If there’s one product in the Urban Protect Skincare line that gets people talking, it’s our Day Oil.
It’s an exquisite face oil, beautifully light and luxurious, which instantly illuminates with pure gold flakes.
We’re often asked though, why Gold?
The assumption is sometimes for impact, and whilst it is visually beautiful, the gold is a critical ingredient.
Almost every race throughout history has coveted this precious metal for jewellery, currency and as a statement of wealth. It’s also been prized as a skincare ingredient since the ancient Egyptians, when Cleopatra was reputed to sleep in a pure gold mask.
Queens and princesses throughout the ages have used flecks of gold in their skincare to aid their glow and maintain their royal visage, but it’s only recently that we’ve started to understand its clinical benefits:
Improves Cell Turnover:
Gold promotes an electron transfer between itself and the metal ions in your skin to stimulate your vascular system, leading to improved circulation.
This increase in blood flow brings nourishment to the skin and removes waste more efficiently, leading to faster cell turnover and a visibly fresher complexion
Reduces Signs of Inflammation:
One of the key signs of pollution-led skin damage is inflammation. Gold is an anti-inflammatory that reduces the signs of stress on the skin and eases reactions to toxins. It’s especially effective at targeting micro-damage in those with redness, acne scarring, rosacea and sunburn.
Protects Against Free Radicals:
Environmental pollution leads to constant attacks from free radicals on the skin’s dermal layers, which end up depleted of anti-oxidants as it tries to defend itself.
Gold works effectively as a coat of armour to deflect the attacks and allow the skin to focus on healing itself.
Slows the Ageing Process:
By providing consistent protection, the skin can focus on replenishment and rejuvenation. It rapidly returns to healthy turnover and production processes, leaving it looking younger and with an improved glow.
Treats Sun Damage:
When you get a colour in the sunshine, it means that melanin has flooded the surface of the skin, which has been damaged. Gold can help to slow the production of melanin and reverse the signs of damage as a result.
What You Need to Know:
Some skincare brands offer their gold as ‘Nano-particles’. As you can read in this article (link to SPF piece) we avoid the use of these micro-particles in our skincare.
This is because there is significant evidence that any product with particles that penetrate beneath the surface of the skin may lead to a toxic build-up. The formulations they have the be suspended in can also be allergenic and irritating.
Instead, we’ve combined pure gold flakes with brightening and tone-correcting potent Vitamin C and restorative Argan Oil. This combination acts as a sealant against pollutants letting the gold do its protective work most effectively.