If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’ve tried Yay for Earth lotion for yourself. Upon first opening up your jar, you might have been drawn to the sunny yellow color, or the creamy buttery texture, or maybe you just dove right in immediately and lathered up your whole body with the moisturizing goodness. Whatever drew you to the lotion to begin with, by now you’re likely hooked and can’t imagine your skin without some Yay for Earth giving you that perfect dewy glow. But what exactly is it that makes this lotion so magical!? It’s all thanks to four simple, yet extremely nourishing ingredients (organic olive oil, local beeswax, organic Shea butter and organic pomegranate seed oil), along with leaving all of the additives out. Let me take some time to explain the benefits of each of these extremely nourishing ingredients, and help you understand a little more what makes Yay for Earth lotion so special.
Let’s start off with the olive oil. We source our olive oil from two small organic farms in California, one of which practices regenerative farming. Olive oil provides such an abundance of beneficial properties and nutrients, which is probably a large part of why people have been using it on their skin (mixed with beeswax, but we’ll get to that) since the ancient Egyptians, and probably long before that! Olive oil is about 80% moisturizing oleic acid (1), which is a substance that is easily absorbed into the skin, allowing our bodies to soak up all of those good nutrients, which is great for both dry and oily skin. It helps dry skin because of the moisturizing properties, and oily skin because over time, olive oil can help aid in proper skin oil production and minimize over-oil production, which allows the skin to produce the proper amount of oil day to day. Woo hoo! As a side note, I should add that there’s absolutely no evidence to suggest that olive oil is comedogenic, aka pore clogging, so olive oil itself will not cause any skin blemishes, unless your skin is sensitive to it.
Ok, but what are these amazing nutrients found in olive oil that I keep talking about? I could seriously dedicate an entire blog to discuss the nutritional benefits of olive oil, but for now we can focus on the biggies. As discussed, the moisturizing properties are clearly unbeatable.
Olive oil is naturally antibacterial, which helps to boost the skin’s immunity and over continued applications, can provide your skin with a defense system to a large amount of pathogens, many of which can cause acne and pimples (2). It’s rich in vitamins, has many antioxidant properties, and can help heal the skin (3). It’s extremely mild and gentle, so the majority of people don’t have adverse reactions to it. The list could really go on and on, but I think you’re catching the drift. Olive oil is a super food for your skin!
On to the beeswax. We source our beeswax from our sustainable beekeeper named Beth out of Colorado (read more about Beth and the farms we support HERE!). To start, remember all of that moisturizing goodness that comes from olive oil? Beeswax acts as a humectant, which means it seals in all of the moisturizing properties of the olive oil (and the pomegranate seed oil!), allowing your skin to stay hydrated all day. When applied to the skin, beeswax creates a thin protective barrier, which can help keep toxins and dirt away, but isn’t as heavy as petroleum jelly, which can clog pores. It’s rich in vitamin A and is naturally anti-inflammatory, which can help with any swelling or skin irritation (such as skin blemishes), along with aid in skin healing (4). Just like olive oil, beeswax has so many unbelievable beneficial properties; at this point we’re just scratching the surface!
Shea butter is next, and you guessed it; it’s extremely nourishing! Our organic supplier filters out any naturally occurring latex that is found in the kernel of any Shea nut. This is an extremely unique process and actually doubles the market quality of the Shea butter! Out of all four ingredients, Shea butter is probably the most moisturizing, as in its natural 100% organic form, Shea butter is a vitamin A cream, aka the queen of moisture. It’s proven to be extremely effective in treating eczema, reducing the appearance of wrinkles, treating sunburn, and so many more common skin conditions. Interestingly enough, the moisturizers found in Shea butter are the same moisturizers produced naturally by the sebaceous glands in our skin! What makes Shea butter different from other moisturizing oils and butters is its “healing fraction” aka the way it seems to magically heal skin. So those of you who know Yay for Earth to be the miracle healing cream for eczema, skin blemishes, scars, or any other skin issues, Shea butter is likely a large part of why your skin is so happy when using our lotion! (5)(6).
Last but certainly not least is the pomegranate seed oil. Our supplier specializes in providing all organic products through fair trade practices. By now you’ve caught the drift that the four ingredients in Yay for Earth lotion are basically magic, so it goes without saying that pomegranate seed oil is another miracle substance. Like olive oil, pomegranate seed oil is unique in the way that it is ideal for all skin types, from dry to oily and anywhere in between. It absorbs extremely well into the skin and doesn’t leave behind a greasy residue, so it’s great for dry skin, and it helps aid in skin regeneration, which is extremely beneficial for oily skin types. Similar to the other lotion ingredients, pomegranate seed oil is high in antioxidants, and actually has a comparable amount to that of green tea! Unique to the pomegranate seed oil is the high amount of ellagic acid, which can help prevent skin cancer and UV damage, therefore protecting against wrinkle formation. It also contains high amounts of punicic acid, which is an omega 5 fatty acid found in pomegranate seeds. This can help with skin puffiness and helps with skin repair and can also help to protect against the harmful UV rays. Let’s all give pomegranate seed oil (and all the other ingredients) a big round of applause (7)(8)!
And, *drumroll please*, that’s it! Yay for Earth lotion is made up of just these four nutrient-dense ingredients and is completely preservative and chemical free. We know it’s so unbelievably important as an individual to be informed about where each and every ingredient we put on our bodies comes from, and we’re so proud at Yay for Earth to be able to assure everyone that we source the best of the best with zero compromises. So go ahead, coat your beautiful face with some Yay for Earth lotion and let its enchanted ingredients work their magic <3
- Sophie Benfield
References
1. Tucany Diet
2. NCBI
3. NCBI
4. Skincare Org
5. Shea Institute
6. NCBI
7. The Best Organic Skincare
8. NCBI