Açaí, An Excellent Ally For Younger Skin
This small berry from the Amazon rainforest benefits the skin due to its richness in antioxidants and fatty acids, which help slow down skin aging.
The berries acai, pronounced in Spanish as “assai” are the fruit of a palm tree of the same name that grows in the Brazilian rainforest. For centuries the Amazonian Indians have used them as food and as a remedy against the most varied ailments, given the many therapeutic properties they have.
In recent years, the benefits of this berry have penetrated strongly in the United States and Europe when it has been shown that its extract has an extraordinary ability to slow down skin aging.
Although it has multiple names in American Spanish, such as manaca or murrapo, in most cosmetics it appears in Portuguese: açaí. It is also referred to as acai, asaí, or even azaí. When in doubt, however, its presence in the ingredient list can be verified by its botanical name: Euterpe oleracea.
How to cope with aging
The açaí contains active principles that make it unique in nature and very beneficial to prevent premature aging of the skin.
1. Antioxidants
It has antioxidants in amounts higher than those of other vegetables, such as vitamins A and C, but especially anthocyanins. In the orac classification, which measures the antioxidant capacity of foods, açaí leads the list among all fruits and vegetables, even ahead of citrus fruits, grapes and other red berries such as blueberries and raspberries.
In a cosmetic, antioxidants are capable of eliminating free radicals. These particles, which are very reactive, can react with any macromolecule in the body (DNA, proteins, fat molecules, hormones …), and become denatured, which is a health risk.
Free radicals are generated by physiological oxidation that occurs over time and is accentuated by certain habits. On the skin, its concentration can increase abruptly due to exposure to solar radiation, causing so-called skin photoaging.
The anthocyanins in açaí, responsible for its color, are so antioxidants that they not only capture and cancel free radicals, but are also capable of restoring and regenerating damaged and oxidized collagen fibers, which improves the skin’s turgor and appearance .
2. Essential fatty acids
The botanical name of açaí already indicates its fat content, almost half the dry weight of the berry! But its oil, in addition to being abundant, is of high quality, with a composition similar to that of olive oil.
Its main fatty acids are, in order from highest to lowest proportion, oleic, palmitic and linoleic. All of them are of great nutritional value for the skin and that is why açaí is included in both body lotions and facial creams.
3. Amino acids
Along with all the previous properties, açaí provides all the amino acids necessary for skin regeneration.
4. Tannins
Tannins, in addition to being antioxidants, have a great healing and sebum-regulating capacity. That is why the berry is useful for all skin types.
The effectiveness of the natural
Like any natural substance, this berry must be carefully collected and handled to preserve its properties. It is advisable to choose formulas based on vegetable oils with which they are in synergy and that optimize their effects, avoiding paraffins and synthetic derivatives that minimize them.
The natural cosmetics, respecting Berry, takes full advantage of its regenerative power.
