INGREDIENT SPOTLIGHT: KAKADU PLUM
Kakadu plum is Kakadu Dream’s namesake and star ingredient. It’s a superfruit that has occasionally shown up in hair and skincare products in recent years, but we think it’s high time this little-known plant be introduced to the masses.
Tell me more…
Kakadu (pronounced KAH-kah-doo) plum is a fruit native to Australia, and it’s the world’s richest source of vitamin C - think 55 times more vitamin C than an orange, and five times more antioxidants than blueberries. It’s also a highly sustainable, socially responsible crop; kakadu plum has long been cultivated and harvested by isolated indigenous communities who use it for traditional medicine and healing. Incorporating this wild-growing tree into modern products and treatments creates jobs and helps to establish horticulture as a sustainable industry in remote areas - a beautiful added benefit.
That IS beautiful. But remind me why vitamin C is important?
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, and has been proven to build collagen and undo the damage done to digitally-stressed skin. Vitamin C is also important in food and diet, but is typically eliminated from the body before it reaches the skin’s dermis or epidermis. For this reason, topical vitamin C is skin’s greatest ally.
A bio-available and active extract of kakadu plum is found in every Kakadu Dream product. Kakadu plum brightens the complexion, reduces hyperpigmentation, and protects the skin from ongoing daily environmental stress. Additionally, gallic acid helps to restore the skin’s natural barrier, and is naturally antibacterial for blemish-free skin. Ellagic acid helps restore skin elasticity, and is a potent anti-inflammatory - crucial to treating micro-inflammation from daily blue light exposure.
Got it. Anything else I should know?
- Vitamin C can go by different labels in an ingredient list - ascorbic acid and ascorbyl palmitate, among others.
- Vitamin C should be included in a product’s formulation at at least 10% to be effective.
- Certain ingredients can help topical vitamin C travel to the deeper layers of the skin.
- Vitamin C can be difficult to keep stable and active; it should be stored in an opaque container that doesn’t let in light, and additional ingredients, like ferulic acid, can be helpful in increasing the stability of vitamin C.
- Vitamin C should be applied to clean, dry skin - and don’t forget the neck, chest and backs of hands!
Welcome to the Kakadu Club, Dreamer!