I hadn't spent much time experimenting with some of the more exotic ingredients until very recently. I heard about Edelweiss first in The Sound of Music, then again a couple of months ago while talking with one of the gang here, about a product that she had tried. Of course, we are trying to figure out which active ingredient we want, and how to get it! Apparently, it is really popular with women who enjoy North European spa treatments. I bet you can find a spa in your area that has anti aging treatments featuring Edelweiss Extract.
Edelweiss extract comes from Edelweiss flowers, which are short lived perennials. Edelweiss is a German word which means noble and white. The Edelweiss flower is found at altitudes which range from 1,700 meters to 2,700 meters, general in areas with light soil, good drainage and southern exposure.
In ancient times the Edelweiss flower was sought after by men who wished to prove their bravery. Because the flower grew at such heights and was often on cliff sides and in dangerous areas many people were known to have been injured, or even killed in pursuit of this flower, which led many men to wear it in the lapel as sort of a badge of honor. Of course, the fact that the Edelweiss flower was the favorite of the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife, the Empress Elizabeth also gave it prestige. The flower became so popular among hikers that the governments of Austria, Germany and Switzerland took steps to protect it in certain parts of the Alps. Today Edelweiss is grown on many continents and is no longer in the danger it once was. It became even more popular however the 1960's when a song called Edelweiss in the popular stage play and film The Sound of Music sang its virtues and beauty.
For centuries Edelweiss extract has been believed to have positive health effects. Edelweiss teas have been popular as well as use of Edelweiss extract in hot milk, often sweetened with honey. Diarrhea and dysentery were two ailments that it was believed Edelweiss extract could cure. People also believed that it could help fight ailments such as diphtheria and tuberculosis. Today research by the pharmaceutical industry indicates that there was something to these ancient beliefs. Used in high quality anti aging and anti wrinkle cosmetics.
Edelweiss extract is used in ancient folk remedies, and is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Modern scientific analysis has revealed the presence of ultra violet light absorbing chemicals, artifacts of its high altitude environment, making it an effective, natural and organic additive for sun block. Pharmaceutical researchers also are interested in the way some chemicals in the plant prevent amplification of oxides, tied to the aging process.
1 comment:
Is this extract likely to cause allergies? I'd love to try it, but plant extracts often irritate my skin.
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