Earthworms: Anti-Aging Skin Care Miracle or Super Gross?
Charles Darwin was the first scientist to identify the necessity of earthworms—citing that every living thing on Earth once passed through the digestive system of an earthworm. Whether they give you the willies or not, they’re some of the cleanest creatures on the planet, and a new skincare product says worm castings (a.k.a. worm poo!) are actually beneficial in an entirely bizarre way… they do wonders for your skin. Seriously.
Plants grow best in soil with a healthy worm population. They breakdown nutrients so they’re more easily absorbable by the roots, so it may not be all that surprising that earthworms have been shown to improve the health of skin, too. Organic farmers, who often have thriving worm populations (as opposed to conventional farmers who use pesticides and fertilizers that kill worms) have experienced relief from skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema after being exposed to a “worm tea” made by mixing castings with water.
Wrinkle Butter is a new product claiming “anti-aging” skin benefits through their exclusive blend, which uses earthworm castings. The addition of earthworm castings to their product includes a high dose of naturally occurring copper peptides, humates, auxins, kinetins and cytokinins reported to stimulate healthy cell growth, collagen production, firming of skin, hydration and uptake of nutrients, all while fighting those free radicals.
No, it doesn’t smell like… worm poo, according to the company. The castings are sterilized and made into an extract. Plus, they’re blended with an aromatic natural organic base of mango butter, shea butter and cocoa butter. “It immediately makes skin firmer, softer and much more elastic. Customers have also reported relief from psoriasis and eczema symptoms as well,” says Wayne Perry, Head of Development for GSC Products, manfucaturer of Wrinkle Butter.
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image: thefixer
