by Stephanie Winn
Deep within the European Alps lays an active volcano that inspires fear and awe in millions of visitors each year. What few would guess is the fountain of fiery lava also serves as the locals’ Fountain of Youth. For centuries, natives of the mountainous region have used the fine powdery ash left by lava as a skin tonic. Combining the powder with water and olive oil, they would create a simple lotion that offered skin benefits from soothing a baby rash to keeping mature skin looking ageless.
Modern cosmetics providers are starting to catch on. Laumontite from volcanic ash—a powdery white mineral—is finding its way into skincare products. As the Europeans once combined the lava ash with oil and water, modern skincare providers now blend laumontite into serums and creams.
Lava begins underground as pure magma that emerges from deep within the Earth. It erupts on the surface first as red-hot lava, and then cools into an ashy mineral called zeolite as it meets ocean water or land. Laumontite is a lightweight form of zeolite and is chosen for its purity.
Negative Ions
Laumontite helps to reverse the visible signs of aging in several ways. It gives off negative ions—one of nature’s most powerful, though invisible, healers. Negative ions permeate the air abundantly in natural sanctuaries—near a waterfall or the ocean’s pounding surf, for example. Negative ions, when inhaled, are associated with a wide range of health benefits. These include a boost in mental performance; enhanced immunity; accelerated delivery of oxygen to cells and tissues; increased serotonin in the blood; and, by extension, relief from both depression and physical pain. Machines that charge the air with negative ions are becoming widely used in homes and businesses.
Since the skin is even more efficient than the lungs at taking in negative ions, when the ions are diffused into the skin—for instance, through the use of laumontite in skincare products—cell metabolism becomes more efficient, speeding up the repair of damaged tissues. Pores and sweat glands open up to release toxins; and at the same time, cells’ capacity to absorb and utilize oxygen is sped up. Negative ions help to reinforce collagen in skin cells, building resilient and youthful dermal tissue. And in one study, negative ions helped burn patients to recover more quickly, indicating negative ions may offer powerful skin-healing properties.
Unique Mineral Properties
Laumontite is a good source of two minerals that are vital to dermal health: calcium and silica. Calcium speeds up cell turnover and helps protect skin from the elements by strengthening the lipid barrier. Silica, one of the Earth’s most abundant minerals, is critical to building healthy skin, hair and connective tissue. Silica helps lock moisture into skin cells, preventing the signs of premature aging.
Laumontite also offers unique purifying properties. Its honeycomb-like structure allows it to serve as a molecular sieve, aiding detoxification by removing the impurities of modern living. All this serves to firm and tighten skin, diminish the appearance of wrinkles and help reduce the signs of aging.
Natural Preservative
Laumontite also acts as a natural preservative, extending the shelf life of products. Therefore, a product containing laumontite doesn’t need the synthetic chemical preservatives that many modern cosmetics are filled with. Companies such as Lavakiss Co. have created lava-inspired skin care lines that eliminate the use of synthetic chemical preservatives. Many health concerns are associated with chemical preservatives found in beauty products. Parabens, for example, have been linked with skin irritation and even increased risk of breast cancer. Formeldahyde is also a known human carcinogen, and many preservatives either contain formeldahyde or cause the body to release it; on product labels, perhaps the most commonly seen of these is DMDM hydantoin. Glycols, commonly used in moisturizers, have been associated with birth defects, as well as damage to reproductive organs, liver and kidneys.
The Next Wave in Skin Care?
Laumontite can lend anti-aging formulators a new ingredient that boasts negative ions, skin-repairing minerals and purifying properties, and can serve as a natural preservative. It can be used in creams, cleansers, soaps and cosmetics. The Fountain of Youth is just an eruption away.
Stephanie Winn is a freelance writer with diplomas in yoga and Ayurveda and a B.A. in environmental studies. She lives in Santa Cruz, Calif.
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