Earthly delights: natural beauty

Forever on the lookout for the latest wonder ingredients, cosmetic companies are now turning to the land and sea, using mud, clay, seaweed and salt to heal and beautify the body, and satisfy the soul. By Nikki Goldstein.

It may be hard to believe that things as slimy as seaweed, as dirty as mud and as bland as salt are being heralded as the latest, most remarkable cosmetic ingredients. But, as part of a wave of interest in all things natural, the beauty business is scanning the earth and scouring the sea for ingredients that do more than simply make the skin feel good.

 

Fruits of the sea

Seaweed has an impressive list of credentials. While land plants get their nutrients from soil, which can be poor or unbalanced, seaweed absorbs its nutritional requirements directly into its tissues from sea water. A host of minerals and trace elements are gathered from constant tidal movement and assimilated for cell growth. The beauty-boosting elements associated with seaweed include amino acids, the free-radical fighters vitamins C, B and E, and the minerals calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper. The ancient Chinese even attributed their remarkably healthy hair and strong nails to seaweed tea.

Thalgo, a market leader in marine-based treatments and products, has patented its ‘micro-explosion’ technique, which prepares high-quality marine algae in powdered form for the pharmaceutical and beauty industries. The company maintains that when the powders disperse in water they release active nutrients from the algae, which are capable of penetrating the skin. Thalgo's Micronized Marine Algae Sachets, $78 (for 10), contain three cold-water sea plants which are high in mineral salts, vitamins and micro-nutrients. When sprinkled into a warm bath, the product is said to relieve muscular fatigue, stimulate circulation and accelerate the elimination of toxins from the body.

Bladderwrak, one of 6,000 species of seaweed, is an essential ingredient in Ella Baché's Ampoule Marin, $95 (for 10 ampoules), which is designed to help stabilise acne-troubled skin. Fucus vesiculosis (marine algae), water and sea salt are the active ingredients in this serum, which is applied in an intensive course of treatment over 14-30 days to calm eruptions and heal trouble spots. Algae is also the key ingredient in Gatineau's Diffusance Hydromineral Absolute Concentrate, $98. This product is specifically designed for dehydrated skin, and the algae is said to help the skin retain moisture and minerals.

Seaweed is also on the menu at many beauty salons and spas. Aurora Spa Retreat in Melbourne uses the French cosmetic brand Phytomer, which is based on seaweed, sea minerals and what the company calls marine spring water. Jason Cook, Aurora’s general manager, says they use seaweed-based products in their detoxifying and slimming treatments because it helps boost microcirculation in the skin and eliminate toxins from the body. The Detox Mud Wrap, $125 for an hour, is an active treatment that begins with dry brushing the skin to prepare it to receive the vitamins and minerals in the body masks. Once the skin has been exfoliated, active seaweed extracts are applied, then the client is wrapped in a thermal blanket to induce perspiration. The seaweed increases cell metabolism, and the trapped heat helps the body relax and absorb the trace elements and minerals. The toxins are eliminated through the skin and later excreted. “The treatments promote a sense of wellbeing and, at the same time, boost the immune system and rejuvenate the skin,” says Jason. 

 

Down to earth

With its many vitamins and free-radical fighters, seaweed attracts the most attention for its health-enhancing properties, but mud also deserves more than just a cursory glance. Mud has been used for centuries to heal cuts and wounds, and reduce inflammation in the joints. When an animal is hurt it will often instinctively roll itself in mud to speed healing.

Although it depends where it’s sourced, pure clay and mud can help a range of ailments, including psoriasis, acne, rheumatism and even stomach ulcers. Thermal waters have been enticing sybarites to the famous Italian spa town of Montecatini in Tuscany since 400BC. Here, mud is used on the skin in masks, rubs, massages and baths, and even ingested in special tonics for detoxification. For a sample of the Montecatini thermal mud, try the Tuscan Holiday Spa Trio, $29.98, from the Borghese Collection (available from Target), which contains hydrating mineral-enriched active mud, as well as a salt scrub and a body cream.

Ahava is an Israeli company that employs the therapeutic benefits of Dead Sea mud and mineral salts in its products and salon treatments. Its Intensive Nourishing Body Cream, $36.50, is enriched with Dead Sea Mineral Mud and is designed to treat dry, rough, cracked and irritated skin. Mud is traditionally used in beauty therapy to stimulate blood flow and oxygen supply, but Dead Sea mud has a remarkably high absorbency capacity and penetrates the pores to remove impurities from the skin and body.  

Like mud, clay has drawing and healing properties. The Native Americans call it ee-wah-kee, which means ‘the mud that heals’. They, along with the natives of Mexico and the Australian Aborigines, have used clay to clear infections and reduce pain for many thousands of years. The Observatory Hotel Spa in Sydney offers the unique Li’Tya range of skin and body treatments using products made from organic ingredients, such as Australian desert clays and salts, and native fruits and herbs. The amazing Mala Mayi Body Treatment (mala mayi meaning ‘clan food’) is as close as you can get to traditional Aboriginal healing and a two-hour session costs $260. The treatment begins with a full-body exfoliation using aromatic oils and desert salts. The client enjoys a traditional Paudi scalp massage while a warm, mineral-enriched mud wrap delivers essential nutrients to the skin. Afterwards, the client is indulged with a rhythmic full-body Kodo massage. It’s a heavenly treatment that helps rejuvenate the skin and soul.

But you don’t have to visit a spa for a skin-detox experience; clays such as bentonite and kaolin are found in many over-the-counter masks and body treatments. Molton Brown's Deep Cleanse Snowclay Purifier, $45, is a powerful mask made from white clay, which contains active minerals and trace elements that help balance oily skin conditions and remove dead cells from the surface. For a salon-like deep cleanse, try Decléor’s Clay and Herbal Cleansing Mask, $60, which also contains fruit acids to speed cell turnover and refine the surface of the skin.

 

Worth its salt

While it’s true that mud and clay draw impurities, refreshing the skin and ridding it of dead cells, sea salt is also a high-performance natural exfoliant and makes an ultra-relaxing bath treatment. Cleopatra used sea salt to keep her skin soft and supple, and it is still used by many in the Middle East as a daily scrub. One of the most luxurious salt treatments on the market is Arnaud’s Detox Salt Spa with Vanilla Bean & Tangerine, $37.95.

A mix of Epsom salts, stone and mineral clays, and essential oils, it can be used as a scrub or dropped into the bath for a sensuous indulgence. Dermalogica’s Hydro-Active Mineral Salts, $41.50, is a lush blend of sea salts, kelp and natural enzymes, which gently softens and exfoliates skin. Again, these salts can be dropped into the bath, but Dermalogica recommends mixing them with a body oil and rubbing them directly on to the skin for a full-body polish.

There’s nothing new about mud, clay, seaweed or salt – these natural remedies have been used since the dawn of time to cure everything from teething to gout. What is new, however, are the interesting ways the cosmetic industry is now using these heal-alls to treat modern men and women in the spa and at home.

 

Covered in mud

A combination of clays, condensed plant matter, salts and minerals, mud boasts a huge array of nutrients. Goodies from the mud are absorbed into the skin and deeper tissues via a process of osmosis. After the mud is washed off, the skin feels soft and looks luminous. Mud is also an effective exfoliator. We like Pevonia Moor mud, used in the More and Moor treatment pictured here at Spa De Mer, Cronulla, NSW.

Call (02) 9544 4472 or visit www.spademer.com.au.

 

Words: Nikki Goldstein. Photography: Steven Chee. Hair & make-up: Angie Barton   Styling: Nadene Duncan.