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Things are progressing quickly with our exciting new Asian Rhizomes range of skincare products. Previously we took a look at lesser-known plai root and ginger lily, with their amazing anti-inflammatory properties and historical use in ayurvedic practice. Now it’s time to take a fresh look at the big hitters of the rhizome world.

Ginger: you know it, you love it, you probably eat it quite frequently. Perhaps you’re partial to drinking it in an infusion. But did you know about the benefits of using ginger directly on your skin? It’s less well known in Western cultures as a topical application but we’re on a mission to change that. In common with plai root, ginger is known to have anti-inflammatory properties. When used in direct contact with the skin in our carefully formulated natural products, it can decrease inflammation and help to keep skin calm, fresh and clear. You also know that as we never use synthetic chemicals in our products, our ginger skincare really does what it says on the bottle.

Ginger root: Zingiber officinale

Turmeric, also known as Haldi, is a frequently used spice in Indian cookery. It also has brilliant skincare properties and is used by some Indian brides to promote beautiful, healthy skin for their wedding days. Traditionally used mixed into a clay face mask, more recently the potential antioxidant properties of turmieric’s active constituent circumin are being investigated. Antioxidants fight UV skin damage by protecting against free-radicals which are responsible for causing signs of premature aging like wrinkles and fine lines. Combined with a good natural sunscreen, turmeric really could help to protect your skin from sun damage all year round.

We can’t wait to share the first sneak peeks of our new Asian Rhizomes skincare range with you: visit our instagram and facebook pages for more info.

We’ve got some incredibly exciting new products in development at the moment. Although the official release date is still a few weeks away, we can’t bear to keep everything totally under wraps. Our luxurious new skincare range will be based around the beneficial properties of the Asian rhizomes ginger, turmeric, ginger lily and plai root.

The benefits of ginger and turmeric are fairly well recognised outside of Asia already – not to mention that they’re a delicious way to brighten up your dinner! – but plai root (Zingiber cassumunar) is little known outside its native Thailand. Used in Thai remedies and massage therapies for hundreds of years for its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, Plai essential oil has very high levels of terpinine-4-ol, which is the constituent in Tea Tree considered to give that oil its antimicrobial properties. It’s traditionally used to calm painful muscles and tendons. We’re also delighted to report that plai has a delicious, earthy scent with a clean camphorous base. Even though it’s closely related to fiery ginger, plai root has a cooling effect to the skin, and we just cannot wait to put it to work in our delicious new products.

Ginger Lily: Hedychium coronarium

Ginger Lily, or Kapoor Kachari as it is known in Hindi, is an Indian plant that yields a thick yellow essential oil. This root has a long history within Ayurvedic practice and the oil has been traditionally used to support the respiratory system and for its antifungal properties – oh and also to keep hair thick, luscious, and smelling delicious! It has a bolder scent than plai – fresh and earthy, with camphorous and spicy undertones. Keep your eye on our twitter and instagram feeds for further announcements about the new Siam Botanicals skincare line – coming soon.

Are your favorite skincare ranges really natural and organic? Are you being misled by dubious claims about the ingredients in your skincare products? Many cosmetic manufacturers include words on their packaging such as ‘botanical’, organic, with natural extracts etc. They combine these with imagery of fruit and herbs and natural landscapes, to trick you into thinking you’ve chosen a truly green product. Skin care products that claim to be natural and organic often include synthetic detergents, preservatives and colorants or may have been cultivated, extracted or collected in ways that are harmful to our environment, as reported in this recent article!

‘Prince Charles stung by Camilla’s bee facial.’

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/prince-charles-stung-by-camillas-bee-facial-8j6csrzfg

We are all too familiar with the countless images and videos of the plastic pollution in our worlds oceans that we see almost daily. But did you know that is not the only thing that is harming our marine environment? Complex chemicals in our sunscreen are washing off into the oceans and can be linked to coral bleaching.

Statistics state that there are currently between 6,000 and 14,000 tons of sunscreen being washed off and then entering our coral reefs each year. This is a noticeable amount considering that you only need a concentration of 62 parts per trillion, which is the equivalent of a drop of water in an Olympic swimming pool, to cause toxicity in the ocean. – www.seagoinggreen.org

But we need to protect our skin from the suns rays right? Correct! We can all make a small switch to an oxybenzone-free, natural sunscreen and do our part for the coral reefs.

Siam Botanicals Mineral Sun Protection contains zinc oxide which creates a natural barrier, helping to protect the skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays. It also contains apricot kernel and black cumin seed oils to provide additional face care benefits.