Spotlight On: Moringa

Moringa is more than just a fun word to say…(aaaaaaay Moringa!), it is also an incredible new ingredient for skin care fanatics.  According to the August 2008 issue of Lucky magazine, the flowers, leaves, and roots of moringa are edible and the oil of moringa is “an amazing moisturizer and antioxidant…it leaves hair shinier, skin soft and hydrated.”

Science validates the claims about moringa.  According to this 2007 French study, moringa has hydrating and antioxidant properties that make it beneficial for the skin and the hair.  This 1996 study in Plant Physiology and Biochemistry suggests that moringa oil may have some anti-tumor growth activity, an amazing property moringa shares with many other antioxidants.  And moringa’s anti-carcinogenic activity was again suggested in this 2003 study.

While moringa is available in numerous products, here are a few of my favorites:

• The Body Shop Body Butter in Moringa ($20.00, Amazon.com).  A shea butter formula complete with a fairly good concentration of moringa, I love the dual hydrating properties!

  

• Fresh In-Flight Face Kit with Moringa ($130.00, Amazon.com).  A kit that keeps skin fresh, hydrated, and shielded from free radicals all through those oh-so-drying flights (recycled air, gross!).   Best of all, the small bottles are easily transported, and the mask doesn’t need to be rinsed off!  Loooove it!

For more on natural extracts, please visit the following pages:

• Acai in skin care!
• Pomegranate in skin care (a personal favorite!)
• Why natural skin care is often overhyped (although moringa is not )

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