If you think copper, silver and gold are found exclusively in your wardrobe or jewellery box, think again. Some metals are actually great for skin when applied topically. For that reason, many natural skin care brands don’t shy away from using them in their formulations. Below, we explain why metals can now also be found in your bathroom cabinets and how they can be used in organic skincare.

Silver For Spot Prone Skin

Known as nature’s powerful antibiotic, silver eliminates bacterial infections without initiating resistance. Thanks to its powerful anti-microbial effects, it was also praised by Hippocrates, the “father of modern medicine”, for its tissue repair and wound healing abilities over 2500 years ago.¹ Silver can kill many forms of viruses, fungi, and moulds and has been used in medieval times to treat battle wounds and infections. This makes it ideal for spot-prone skin.

If you are worried about silver toxicity, do not panic! Levels of silver in the natural skincare products we sell are below the level to cause problems. In fact, percutaneous absorption through intact or damaged skin is low. You want it to be working its anti-bacterial action on the surface of the skin if you have blemish prone skin. You can find it in the products below:

For face:

Amly Blend No. 1 Radiance Boost: The key ingredient in this mist is silver-rich spring water, making it the ideal natural skincare tonic for acne prone skin. Spray throughout the day.

As for cleansing, May Lindstrom The Honey Mud Cleansing Silk containing colloidal silver is one of our favourite luxurious treats for skin.

For body:

The Crystal Liquid Roll-On Deodorant from Live Native merges the anti-bacterial properties Tea Tree, Colloidal Silver and Potassium Alum in a powerful vegan anti-odour natural skincare formula.

Copper For Anti-Ageing

It’s your skin metal of choice if you’re after plumper skin and softer lines. A natural antioxidant, copper plays an important role in maintaining healthy skin. It helps the development of collagen and elastin, which maintains your skins’ strength and promotes the production of skin-plumping hyaluronic acid. Copper is a cofactor for lysyl oxidase, an enzyme involved in collagen synthesis and superoxide dismutase (SOD), an antioxidant enzyme that neutralises free radicals. ² A copper peptide which has become popular in natural skincare was found to improve skin elasticity, firmness, and thickness while reducing wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and photo-damage. ³

For face:

Try the Amly Blend No. 1 Radiance Boost Face Mist which has copper peptides for skin-firming.

Gold For All Skin Types

A beauty elixir since ancient times, Cleopatra herself is rumoured to have used face masks made of gold to help preserve her beauty. Gold is said to have anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities, making it useful in wound healing and anti-ageing. The ions present in gold help stimulate cells in your body, which lead to higher metabolism, improved blood circulation and secretion of waste. A very precious metal in every sense of the word!

Read More: How to Do Organic Metallic Make-Up
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REFERENCES

1. Alan B. G. Lansdown – “A Pharmacological and Toxicological Profile of Silver as an Antimicrobial Agent in Medical Devices” Advances in Pharmacological Sciences, Volume 2010 (2010), Article ID 910686, 16 pages
2. Skin Wrinkles and Blemishes,  University of Maryland Medical Centre
3. Peptides and Skin Health, Oregon State University
4. Marion Wolf; Paul C. Wheeler, MD; Lester E. Wolcott, MD “Gold-Leaf Treatment of Ischemic Skin Ulcer” JAMA. 1966;196(8):693-696. doi:10.1001/jama.1966.03100210063016.