organic Calendula, Normal and Combination Skin” from Lavera, 30 ml approx. 8 euros; “Hydro Active Balancer for Combination Skin” by Dr. Grandel, 50 ml approx. 27 euros; “Silk Comfort Pampering Day Care” from Nivea, 50 ml approx. 16 euros; “Moisturizing After Sun Gel-Cream” by Marbert, 150 ml approx. 17 euros
Andiro oil can tighten the body
The andiroba tree (Carapa guianensis Aubl.) stretches up to 25 meters high in the jungle sky of Brazil. A valuable skin oil with antiseptic properties can be obtained from the seeds, which the forest and river dwellers of the region use to treat inflammation, bruises, bruises and skin diseases. They also use it as a sunscreen. But andiroba oil can do even more than alleviate aches and pains: in body care products, it is said to stimulate blood circulation, regulate the moisture content of the skin and smooth and tighten the silhouette. Extracting the oil is a bit tedious: because the trees mainly grow on river banks, the seeds usually fall into the water and drift away if you’re not careful. The locals fish them out boil them up and then set them aside to dry for about two weeks. The oil is then extracted from the seeds using a simple press.
Products: eg “Minceur Café Vert special care against cellulite” by Yves Rocher, 200 ml approx. 30 euros; “Huile Corps Sensation D’Amazonie 461” by Maria Galland, 100 ml approx. 34 euros; “Secrets of Amazonia Massage Oil” by Aldo Vandini, 100 ml approx. 8 euros
Cashew nuts pamper dry skin
Natural development: cat’s claw
In the South American rainforest, the cat’s claw (Uncaria tomentosa) winds its way up into the canopy. In anti-aging creams, the antioxidant extract of the climbing plant activates the skin’s natural defense system, helps it with the body’s own repair processes and supports the formation of new, healthy cells. Glycosides from liana extract refresh and soothe the complexion. The inhabitants of the Amazon region have known the roots and bark of this jungle plant for centuries as a top-class remedy for strengthening the immune system and health. It’s no wonder that the cat’s claw has become the best-known and best-researched individual plant in the rainforest. In 1994 it was recognized by the World Health Organization as a medicinal plant.
Products: eg “Superdefense SPF 25 Age Defense Moisturizer” from Clinique, 50 ml approx. 43 euros; “Happy Aging Cream” by Martina Gebhardt, 50 ml approx. 23 euros, “Crème Luxe 1000” by Maria Galland, 50 ml approx. 300 euros
Cashew nuts pamper dry skin
After the Portuguese discovered the cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale) in Brazil, they cultivated it in their colonies in Africa and Asia. Today, India is the world’s largest producer of cashew nuts. The bright red fruits of the cashew tree are rich in vitamins, minerals and, above all, powerful antioxidants that checkmate cell-damaging radicals. In cosmetics, the concentrated plant power is used in the form of freshly squeezed cashew fruit juice, among other things, to protect the complexion from premature skin aging. Cashew nut oil or butter balances the skin’s hydrolipid film – ideal for caring for dry parts of the body, chapped hands and feet: You are intensively pampered with the nutty active ingredient, which makes the skin elastic and supple again. In Latin America, the fruits of the cashew tree are traditionally given as a wedding gift to preserve the bride’s beauty. The juice of the fruit – it is also made into jam there and into schnapps in Goa – tastes a little sour with a hint of apple aroma.
Products: eg “Xingu High Antioxidant Prevention Serum” from Santaverde, 30 ml approx. 90 euros; “Crème Jeunesse des Pieds – intensively nourishing foot cream” by Clarins, 125 ml approx. 23 euros; “Riche Creme Anti-Wrinkle Pampering Night Care with 30 Precious Oils” by Yves Rocher, 50 ml approx. 13 euros; “Handy Gurugu Hand Cream” by Lush*, 100 ml approx. 11 euros
All in butter for a sensitive complexion
Cupuaçu: Alles in Butter bei sensiblem Teint
The Cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum), a tree from the cacao family that can reach a height of 20 meters, also grows in the Amazon region. The fruits ripen in the rainy season from January to April, after harvest they are used to make cupuaçu butter. Its rich mix of essential fatty acids, vitamin E and phytosterols is also well tolerated by sensitive skin, it keeps it elastic and velvety soft. Cupuaçu butter is quickly absorbed, binds a lot of moisture in the skin and supports its natural regeneration processes. For the Indians – and also the animals of the rainforest – the cupuaçu fruits have completely different qualities: They like the creamy, exotic-tasting fruit pulp above all as a culinary specialty. In Brazil and Peru, fresh juice, ice cream, yoghurt,
Products: eg “Sandalwood-Jasmine Body Lotion” from Neobio, 150 ml approx. 8 euros; “Daily Care Body Lotion Vanilla-Orange” by Alva, 150 ml approx. 7 euros; “Thermal day cream” from Speick, 50 ml approx. 8 euros; “Children’s Skin Calm Bath Oil” by Eubos, 125 ml approx. 9 euros; “Soothing Moisture Mask” by Jafra, 75 ml approx. 25 euros; “Inthenso Smooth Body Butter” by Guam, 250 ml approx. 32 euros
Kerniger Beauty-Snack
Great for strong connective tissue and supple skin: mix a protein-rich organic yoghurt with a tablespoon of sea buckthorn juice (vitamin C miracle!) and mix in a few chopped cashew nuts.
protection for the rainforest
Protective umbrella for the rainforest
- With certified natural cosmetics you can be almost certain that no overexploitation is being carried out. The plants used come from ecologically controlled wild collection or from carefully managed organic plantations. Many beauty companies are also involved locally with fair trade projects that secure the livelihood of the local population and improve their living conditions. Social commitment often also means that part of the sales proceeds are donated to local environmental protection organizations or development aid projects.
- If you want to be absolutely sure: from 2011 the “FairWild” seal of quality on the product, developed and now expanded by environmentalists such as the WWF, should signal at first glance that not only the social and fair trade criteria, but also the ecological requirements – eg the sustainable collection of plants – are fulfilled.
- Techno trick for conventional cosmetics: they often don’t even contain any original ingredients from the rainforest. The beauty researchers examine and analyze the plants on site to track down their effective active ingredients for skin and hair – but later recreate them biotechnologically in the laboratory.
