Back to basics
Grown Alchemist products bank on active ingredients to deliver cellular-strengthening effects. but a good facial mask should be able to do both. You need exfoliation and hydration. The trick is to decide on the level of both processes,” he says.
Pollution, unhealthy food and stress will show on the skin, Muijs says, so eliminating toxins from the skin would increase cellular function which translates into healthy skin cells.
BUILD AS YOU AGE
Muijs compares cell health with the loss of muscle mass after a person is 35. “Just like muscles, skin loses its collagen mass as we age and the lack of collagen mass makes skin less bouncy.”
“So we use natural peptides and protein in our products to trigger the production of collagen,” he says.
While other skincare labels are focused on the use of botanicals, Muijs says the skin needs a more targeted approach with active ingredients which will deliver results.
“Botanicals can only do so much. You need to up the game and use active ingredients that your body can recognise to deliver the best results for the skin. And having nutrient-driven products makes the products even more efficient.
Grown Alchemist looks at skin holistically. It has a lab where experts from different disciplines — including herbologists, cosmetic chemist and nutrition dermatologists — work hand-in-hand to create products the human body can identify with.
“If you keep things in line and the products natural, in ways that your body can recognise — just like how it can recognise nutrients in natural foods as opposed to manufactured ones — then the cells will be in a much better shape and the body will be healthier.
“We want to create that moment when you get asked, “What have you done to your skin?” because, let’s face it, when we face the world and other people, it is our skin that gives the first impression and healthy skin is one of the best assets you can have and cultivate,” he says.
We aim to do two things — create healthy skin cells and activate their functions. How your body absorbs nutrients depends on how healthy your cells are. If they are not healthy, even the best ingredients won’t work.