What is Herbalbright Complex and how does it work?

Our Herbalbright Complex™ is our proprietary blend of brightening botanicals.
Packed with powerful antioxidants, these plants work synergistically to help improve the appearance of sun damaged skin. We include a very special blend of alpine plants, found in the higher altitudes of our Cascade Mountains and herbs that grow in the tender valleys west of those mountains, with some potent lemon peel bioferment

Natural resveratrol (present in Japanese Knotweed), licorice and lemon peel bioferment help brighten and even skin tone. Local expert wild harvesters in Oregon gather Japanese Knotweed each year. This invasive and very beneficial plant is abundant in the valley west of the Cascades. A natural source of resveratrol, Japanese Knotweed protects our skin from the ravages of ultraviolet rays and environmental stressors.

Licorice Root Extract: To round out this potent blend of powerful plants, we add licorice root extract that's widely used for skin lightening.

Lemon peel is fermented with lactobacillis, creating a brightening effect without the photosentizing effects that citrus usually has.  help brighten and even skin tone.

 

SO, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE HIGH ALPINE PLANTS

Alpaflor® Gigawhite™ is a blend of plant extracts that we purchase from a high-tech lab in Switzerland. These plants grow high in the mountains. This special natural extract is the result of a research program in which about a hundred plants were selected for their tyrosinase-inhibiting capacity.

Let's Nerd Out For a Minute

Tyrosinase is a group of enzymes that contributes to our skin's pigmentation process. It is a vital part of the body as it produces melanin that protects your skin from UV damage. However, this often brings with it skin issues like dark spots and pigmentation. Enter some exciting alpine plants and the brilliant researchers who identified them.

Dopachrome fomation was measured using a spectrophotometer. Of the hundred plants tested, 15 were selected for their in vitro tyrosinase-inhibiting activity and were subsequently tested on cell cultures. In the cell cultures, 7 plants manifested even greater tyrosinase-inhibiting activity.

These are active not only on whole cells (with their membranes) but also on cell lysates (the membranes having been destroyed). It was this discovery that led to the development of a blend of extracts that the researchers and lab now call "Alpaflor Gigawhite". The plants were combined in a proprietary and synergistic ratio maximizing its activity and producing an even more effective compound. In in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo tests, Alpaflor Gigawhite has an effect on the tyrosinase-inhibiting mechanism involved in melanin biosynthesis.

The 7 plants are:

• Mallow [ Malva sylvestris ]
• Peppermint [ Mentha piperita ]
• Cowslip [ Primula veris ]
• Lady's Mantle [ Alchemilla vulgaris ]
• Common Speedwell [ Veronica officinalis ]
• Lemon Balm [ Melissa officinalis ]
• Yarrow [ Achillea millefolium ]

Here are some helpful graphics supplied by the folks who created this natural blend of plant extracts.

I really love it when I meet other plant nerds who really dive deep into their research and especially when they understand that plants are their most active when they're grown organically and extracts are made using natural and gentle methods. This particular blend of delicate, yet hardy alpine plants is extracted into a simple blend of pure alpine water, alcohol and vegetable glycerine. We make these kinds of extracts in our own lab. It's a simple process of soaking the plants in the water, alcohol and/or glycerine and then filtering them out after several weeks.

We purchase this particular extract directly from the lab in Switzerland because they have very expensive testing equipment to guarantee the potency of each plant and the resulting extracts. I really value the work they do and how well this extract works on the skin. If you've tried our Ultra C Serum, you already know how well it works to brighten the skin, even after many years of sun damage.

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