Main Biological ingredient: Helix Aspersa Müller GlycoConjugates
The list of ingredients in BIOBALM is displayed below in the order of concentration in the final product. The ingredients in our other balms are mainly the same as in BIOBALM plus botanical adaptogens or other natural ingredients that yield specific benefits that are described fully in the product's page. (Rhodolia Rose Root Extract - Licorice Root Extract - )
Helix Aspersa Müller GlycoConjugates is a biological compound produced inside the cells of the snail of the aforementioned species. We gather it from live snails as they produce them, and we immediately homogenize and stabilize it to avoid hydrolysis of its enzymes and proteins.
The biological active is embedded in liposomes. Those are microscopic "fat" vessels that are food for cells and are thus readily taken in by the them carrying the ingredient within the nucleous of cells and triggering the proliferation of fibroblasts, the cells that give rise to connective tissues and all the structures present in the skin matrix.
The compound is a complex of biological molecular structures: proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans, enzymes, copper peptides, antimocrobial peptides and oligoelements (Copper, Zinc, Calcium, Iron some of which act as coenzymes).
Other ingredients - added to transform a fluid into a cream, and with complementary benefits.
Knowing how to understand a list of ingredients is hard, but even if it doesn’t detail specifically what percentage of each ingredient was used to create the product, it is a far more reliable source of information than the product's specifications and claims. Thus, further below we take a detailed look first at the organic ingredient and then at the rest of the ingredients we use, mainly to transform a viscose fluid that regulates the orchestrated regeneration of damaged skin cells and protects the skin, into a gentle balm with enhanced moisturizing properties.
The full ingredient list is: (1) Water; (2) Olive Oil emulsifier, surfactant, and squalene derivatives that replenish the lipid content of the skin blocking the penetration of allergens and toxins and act as antioxidants; (3) Helix Aspersa Müller Glycoconjugates, the richest biological adaptogen for healthy skin yet known, created by a living creature to function as a biological antimicrobial, inflammatory-moderator, antioxidant, moisturizer & trigger of scarless healing & skin regeneration; (4) Rose Hip Seed Oil; (5) Bee Balm, Monarda Dydima, a native american botanical for its adaptogen or immune support properties; (6) Hyaluronic Acid moisturizer a naturally occuring skin substance capable of holding more water than any other known hydrator; (7) Glycerin; (8) Seaweed Extract a rich source of oligoelements that are necessary for cellular growth, (9) Panax Gingsen Root Extract for its adaptogen properties; (10) Licorice Extract a botanical adaptogen with powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-irritant effects. It is good for sensitive skin, and helpful in dermatitis; (11) A balanced and safe preservative made with Phenoxyethanol and Ethylhexylglycerin; and nothing else.
The BIOLOGICAL Ingredient
Further below we look first at the biological ingredient and then at the other ingredients we use, mainly to transform a viscose fluid that regulates the orderly regeneration of damaged skin cells and protects the skin, into a pleasant cream-gel or balm with enhanced moisturizing properties.
The primary element in all our products is the serum produced abundantly by land snails of the species Helix Aspersa Müller whenever they are stressed. Stress makes them produce a gluey liquid element to shield, hydrate, heal and renew its skin. This is also secreted by the snail for many other natural functions, albeit with a different molecular arrangement or a diverse proportion of its molecular components. The complex elements the secretion encloses have been thoroughly studied and you can read all about them by following the links under the title Helix Aspersa Muller Secretion.
How do we collect this rich substance? We use a method that is completely inoffensive for the snails, while it allows us to gather it PURE as it is abundantly being secreted by the snails, and undiluted in water to avoid the destruction of its enzymes and other molecules by hydrolysis.
Hydrolysis: A chemical response in which water reacts with an element to produce other compounds; involves the splitting of a bond and the addition of the hydrogen cation and the hydroxide anion from the water and results in the formation of one or more new compounds that do not have the same properties of the original substance.
We also embed the organic ingredient in a liposome, a microscopic, liquid-filled pouch whose surface is made of layers of phospholipids identical to the ones existent in cell membranes. Liposomes are employed to distribute certain vaccines, enzymes, or drugs (e.g., insulin and some cancer drugs) to the body. Liposomes attach to cellular walls and seem to combine with them, delivering their contents into the cell. Sometimes they are taken up by the cell, and the phospholipids are incorporated into the cellular membrane while the ingredient (glycoprotein enzyme) it contained is discharged.
Human skin secretes several lipophilic substances which play an important role in the preservation of the skin. Chemically seen, these substances belong to the group of lipids, though they show differing structures: glycerides and free acids, cholesterol and its derivatives, esters with fatty acids and long chained alcohols, polar lipids of differing natural, saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons. All in all a complicated amalgam of complex processes.
Rose Hip Seed Oil source of Trans Retinoic Acid
(precursor of Vitamin A)
Rose Hip Seed Oil is extracted from the seeds in the hips of a native wild rose that grows in southern Chile. It has been used for centuries in South America for its remarkable healing, moisturising and rejuvenating qualities. It aids cell regeneration, boost levels of collagen and elastin, creating a smoother, firmer skin. It also helps to reduce pigmentation, raised scars and stretch marks by promoting healthy skin renewal - it is effective even on old scars. When applied to the skin daily it protects from free radical damage, associated with the harmful influence of sun, weather and ageing.
Rosehip oil contains high levels of essential fatty acids: oleic, linoleic, and linolenic, which help maintain healthy skin, act as anti-inflammatory and nourish the skin with lipids that are necessary to fortify the outer skin barrier and protect the body from the penetration of allergens and toxins. Rose hip oil is also a natural source of trans-retinoic acid (a natural precursor of vitamin A) and acts as a keratolityc which ditches dead cells and speeds skin turnover, as trans-retinoic-acid in prescription drugs but without any of their side effects.
RoseHip Oil was first studied in 1983 by a team of researchers from the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacology at the University of Concepcion in Chile, to evaluate the oil's effect in the skin regeneration process. During the two-year study, the oil was applied to 180 patients with surgical scars, injury scars and post-burn scars, as well as to a group suffering from premature aging. It was found that Rosehip Oil produced an effective regenerative action on the skin, helping to attenuate scars and wrinkles, preventing advancement of premature aging, and regaining lost color and tone.
Olive Oil Extracts
BIOBALM ™ has been crafted to transform a liquid with cell-communicating ingredients and organic activators of skin renewal into a product that also moisturizes, replenishes and stabilizes the lipid content within the intercellular skin matrix by using all biological emollients, emulsifiers, surfactants and nourishing extracts obtained from Olive Oil, hydrating Hyaluronic acid, and humectant Glycerin.
The olive oil derivatives are: emulsifier Peg-4 Olivate, surfactant Sorbitan Olivate, and moisturizing Squalene.
Squalene is not only a biological moisturizer; is also a biological component of the skin and is considered a good emollient that has antioxidant and immune-stimulating properties. It helps dry skin feel and look better.
Squalene from Olive Oil - Hydrating Agent & Skin Component
Squalane is not only a biological hydrating agent but is also a biological component of the skin and is conceived as a good emollient that has antioxidant and immune-activating properties. It helps dry skin look and feel better.
Sebum provides the normal lubricant of hairy and non-hairy skin. It keeps the skin supple and creates a protective { fungicidal and bacterial |bacterial and fungicidal coating on the skin and in the pilosebaceous apparatus. This fatty cover helps to maintain moisture on the skin surface. Squalane is naturally present in the human sebum, as can be seen from the following:
When human fat is separated from skin lipids, its main composition is:
| Free fatty acids | 5% |
| Glycerides | 50% |
| Waxes | 20% |
| Squalene | 10% |
| Other hydrocarbons | 5% |
| Cholesteryl esters | 4% |
| Cholesterol (free) | 1% |
| Other sterols | 1% |
| Other substances | 4% |
Squalane is a bland vehicle, with the unusual ability to augment the depth, rate, and extent of penetration of topical agents such as those natural in our products.
Squalane is a biological emolient. It gives the skin a firmness without an unpleasant greasy feel. It quickly composes emulsions with fixed oils and lipophilic substances and does not oxidize nor turn rancid. When applied to washed or sun exposed skin and hair, squalane helps to restore the lost oils. It has long been known that coating the skin with oils offers considerable protection from sunburn because of a strong absorption band in the UVB radiation region (280–320 nm) that responsible for sunburns.
Squalene is also the name of a deep sea shark (centrophorus artomarginatus) that lives in waters 600 to 1000 m deep, with no sunlight. How can they live in such hard conditions, where pressure is consistently high and oxygen supply is very poor?. The secret lies in their livers, which represent for 25% to 30% of their total body mass. In 1906 Dr. Tsujimoto of Japan discovered the shark liver compound, which was later known as Squalene, with a chemical formula (C30H50).
Chemically Squalene is an unsaturated hydrocarbon, which can produce oxygen by combining with water. Squalene has been greatly investigated and, as an oxygen carrier, found to play a fundamental role in maintaining health. Dr Noguchi once said that "the cause of all illnesses is lack of oxygen". A curious trait of the shark is its apparent immunity to cancer and disease. Once believed a foe, a primitive and powerful hunter of the deep, the shark is now being heralded as a lifesaver. This unique fish which has stayed structurally unaltered for 400 million years may provide us with the biological resistance we need to deal with many of our most common modern diseases from colds to cancer. An alternative source of Squalene is olive oil, which has been traditionally known for its health benefits.
Hyaluronic Acid - The Fountain of Youth
Hyaluronic acid as pure and concentrated as we use it, is a glycosaminoglycan present in the intercellular matrix of skin where it has a conservative, structure balancing and shock-absorbing role.
Hyaluronic Acid is normally found in the joints, the deeper layers of skin, in foetal skin and in the umbilical cord. Medical graded Hyaluronic Acid is usually helpful to diminish the incidence of post-operative adhesions, as a viscoelastic agent in intra-ocular surgery, also as a synovial replacement fluid; and is used to facilitate the healing and regeneration of surgical wounds.
The unique properties of Hyaluronic Acid make it the ideal moisturizer. Hyaluronic Acid plays a crucial part in tissue hydration, lubrication and cellular behavior, and has the ability to hold more water than any other biological substance. Its incomparable hydrating properties produce augmented smoothness, softening and decreased wrinkles.
Hyaluronic Acid has also proven to give excellent results in the reduction of dryness, itching and burning of the skin. It offers a perfect environment for the reproduction of new cells and healing following skin peels.
Hyaluronic Acid is a major component of the extra-cellular matrix that circumscribes quickly dividing cells. It has been demonstrated to be an integral factor in the rapid and scarless wound healing seen in foetal and neonatal tissues. Moreover, the cellular actions precipitated by Hyaluronic Acid are integral to the apparently magical chemical processes of foetal development.
It is well documented that foetal tissues have large amounts of Hyaluronic Acid and that decreasing Hyaluronic Acid quantities correlates with aging and wrinkling. Therefore any practical attempts to extend and recapture youth by revivifying damaged tissue should consider the inclusion of this molecule.
Glycerin - Humectant
The products contain glycerine which is a humectant. This implies it has the ability to take water right from the air bringing it closer to your skin and promotes the retention of water. It helps enhance the skin's defences by filling in the intercellular matrix and attracting just the right quantity of water to maintain the skin's homeostasis whilst helping the other skin lipids act better. Glycerin is a product derivated from the saponification process of vegetable fatty acids.
Comment: an ample range of ingredients aids skin retain water (moisture). Glycerin is one of the more typical and useful water-binding agents used in cosmetics.
Some water-binding agents can imitate the skin's real structure and can be of benefit in a formulation; these include ceramide, mucopolysaccharides, cholesterol, elastin, glucose, proteins, sucrose, sodium hyaluronate, glycogen, collagen, amino acids, phospholipids, sodium PCA, polysaccharides, glycosphingolipids, glycerine, hyaluronic acid, fructose, lecithin, and glycosaminoglycans. No single one of these is favourite over the other because even though they are all efficient, none of them can permanently modify the actual structure of skin.
Preservative
Preservatives in general and the controversial chemical parabens in particular have had a bad press so we had to address this issue carefully for it is not trivial for a natural skin care product that has to be safe, and not only when it is manufactured and on the shelves but also while it is being used and may be exposed to contaminated fingers.
Among the many classes of ingredients used in the formulation of household and personal products, few have undergone more scrutiny than preservatives. Whether the assault comes from ill-advised legislators, self-serving “natural product” marketers or chemophobic consumers, preservative suppliers have had to defend their product category with vigor and develop new systems when the market demands it.
The preservant we use to protect our products from bacteria, yeasts and moulds, is a self sterilizing skin-friendly pH-stable system that combines a widely used, globally-accepted preservative (including Japan), phenoxyethanol, with a proven preservative-enhancer, ethylhexylglycerin, instead of controversial parabens.
Phenoxyethanol is an organic bactericide compound considered one of the least irritating cosmetic preservers with none of the controversial side effects of parabens. It provides a broad spectrum of anti-microbial activity against both gram–negative and gram-positive bacteria, as well as yeasts and moulds. It is soluble and its activity is effective for our protein-based product and it does not react with the copper in the biological substance.
Ethylhexylglycerin reduces interfacial tension on the cell walls of micro-organisms, promoting their more rapid destruction and a broader spectrum activity.
Phenoxyethanol and Ethylhexylglycerin are synthetic ingredients derived from plants, and as many other synthetic sources they start as natural because everything comes from our environment; nothing is created via alchemy. We have yet to see any cosmetic that is "all" natural. Some synthetic ingredients are awesome for your skin, and regardless of the protestations of cosmetics companies to the contrary, every cosmetics product in the world contains its share of synthetic ingredients.
Final Results
The final result is products that contain ingredients that are antimicrobial, shield the skin from the effects of stress and solar radiation, hydrate, heal and renew the skin plus ingredients that imitate the intercellular environment of skin and are essential for helping skin function naturally.
Intercellular substances are those compounds that exist normally in the skin and work to hold the skin cells together. Factors like dry environment, inflammation, sun damage, irritation, stress and age can all highly reduce the presence of these substances in skin.
Combining those intercellular substances from the snail serum with other natural active ingredients and moisturizers helps maintain the layers of skin whole, resilient, and in great physical shape, for they provides all the materials the skin needs to protect itself from contamination, hazards, stress and events that trigger an inflammatory reaction from within our body.
Our products are made in a state of the art Cosmetic Laboratory in the USA, based on Helix Aspersa Müller GlycoConjugates collected in Chile, and botanicals from reliable sources.
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BIOBALM is a 100% natural skin care balm and adaptogen for the skin. Great as a night cream. It is also an intensive skin healing balm that relieves very dry skin, eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, skin rashes and rosacea. Suited for the routine care of sensitive skin prone to allergies and to soothe any parched and thirsty skin. Dissolves damaged and abnormal tissues, triggers skin regeneration and is a powerful antioxidant. |
These properties work quickly and effectively to treat a vast range of skin problems. This healing balm soothes and aids relief from drying out of flaky skin, rashes, irritations and allergies, itching and inflammation whilst also being effective on rosacea, eczemas, psoriasis and dermatitis. |
BIOBALM includes a NATURAL BIOLOGICAL GLYCOCONJUGATES COMPOUND that functions as an adaptogen and also dissolves damaged and abnormal tissues, triggers skin regeneration and is a powerful antioxidant; sweet LICORICE extract, a botanical adaptogen with powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-irritant effects; plus ROSE HIP OIL, a natural source of both trans retinoic acid (Vitamin A) and essential fatty acids: All those act in synergy with HYALURONIC ACID a deep moisturizer, and PENTAVITIN a carbohydrate moisture retainer, to rescue, repair and restore sensitive, dry, irritated skin back to health and vitality.
It is excellent as a first aid treatment for minor cuts and burns, including sunburn, stings and bites, chapped nipples and nappy rash. Heals wounds and scars, including the scarring of chicken pox, ulcers and is good in the treatment of skin affected by rosacea and stress.
