Irish Moss Skincare Recipes

Introduction

Skincare is a trending word at present because of the growing concern for skin health. Skincare is not just to look beautiful and fresh but a regimen to maintain the structure of the skin. Doing skin care regularly keeps the skin from drying up, or developing aging lines like wrinkles. But most of all, skincare protects the skin from sun damage which is very harmful to us. 

Sun damage can cause ranges of diseases, like [1]:

1. Sunburns
2. Melanoma
3. Cancer

Although skin cancer can only develop over time due to the oxidation of free radicals in the body due to too much sun exposure, it can be irreversible. 

The Skin

Skincare is not limited to the face. The skin is the largest organ of the body. It covers the whole body.

The skin has 2 basic layers that have their specific functions. These layers are:

1. Epidermis

   The epidermis is the outer layer of the skin. It has several layers more but its main function is for protection. The epidermis does not have much population of blood vessels in it as compared to the dermis. 

   Among the layers of the epidermis is the important stratum basale which contains the melanocytes. These are melanin-containing cells. They are responsible for giving the skin color. Likewise, they are responsible for absorbing UV rays from the sun. [2]

2. Dermis

The dermis is the inner layer of the skin. It is the body’s protection from the outside force. The dermis functions as a cushion for other structures in the body. Dermis likewise is an essential part of the skin for wound healing because it is more populated with blood vessels. 

Because of the presence of blood vessels in the dermis, nutrients of the epidermis is usually passed this way if not applied topically. [2]

Functions Of The Skin:

1. Outer covering
2. The first line of defense
3. Thermoregulator
4. Provides Sensation

Skin Care

But what is skincare?

Skincare is a routine way of caring for the skin. This is like washing your hair or brushing your teeth. Skincare is making sure that the skin, in most ways, remains healthy. Skincare functions as such that it helps the skin heal back to its appropriate age or even younger. 

Skincare can also be a way to treat spot problems like dry skin or sunburn spots. Skincare is all that is about taking care of the skin.

Why is skin care important?

Skincare is important because, as mentioned before, the skin is our first line of defense. It is also prone to developing diseases especially if it is always exposed to the sun. 

Skincare is not just to stay pretty and pleasing to the eye it is caring for the skin so that it does not develop any illnesses. The skin is as important as the heart or the brain because, without the skin, the body cannot function properly too. 

Trends

Because of the increasing attention to the importance of skincare in daily life, several types of research and health trends have been promoted to the market. The dermatology industry is a $13 billion industry. It promotes keeping the skin healthy. The industry range from head to toe treatments and health maintenance. 

These are some skincare trends popular in 2020 [3]

1. Inhalable
2. Microbiome
3. Customizable
4. Plant-base

Inhalable

Inhalable skincare is the more accessible and market-friendly version of psychodermatology. Psychoderma is a way of improving the skin using the connection of the brain and the skin. This appeals more to stress relief as a way to the revitalization of the skin. 

The inhalable trend is with the use of a diffuser. The diffuser releases a specific scent to relax the brain from any form of stress. Thus, not only helping clean-up the pores but also improve skin health quality. 

Microbiome

The microbiome is more to address the natural elements of the skin. The skin at some point is exposed to bacteria, and like the gut, has good bacteria in it. Microbiome aims to use this, already present, bacteria in the skin to help promote better skin quality. 

One popular microbiome is the use of prebiotics which is the food of probiotics (bacteria) in the body. Sea moss is a prebiotic-rich plant that is a highly recommended gelling agent. 

Customizable

Although it is good to have feedback on the skin care product before using them, it is still recommended to have a specialized or customized product because not all skin is the same. Customizable skincare products are usually those that are used by dermatologic clinics that require skin tests to create the most suitable product to use.

Plant-base

Aside from health, there is also a growing awareness of the environment. Many are fighting for plant-based options and cruelty-free products. There is also the demand for halal products, especially for women. 

Plant-based products are natural products that are rich in nutrients and have fewer preservatives. 

This is highly sought after by the vegan and whole-foods community. 

Aside from that, a plant-based option is highly recommended because it uses remedies that are mostly non-toxic to the body. 

Sea Moss For Skin Care

One of the emerging plant-based and microbiome recommended plant is sea moss because of its natural properties that are very helpful to the skin. 

Likewise, because it is the best plant to use as a gel which is essential for the nourishment of the epidermis which has only a few blood vessels.

Application

Sea moss gel is used as:

1. Face mask
2. Bathing gel
3. Scrub base

Irish Moss Skincare Recipes

Irish moss skincare recipes usually use sea moss gel. It is the best form of sea moss for skin care because it is odorless and very easy to apply. 

How To Prepare Sea Moss Gel

Sea moss gel by Earthbal

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup Sea moss
• 6 cups warm water 
• Juice of 1 lemon 

Directions:

1. Wash Sea Moss thoroughly and soak in warm water overnight.
2. Blend to puree and store in a well-sealed container in the refrigerator
3. Use 4 Tbsp of the paste to make a cup of sea moss drink or more for other purposes.

Once the sea moss gel is done, the next step is to prepare the natural skincare product. 

Sea Moss Face Mask

The Irish Sea moss recipe as a face mask is simply

1. Applying the sea moss gel to the face
2. Wait for it to dry up. It is estimated to take 20 to 25 minutes for sea moss to dry up.
3. Wash up and apply a thin layer of moisturizer

Observable changes over 5 days of continuous use. 

Sea Moss Mineral Bath

Ingredients

1. Sea Moss Gel
2. Organic Essential Oil
3. Sea Salt

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, put all ingredients together
2. Mix until well incorporated
3. Store in an airtight container

How To Use

Mix sea moss mixture into a hot water bath and stir well until fully dissolved. Bathe in the water for healthier glowing skin [4]

Sea Moss Body Butter

Another use of sea moss is to moisturize and hydrate the skin through the use of Body Butter. Sea moss plus other ingredients have natural revitalizing properties that make the skin far more nourished than just any normal lotions. 

The body butter is quite recommended for skin treatment because the epidermis has fewer blood vessels and often time gets its nutrients topical-way.

Ingredients

• Sea Moss Gel
• Coconut Butter and Oil
• Aloe Vera Gel
• Almond oil 

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl
2. Whip until hard peeks

Note: Sea moss gel should be well-drained and without any extra water because this can ruin the butter texture. 

How To Use:

Apply body butter after every shower. Do not worry that sea moss may smell fishy. Properly prepared sea moss gel, following Earthbal’s recipe, erases the fishy smell in sea moss. Plus, adding it to coco oil and butter makes all the fishiness go away. 

Summary

The skin is the largest organ of the body. It protects the body from external damage and makes sure that normal temperature is maintained. The skin is also responsible for maintaining a good amount of fluids in the body.

Skincare is the way of rehydrating and solidifying integral properties of the skin to avoid damage. Skincare also repairs and protects the skin from sun damage which can ultimately lead to skin cancer and other skin diseases like melanoma.