Aloe, I Love You

Aloe, I Love You

For far too long, wonder plant aloe vera has been relegated to a staple of summer skincare, and summer skincare alone. But just because it has the magic touch when it comes to too much time in the sun doesn’t mean you should forget about it when the temperatures drop.

That’s right: aloe can benefit your skin just as much during the winter as it can during those longer, warmer summer days (that seem eons away right now as the sun sets at 4pm). Read on for the lowdown on aloe and how to take advantage of all it has to offer as the frost creeps over your windows.

What is aloe vera, anyway?

It’s a plant! A succulent, to be precise, that tends to grow in dry, tropical climates and has been used medicinally for centuries. When it comes to skin benefits, we’re interested in the clear gel that fills the plant’s leaves we’re interested in.

And what makes aloe vera so special?

Well, aside from the aforementioned CENTURIES OF USE and the fact that ancient Egyptians called it the “plant of immortality,” aloe vera gel is rich in vitamins A, B, C, D and E, as well as minerals like magnesium, potassium and zinc. It’s also full of polysaccharides (hydrating, anti-inflammatory, protective) and phytosterols (soothing, acts as a humectant aka keeps moisture in rather than letting it escape), and auxin and gibberellins, two hormones that provide wound-healing and anti-inflammatory properties, stimulating the growth of new skin cells.

Each of these alone is good for your skin but together, in one single substance, they work magic. Seriously. Not only does it have cooling properties that can soothe irritated or sun-exposed skin, it just generally rocks at reducing all types of dermal irritation and inflammations (couch cough acne and eczema cough). Those vitamins and minerals work to replenish skin when it’s missing something, which is especially true if what your skin is missing it moisture.

Ok, you’ve convinced me. How do I get to the good stuff?

You’ve got a couple of options. If you’re something of a green thumb and already have an aloe plant growing in your house (they’re very easy to take care of, I promise) or property, you can harvest the gel yourself. Look for one of the bigger, fatter leaves and pull gently but firmly from the base. Once the leaf is free, slice away the thorny edges, cut it open length-wise and use a spoon to scrape the gel away from the leaf. Put that stuff in a container and stick it in the fridge.

Not into the idea of manual labor? Many grocery stores carry large, pre-cut aloe leaves in the produce section that you can just slice open. And if that’s still too much, buy some that’s pre-cut and packaged. Just make sure the product is 100% natural with no added colors, fragrance or alcohol. (The ingredient label should read “100% aloe vera,” full stop.)

Now that I have some fresh aloe vera, how do I use it?

Let me count the ways!

Mask:

For the simplest option, take a filleted leaf and just rub that sucker directly onto your skin as a mask. You’re welcome.

Spot treatment:

Picked a zit or dried one out with a topical treatment and can’t stand the dry, patchy skin left behind? Dab fresh aloe gel onto the spot to help moisten the cells and get them plumped back up. Alternatively, if you’re battling a fresh, painful spot, consider freezing the aloe vera gel in an ice cube tray, then rubbing the frozen stuff on the inflamed area to calm it down.

Shave:

No, seriously. It may feel sticky but aloe vera gel is actually the perfect consistency for a natural, DIY shave gel that won’t gunk up your razor blade. And it’ll hydrate and condition skin while you’re shaving. And if you nick your skin during the process, you can use any leftover gel to speed up the healing process on the wound.

Scrub:

DIY your perfect body scrub using aloe vera gel as a base. It’ll lend a nice consistency to the scrub and hydrate while being applied. (Consider mixing it with an exfoliating ingredient like brown sugar and one that will help with slip, like almond or coconut oil.)

Serum:

Fresh aloe has a seriously high water content, making it a near-perfect serum for oily skin that doesn’t play nicely with oil-based serums. After you cleanse, simply apply the gel to your clean face, then layer a moisturizer right on top to help make sure the goodness of the aloe is fully absorbed.

 

Free People Blog

Wellness That Anyone Can Bear

Wellness That Anyone Can Bear

It’s a match-a made in heaven… Three friends joining forces to bring their energy game into one of the most fun frontiers we’ve ever seen… Anyone for matcha gummies??

Adam, Ben and Jahangir have a cute story, maybe as cute as the gummy bears they’ve created. 

One night, late at the office, Adam (an Aries) thought to himself, “wouldn’t it be great if I could have matcha in a gummy form?” So he contacted his friend from high school, Jahangir (a pharmacist and Leo), and they brainstormed a few possible ideas to bring to the public. Enter Ben (a Scorpio), and the men worked to bring their idea to the market as a daily supplement for people to gain the benefits of green tea in a new, easily accessible formulation.

That’s where the journey began. Matcha Bears was born the day after Adam’s revelation. Talk about acting on a good idea quickly.

What did the first Matcha Bear taste like? Was it immediate perfection?

The first matcha bear samples were very sweet and slightly grainier. We conducted multiple revisions and taste trials to make sure we had a perfect combination of flavor and strength. 

The most important thing that we had ensure was that our proprietary blend didn’t contain gelatin. This was paramount to us.

For those of us who don’t know, what are the benefits of imbibing matcha?

Amongst its many health benefits:

  • Matcha is packed with exponentially more antioxidants than any other superfood, and also contains a high concentration of chlorophyll which helps detoxify the body.
  • Matcha contains EGCG, which helps burn calories 4 times faster than normal and it is known to lower bad cholesterol. Matcha boosts your energy levels throughout your day!
  • And to top it off, matcha contains L-theanine, the amino acid that provides the mind with focus, improved cognition and calmness, giving you a peaceful state of mind.

Why bears?

We are a playful, fun, and approachable brand. The shape of our gummies as bears embodies this idea of being accessible by a wide variety of audiences. We want to bring Matcha to everyone. Bears are joyful, playful, and loving, and this is what our company’s core values represent. Also, we just love gummy bears! So, why not!

Best and worst advice you ever received:

The best advice we ever received was to stick to our original plan and idea of creating the first ever Matcha Green Tea gummy bears and not to give up on the company, despite the criticism and slow acceptance of a new green tea formulation.

The worst advice we ever received was to give up on the brand and close the company because the world is not ready for matcha green tea gummies, that they would just be another “fad.”

Is it easy being green?

It is not easy being green. In order to make a “green” product that is healthy for consumers, we refused add any harmful products, like gelatin, to the proprietary blend. It might have benefitted us in the sense of producing better imagery, vibrant-colored gummies, and better taste. However, if we went down this path we would lose our main focus and shift away from bringing a healthy and beneficial gummy to the market.

What’s in Matcha Bears’ future?

We are working on a few more flavors that will be released this year. Each of these new flavors will have health benefits for different indications and are currently being researched and developed by our highly-trained staff of scientist bears, and we can’t wait to share them with our consumers!

 

Free People Blog