Why You Should Probably Be Slathering This Smoothie Ingredient On Your Skin

Yesterday, I decided to start enjoying morning smoothies again.  A few years back, morning smoothies were my favorite activity of the day.  It was the easiest way to pack a multitude of nutritional products in one, easy to consume, beverage.

via @supanovaslam

I peeked in the cupboard where I keep all of my smoothie approved ingredients.  Sitting near the back was a large bottle of powdered chlorella. After reaching for the bottle, I noticed that it was nearly full.  A feeling of dread came over me once I realized that it was well past its expiration date.

Soon, my fears were confirmed.  Engraved under the bottle was a "use by date" of 2016.   I was screwed.  There was no way I was going to risk consuming this potentially expired powder.  But, perhaps there was another, much better, use for my super chlorella powder.
I searched the internet for answers.  Before I knew it, I was supplied with answers on how to salvage my stockpile of powdered chlorella.

According to a published study, chlorella is actually a powerful skin beautifier. And I'm not just talking about the benefits of taking it internally.  When applied topically, chlorella has the ability to impact the skin in so many amazing ways. But one result in particular really caught my attention.

The participants in the study were given a cream containing 1% dermachlorella (a solution of water & chlorella).  Eleven women asked to apply their chlorella cream 2X a day for 84 days.  At the end of the experiment, all the noticeable benefits were measured.  And the results were very good....

source

Basically, chlorella changed their lives. But more specifically, they experienced measurable changes in the following areas:

• A "lightening" of dark circles under the eye.
• Improvements in lymphatic drainage/increased circulation.
• A decrease in the deep pigment of stretch marks by 32% after 84 days.

That's just some of the few highlights.  What I'm most excited by is the impact of chlorella on the firmness and tone of the skin.  Specifically, the 1% solution of chlorella increased collagen expression by over 150%.  As expected, this increase of type 1 & 3 collagen resulted in improved firmness and tone.

Well, that's all I needed to hear.  

The plan now is to convert my the dark green powder (once allocated only for smoothies) into an anti-aging, skin loving mask.  Because it's in powder form, chlorella can easily be blended into a clay mask.  All I have to do is mix in a little Aztec clay, some manuka honey, apple cider vinegar, and I'm all set!  

The women in the study applied chlorella in a cream form which means that the green algae was absorbed through the skin topically.  This is probably why there was such an impact at a cellular level.  So I have to find another way to apply it.  Right now I'm even considering adding a tiny sprinkle of chlorella powder into my super-hydrating emulsion to boost its skin enhancing intensity.

Today I gave it a try and, much to my surprise, the dark green powder easily melted into my facial lotion.  Once I rubbed my chlorella cream in, it sunk deep into my skin.  With the naked eye, I could see no traces of green tint on my face.  This is a big deal because this means that I could possibly recreate some of the elements of the study.  I'll proceed with caution to make sure that my skin reacts positively to being exposed to such a powerful detoxifier.  But, overall, I'm really looking forward to slathering on my new superfood moisturizer and I'm excited about the wonderful results ahead.