Maple & Tallow Body Butter
Maple syrup embodies Spring, however the flavor and scent provide so much comfort in the fall. I've been needing a little boost lately, so I pulled out some Maple water from the deep freezer that I put aside during syrup season to sip on this winter.
Maple water (maple sap before its boiled down to syrup) is a super food you can find right in your own backyard 😍 Maples dominate the hardwoods up here, and the sap that runs in the spring is such a gift.
Maple water is the ultimate electrolyte drink. This water collects nutrients stored in the tree all winter. It's incredibly wholesome water. Because of the electrolytes and minerals, it hydrates our bodies quickly and helps fix depletion we experience in the winter, especially with manganese and calcium. Its ability to quickly hydrate us makes it great to have, especially for workouts or high intensity activities, like hiking. It's also been studied and found to have a high antioxidant content, as well as zinc (great immune support) and 46 bioactive compounds. Other studies have shown it helps improve VO2, which is the amount of oxygen you're able to consume. Maple water is full of prebiotics, which in turn support your gut and digestive processes. Think of it as coconut water, but it's better 😜
Now, what's even more interesting is that this Maple water has some huge topical benefits, too, as does maple syrup! This shouldn't have been a surprise, as the Maple tree has been used as a healing tree for centuries. But it was! And the more I dove in, the more excited I got. There's actually studies in the works right now showing promise for maple sap extracts used topically as an alternative to botox 😅 Maple sap, leaves, and bark have all been studied pretty extensively over the last 20 years. Researchers focus on the phenolic compound in Maple, which has shown promise in inhibiting elastase- therefore reducing wrinkles and lightening age spots. They've also found Maple to be a wonderful anti-inflammatory agent for the skin. This has shown promise in reducing a wide variety of skin ailments, from eczema to acne. Maple sap is incredibly soothing to the skin. It's rejuvenating and healing. All one could ask for in skin food 🥰
For this body butter, I've incorporated an incredible amount of maple sap, a touch of maple syrup lending a gentle sweet scent, skin friendly probiotics, a powerful antioxidant complex THD Ascorbate and a base of Tallow.
THD Ascorbate is an incredibly stable (no risk of oxidation) oil soluble form of vitamin C that is non irritating and so gentle. The fatty acid structure allows it to penetrate the skin better. Having vitamin C in your skin care truly takes the product to the next level. Protecting your skin from free radicals, aiding in collagen production, and so much more. The added probiotics shield the skin from bad bacteria and parasites, allowing it to protect you from many common skin ailments
Having the Tallow base provides methods our ancestors used, The original skincare. Tallow penetrates deeply into the skin, providing incredible unmatched hydration. And almost equally as important, its lipid composition locks in moisture. Tallow is an abundance of fatty acids that fortify the skins natural barrier
Now, if you're new to the topical Tallow world, here's a little bit about the why. Tallow for the skin is nothing new it was the original skin care, and for good reason. This is what our ancestors used and is time-honored. It's so soft, light, and fluffy and smells fantastic. During our healing journey, we've experienced such tremendous healing from animal products. I could go into story after story with you, all backed by time-honored traditions. That's why we started making the herbal bone broth, the magic marshmallows, and incorporating tallow into our products. I decided to really dive deeper into this and pursue what excites my heart. Most natural products we use on our skin these days are filled with inflammatory PUFAs, which are unstable and can be toxic to the body. Tallow, on the other hand, is far more balanced and offers stability and slows oxidation. Tallow is also loaded with bioavailable nutrients, both for your skin and internally. Let's go down the rabbit hole of polyunsaturated fatty acids - aka PUFAs.
Most of our favorite skin care products are made with PUFAs, and they're touted to be anything and everything for our skin. I've certainly used plenty of them for myself, for my family, and in products. They have so many great qualities, and I'm not going to sit here and say they're all bad, but moderation is certainly key as with everything. Essentially, the issue with PUFAs is that they are incredibly unstable and this leads to oxidation (damage and deterioration) when they're exposed to light, heat or air (so, anytime they're on our skin). Their molecules have double bonds, rendering them weak and easily broken. So why does any of this matter? Well, when these oils on your skin oxidize, it creates a free radical cascade, which damages what may have been previously UNdamaged lipids in your skin. PUFAs have now been identified as the main culprit of cellular damage. In fact, there have actually been studies done of internal use of PUFAs vs not, and how quickly the individual consuming PUFAs skin starts to get damaged and deterioration sets in, because what you eat affects your skin too.
This is why I've made the transition (however, surprisingly we were already using relatively no PUFAs) to only using MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids) like Jojoba and SFAs (saturated fatty acids) aka Tallow!! SFAs have no molecular double bonds, which means there isn't any opportunity for oxygen to squeeze in and oxidation to occur. Some other SFAs you've been seeing us utilize are Lanolin, Cocoa Butter, and things like that.
Now, what about the Tallow and Ghee products to be used internally. Well, there's a whole laundry list of benefits, but also, the nutritional value is astounding. The amount of bioavailable vitamins and minerals that these time honored foods have is incredible. Did you know you don't get hydrated from water? You NEED minerals with it. Your body can't absorb your water intake without minerals. That's why I always go on and on about Nourishing Herbal Infusions. But, having a diet high in vitamins and minerals is so important in staying hydrated, which also results in hydrated skin.
