Thursday Plantation Tea Tree and Manuka Honey Clay Mask Ingredients Explained

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Sunscreens containing bentonite display higher water resistance and stay on the skin for much longer. The sunscreens containing bentonite also show higher potency and UV light absorbtion.

Bentonite is naturally created from volcanic ash and several natural weathering/hydrothermal processes.

A common usage of bentonite is removing excess protein from white wines. Bentonite contains a property of being able to absorb large amounts of protein from aqueous solutions.

Phyllosilicate clay has a structure formed by sheets.

The humectant property of honey makes it great at helping to hydrate the skin. Humectants draw moisture from the air to your skin.

Honey may help reduce the signs of aging due to its antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help protect your skin against free-radical molecules. If left unchecked, these molecules may damage your skin cells and DNA. Fun fact: darker honey is a antioxidant than light honey.

The antibacterial property of honey may make it effective at helping to treat acne. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.

Many people wonder if honey is vegan. It is technically a byproduct from bees. This is because honey is created from the digestive enzymes in a bee's stomach.

Remember to be kind to bees :) They are important for many ecosystems and are endangered.

The antioxidants in chondrus crispus help fight free-radical molecules. These molecules may damage skin cells and DNA. Antioxidants present in chondrus crispus include lutein and zeaxanthin.

Lutein has the ability to filter blue light from screens.

Other contents of chondrus crispus include polysaccharides, peptides, and amino acids. These help hydrate the skin.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Tea tree may cause sensitivity and irritation for some people. This oil naturally contains fragrance such as linalool and limonene.

However, research shows irritation usually occurs when using pure tea tree oil and not in cosmetic products.

Tea tree oil was found to help relieve the symptoms of psoriasis in one study.

Tea tree oil is toxic when ingested. Another study showed it to caused damage to the nervous system of dogs and cats when applied to their skin or given orally.

This ingredient is most effective at a pH range of 3.8-4.2.

This ingredient helps sooth, hydrate, and protect the skin. The starches in colloidal oatmeal are able to bind water, keeping the skin hydrated.

The cellulose and fiber in colloidal oatmeal help reduce inflammation. This can also help the skin feel softer.

Colloidal Oatmeal is also an antioxidant. Antioxidants help stabilize free-radical molecules. These molecules may damage skin cells.

Avenacins found in colloidal oatmeal have anti-fungal properties. The saponins have a cleaning affect.

Overall, colloidal oatmeal is great at providing the skin with moisture and help sooth irritation. It also protects the skin in various ways.

This honeysuckle is native to East Asia and used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat fever and inflammation.

Allantoin is derived from the comfrey plant but produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.

Papaya is also a rich source of antioxidants. Antioxidants protect your skin against damage from free-radical molecules. This may help protect against signs of aging. One antioxidant present in papayas is lycopene.

Papaya also contains Vitamin A, also known as retinol.

While papaya is used as an ingredient to help lighten skin, research is limited on this.

The seeds of papaya have been found to have anti-fungal activity.

It also influences our skin's natural acid mantle and pH, which protects our skin from harmful bacteria.

Our NMF is formed from amino acids, lactic acid, sugars, minerals, peptides, and electrolytes. As we age, our NMF naturally depletes. Other sources of NMF depletion include harsh and drying ingredients such as denatured alcohol. Sodium lactate can help replenish our NMF, leading to more hydrated and plump skin.

High percentages of Sodium Lactate can have an exfoliating effect.

Sodium Lactate is produced from fermented sugar.

Antioxidant components in chamomile make it an effective ingredient to help slow the signs of aging. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules, or molecules that may damage your skin.

Essential oils from chamomile have been found to improve wound healing due to its antimicrobial properties.

Ancient Greeks and Egyptians used Chamomile to treat skin redness and dryness. Chamomile has also been used to help treat stomach issues.

Wakame prefers cold and temperate oceans. It is used in Japanese and Korean cuisine (yummy!).

As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Not only does it help exfoliate the skin, it helps strengthen the skin's barrier. When applied, lactic acid helps the skin create ceramides.

Lactic acid is an over-the-counter chemical exfoliant that comes from the fermentation of lactose — a carbohydrate found in milk.

Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here: