THE PARSLEY SOLUTION
The Aesop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant skincare range.
Parsley’s slow germination is expressed in the saying “Parsley seed goes nine times to the devil”. Nevertheless, its seeds bring about skincare benefits.
Australian brand Aesop believes that parsley-seed oil with antioxidant properties can help strengthen the skin of urban dwellers facing increasing PM2.5 levels.
Featuring seed oil and other botanical ingredients, the Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant range has been updated with new products to better defend the skin from pollutants as well as the stress of city life.
In the past decade, research on PM2.5 found that its toxicity is due to environmentally persistent free radicals that can last several months, whereas other atmospheric free radicals typically have short lifetimes.
Accumulation of the free radicals in the body generates oxidative stress, which plays a key role in the development of chronic and degenerative illness as well as skin-ageing. The free radicals are counteracted by antioxidants, which have become a staple in cosmetic formulations.
Aesop has loaded nine antioxidant ingredients and nourishing fatty acids in its Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Facial Treatment — a viscous oil that can be massaged into the skin three times a week or mixed into a moisturiser to intensify hydration.
Ideal for warmer climates, Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Hydrator is a light fluid that delivers antioxidant hydration for those with normal, dry and combination skin. The medium-weight serum in an aloe vera base is suited for oily skin while the rich, buttery cream caters to dry skin.
The Melbourne-based brand also emphasises purifying the skin from pollutants, through a cleansing oil rich in fatty acids, a gel-based cleanser with exfoliating lactic acid, and a claybased masque enriched with oils of rosehip and evening primrose seeds. Through different scents, the Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant formulas also provide aromatherapy to help urbanites de-stress from a hectic life.