April 5, 2023 |
You’ve heard of adaptogenic mushrooms, coffee, bliss bowls and all that good foodie stuff, but you’ve probably never heard of adaptogen-powered beauty. Adaptogens are the new holistic skincare and beauty craze with the wellness sphere, that are tried and tested to last a lifetime – literally.
They’re more than just a fad, they’re an organic superpower referring to a group of plants and plant-based ingredients that work to ‘adapt’ the body to physical, biological and chemical stressors, especially affecting cortisol hormone levels and the body’s HPA axis. “HPA is a Hypothalamic, Pituitary and Adrenal Gland communication, which allows for the body to have a better response to stress,” explains Catarina Oliveira, co-founder of Herbar, the adaptogenic beauty brand leading the charge. Alongside her partner, Rui Liu, they are on a mission to expand, transform and uplift others, both topically and from within with these “plant powerhouses”, as Oliveira calls them.
Oliveira goes on to discuss how adaptogens have been “used for centuries, especially in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and by Traditional Indian Medical practitioners.” Liu jumps in: “Eastern medicine is really holistic. Instead of treating a symptom, it tries to find the root cause of the problem.” As a result, adaptogens – which are rich in antioxidants and natural stress regulators – are an ideal restorative treatment for anyone working in a bustling, fast-paced environment that find themselves prone to stress-related skin conditions such as acne, eczema and psoriasis. They’re also effective in preventing and slowing dermal ageing, reducing fatigue, improving immunity and even treating anaemia.
Despite their centuries-old history, “it was only during World War 2 that these plants were named ‘adaptogens’ by a Soviet Scientist,” Oliveira explains. The Soviets, and Dr. Nikolai Lazarev in particular, had been running experiments with the objective of advancing the physical performance of Russian troops – hence the term ‘adapt’ogen. What Dr. Lazarev discovered, was that ancient folk remedies – over amphetamines and other chemical stimulants – tempered the greatest impact when it came to overcoming fatigue especially.
Not all plants are adaptogens, however, nor are all adaptogens fungi. As Oliveira points out, in order for flora to be considered an adaptogen it must “tick three boxes”. Firstly, “it cannot have any side effects”, or cause any sort of adverse physical response. Secondly, it needs to bring the body into homeostasis, a normalised internal state that adjusts to changing external conditions whether psychological, physiological or extrinsic and restores normal physiologic function. “When you encounter a stressor, you have the alarm phase first, then the resistance phase and finally, exhaustion,” says Oliveira. But the third thing that adaptogens do is, “allow you to linger in that ‘resistance’ phase and never tip into exhaustion.”
Photography by Ramona Jingru Wang
Before Herbar, Oliveira came from a Sports Science background and was teaching up to 15 lessons a week within Berlin’s boutique fitness and wellness scene, working as the creative director of wellness for Lululemon. On top of all that she was training for a marathon and boxing on the side. So unsurprisingly, from this she began to experience adrenal fatigue and hormonal havoc. When the two founders met by chance at a health food cafe in Berlin in 2017, Oliveira was also exploring TCM treatments and herbalism studies. It was shroomy, adaptogenic concoctions that returned her body to a state of homeostasis and improved her performance and endocrine system.
Liu, on the other hand, had been studying for her PhD in nutrition and agriculture with an oncology focus in Arizona, when she started to sink her teeth into holistic wellness and adaptogens. There, with a mixture of excitement, a lack of routine and the constant consumption of gritty cafeteria food, she found herself faced with skin issues like never before. That was when she decided to follow her mother’s advice and turn to Traditional Chinese Medicine as the natural first step in her healing; balancing her body with chrysanthemum tea, jujube berries and tremella soup; readjusting her day-to-day diet to include home cooking, TCM, adaptogens and genuine self-care.
Herbar takes a preventative approach to wellness, as opposed to one that’s reactive. “We always focus on the fact that beauty is not just skin deep, and that for you to glow and feel good, it needs to start within,” says Oliveira. “We’re all about skin longevity,” Liu adds. “We don’t like to say ‘anti-ageing’, because everyone ages and ageing is good – it’s natural – but what we do is make sure that skin ages well.”
Photography by Nuno Vieira
In particular, Herbar uses Tremella, Reishi and Cordyceps Militaris mushrooms in its products, as well as Da Zao (an adaptogenic herb), Eleutherol Root and Rhodiola Rosea. Tremella mushrooms – the beauty mushroom – “are something called a Functional Analogue to hydrochloric acid. They’re proven to facilitate detoxification and hydration of the dermis at a sub-topical level, while moisturising and plumping the skin and enhancing its elasticity,” Oliveira explains. Basically, they draw moisture from the environment onto the skin, with the ability to hold 500 times their weight in water. Reishi mushrooms, on the other hand, are often considered the “mushroom of immortality” or of “longevity” as they’re often used to “reduce skin inflammation, puffiness, signs of ageing and free radical damage, while also promoting cell regeneration.” Like the Tremella, the Reishi is also a Functional Analogue, in this case to retinol or retinoic acid, as well as being an immunity-booster. Cordyceps are likewise associated with anti-ageing properties, have potent anti-inflammatory effects on bodily tissues and are extremely high in antioxidants.
Working hand-in-hand with Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners to help develop Herbar’s formulas, the Herbar Face Oil took almost two years to develop because, as Oliveira explains, “it’s incredibly hard to source these ingredients in cosmetics.” Aside from the topical treatment, they offer a range of Gua-Shrooms. Similarly derived from TCM, the Gua-Shroom (its name a spoof of ‘gua-sha’) is a tool to encourage lymphatic drainage for smoother and more toned looking skin. More recently, the holistic skincare brand also dropped its Skin Pearls: ingestible ‘pearls’ which “hone in on skin health, reducing fatigue, stress and boosting collagen levels.”
Photography by Cristiana Morais
All in all, adaptogens are something of a marvel. It’s genuinely baffling that their properties have managed to remain one of the best kept secrets in wellness until now. But alas, adaptogens are finally flowing into the mainstream – and for good reason. “Maybe we are one of the ones driving the train toward adaptogenic power in the beauty industry, but there’s a lot of people that will jump on this train,” Liu says. “I think after Covid-19 especially, there was this shift where people really started focusing on health and clean beauty, natural products and supplementation. Adaptogens are just going to be another ingredient that become a constant in these formulas.” So whether you drink your Tremella with your morning coffee or slather Reishi on your skin before bed, adaptogens are the natural companion to a calmer, healthier, more beautiful life.
Photography courtesy of Herbar.
Photography by Cristiana Morais
Graphic design by Kayla Homenok
