A superfine material, whether you view it in the luster of its cloth or refer to it in metaphorical grandeur for its texture residing in shiny, shimmering attributes, silk is a versatile product of the natural world. Derived from the cocoons of the silkworm larvae, this is a material that draws from its brilliance of the aesthetics to assert its expanse of use across every single thing that is visual first and other types of the sensual later. Like its sought after sheen in the domain of fabrics, from luxurious sarees to royal wedding dresses to even handkerchiefs and scarves, the lustrous quality of the fiber renders it also a utility that makes it conducive for use as beauty products. Think silk scrunchies that are coveted in their hair bettering prospects, the same quality of silk that renders it also favourable a material in your choice of pillowcases to nurture your hair while you sleep away a luxurious night on it. Not just hair though, the application of silk in the realm of the beatific extends also to other parts of the body, your face and skin and therefore is just about the most wholesome beauty ‘nutrient’ there ever will be.
A popular additive in both skin and hair care formulations is silk as protein in powder form, processed enough to have it bonding well with the essential, fragrant oils, colours and base materials that any makeup and skincare product comes steeped in. An ideal protein enricher, silk powders set about to work in improving the quality of your skin both visually and essentially through a host of effects it has on the texture and feel of it. Be it impacting the complexion of the skin by helping retain its natural moisture levels so that you glow and shine in a more refined tone or in smoothing out the skin texture by reducing the visible number of fine lines, this is a skincare ingredient that doubles also as an effective makeup module for delivering perfect beauty to your skin.
What makes silk powder so versatile an element in the beauty world, irrespective of its lesser known about domains as compared to its persistence as a natural protein, is its ability to both retain and release moisture depending on the requirement, that is to say in accordance with the humidity and temperature of the surroundings. Often included not just in such beauty products that deliver the final touch of finesse to the look but also in base items like facial primers that which prepare the face for the superior art of makeup to follow. Rendering therefore a soft and smooth, silky appearance and feel to the skin, both in its naturality as well as in sustaining the makeup look, silk powders also work in other ways to ensure that the skin looks more glowing and young. The powder infused makeup products also help capture excess oils from the skin and minimises the visibility of enlarged pores, working therefore in an allrounder way to deliver a look that radiates in a natural light.
Additionally, the glossy properties of silk that retain their own even in powder form endows the skin with a sparkle, a natural shimmer, when applied as means of makeup or even as base ingredients like creams or moisturisers. Water soluble and fine textured, this fine yellowish or pinkish powder is derived by synthetically grounding down natural, high quality silk, followed by processing of it to deliver all the amazing benefits of silk in powder form, even when it is can also be formulated into liquid agents. Boasting a chemical composition that is very close to natural human skin and hair, silk powder and its associated forms of protein power makes them therefore a wonderful source of nourishment and maintenance for both.
The benefits of silk powder for skin have been harnessed for centuries now, finding incorporation within the realms of traditional Chinese rituals as well as Ayurvedic medicine for its nourishing benefits, both for beauty and wellness. Its healing properties saw this superfine powder find use as an after massage element for rejuvenating skin in earlier times, as well as a natural remedy for sunburn. Laden with antioxidants that help reverse the oxidative damage caused by free radicals thereby providing relief from inflammation, hyperpigmentation and dullness, the soothing properties of silk powder make it also an effective natural protection against the harsh damage the skin endures under the effect of the sun in summers. An exceptional alternative to the summer staple of talc therefore is silk powder, that which is a finely pulverised form of silk derived through the application of sophisticated technologies that helps retain its chemical properties and physical structure.
Even in lightening your skin, whether it be the tone or the scars that come to embody it for a wide variety of reasons, silk powder spells exceptional benefits. It also helps increase cell metabolism and reduce inflammation resulting in a ‘calmer’ tone of the skin, radiating and glowing all through in health, happiness and beauty. The fibroin content of silk, and therefore of silk powder is what makes it so miraculous an agent of skin and hair care in humans, coming loaded with 18 kinds of amino acids and trace elements essential to the human body.
As regards to hair as well, the many benefits of silk powder holds good. It helps to strengthen the hair, while lending it a shine and smoothness that is in sync with what it does to your face and body. Of course, silk powder does all these by means of making its presence felt in the range of products through which it works, specifically incorporated in to cosmetic systems to allow a ‘pure silk’ marketing claim, used to convey luxury and sensorial benefits. Apart from this widely known repertoire of skin and hair care products, silk powder also makes for a component in other items of the beauty and style world, including lipsticks and perfumes and shampoos.
While the use of powdered silk in the modern world spans across at least a century, it faced an abrupt halt during the times of the Second World War. The resurgence of powdered silk as a revolutionary ingredient of cosmetics can be attributed to entrepreneur Helena Rubinstein who introduced a silk powder infused beauty product under her eponymous line of cosmetics in 1948. Additional interest in silk powder as an effective beauty ingredient however was not sufficiently garnered up until the 1990s, by which time natural makeup and beauty products came to find preference. Interestingly as well, silk powders however might offset a section of beauty enthusiasts who swear by all things vegan, since they stem in essence from the silkworm insects. Arrowroot powder and even cornstarch might turn out to be fair enough substitutes for silk powder, even though there can be no replacing the superior feel and quality of products that are resplendent with the radiance of powder obtained genuinely from one of the most luxurious of fibers on earth.
