The quest for flawless skin is often also the quest for pure ingredients. But there may be room for a bit of the exotic, too. Say hello to your new skincare secret: dragon’s blood.
Whether or not you’re a Game of Thrones fan, there’s a mystique to a plant that’s earned such a weighted moniker. Though its biological name is Croton lechleri, it’s best known as dragon’s blood for its rich, red sap that resembles blood (not just that of a dragon).
According to Medicine Hunter Chris Kilham, people of the Amazon have long relied on dragon’s blood to treat skin conditions. From the frequent bug bites, stings, wounds, and rashes common in the jungles, to other ailments that can cause redness and swelling.
“Dragon’s blood contains a broad range of naturally-occurring compounds, many of which have been well studied. The sap is rich in protective antioxidant phenols, and anti-inflammatory compounds of various kinds,” Notes Kilham, who says the dragon’s blood sap helps to protect the skin’s cellular structure by repairing collagen. It’s also antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal, that dragon’s blood seems to be a multipurpose skincare ingredient on the same level as aloe vera—perhaps even more stellar.
So, what does this all mean for your skincare regimen?
That ability of dragon’s blood to boost collagen can work like forming new skin, which, may mean good news for your wrinkles (or bad news, depending on how you look at it).
While there’s no magic trick to getting rid of wrinkles and fine lines outside of plastic surgery, repairing collagen can help to plump up the skin. Combine that with reduced redness and healing blemishes, dryness, and redness, and you’re well on your way to looking—and feeling—younger.
And, it gets better, too. According to Kilham, if dragon’s blood is sustainably harvested, and if “the people who do the hard work of tapping Dragon’s blood trees in the Amazon can earn a decent wage,” then, he notes, “everybody in the system benefits.”
Want to give dragon’s blood a try? Check out our dragon’s blood cleanser.
