What is Birch Tree Sap?

Recently, you may have noticed more and more skin care products on the market that contain the ingredient, birch tree sap or birch juice.  Birch tree sap is a skin care ingredient that was introduced and made popular in Korean beauty products, which have often been utilizing birch tree sap in place of water, with Western brands such as Origins following suit.

What is birch tree sap?  Birch refers to a group of tree species most commonly found in the northern hemisphere of the world.  The extracts, leaves, and bark of various birch trees have been used in everything from teas and flavoring, to building skateboards and furniture.  In the realm of skin care, we shall focus on the tree sap of the specific species of birch called Betula platyphylla, which is obtained from the Japanese white birch or Siberian silver birch trees.  

Birch tree sap is an ingredient that deeply hydrates and brightens your skin.  It is packed with numerous nutrients that are beneficial for your skin, including amino acids, minerals, and sugars, which moisturize, as well as niacinamide and vitamin C that work together to brighten the skin.  The molecule of birch tree sap is small in size, thus allowing it to be very effectively absorbed by the skin.  Charlotte Cho, the founder of Sokoglam, described birch tree sap as being "the next coconut water for the skin."  While not the case here in warm Hawaii, in many places with cold winter weather, incorporating products with birch tree sap may be very beneficial to help fend off winter dry skin.  

Two birch tree sap-containing products that I have been using are the COSRX Oil-Free Ultra Moisturizing Lotion and the ENature Birch Juice Hydro Sleeping Pack.  

The COSRX Oil-Free Ultra Moisturizing Lotion has been my every day moisturizer for the past two months.  It contains 70% birch tree sap, which makes it a great skin hydrator.  I have combination skin with my T-zone being quite oily and acne-prone.  This moisturizer is light yet effective and also contains tea tree oil to help to combat any acne or inflammation.  It has a gel-lotion consistency, applies very smoothly, and prepares your skin well for makeup application.  This product is available for $20 on sokoglam.com. 

The ENature Birch Juice Hydro Sleeping Pack is an amazing sleeping mask that I use as the last step of my night-time skin care regimen when my skin is in need of some extra moisturizing.  I also use this in place of my daytime moisturizer whenever I travel and take long airplane flights - it helps to keep my skin moisturized despite the dehydrating airplane atmosphere.  This sleeping pack contains 74% birch tree sap, as well as calming ingredients such as chamomile.  It has a gel-lotion consistency and a cooling sensation upon initial application.  In the morning, my skin feels soft and plump.   While some sleeping packs can be thick and pore clogging, I have not experienced any breakouts with this product.  This is available for $28 on sokoglam.com.

Let me know if you've tried any products that contain birch tree sap! :)  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Troiareuke ACSEN A+ Cushion

Image
Troiareuke is a Korean professional prescription skincare brand that is very popular in the K-beauty world.  Troiareuke is founded upon the idea that a "personalized skincare prescription gives the best solution for different skin types and skin disorders."  Their products are also used by skincare professionals and aestheticians in over 5,000 beauty spas, primarily in Korea and Hong Kong.  Combining their various products, Troiareuke recommends specific "skin recipes" for each skin type and concern. Troiareuke has also come out with three cushion products - the Troipeel H+ cushion, the Seoul Aesthetic cushion, and the ASCEN A+ cushion, all of which are composed of 99% skin care and only 1% makeup !  In this blog, I will be reviewing the Troiareuke ACSEN A+ cushion . The Troiareuke ACSEN line (ACSEN stands for ACne + SENsitive) is formulated for sensitive and acne-prone skin.  The ACSEN line features ingredients such as centella asiatica that helps to re...
Read more

Skinceuticals Purifying Cleanser Gel

Image
Washing your face - this is something that we all do every morning and evening.  It seems very simple, but here are a few tips to ensure that you're getting the most out of each time you wash your face. First of all, water temperature is important - try to use lukewarm water.  Lukewarm water helps to open the pores and remove the dirt from our skin.  But hotter is not better!  If the water temperature is too hot, this can lead to dilation of your skin's delicate blood vessels, cause breakage of tissue, and dehydrate your skin. Oftentimes people wash their faces too quickly!  Especially in the mornings, we are all in a rush to get ready and head out the door to work, but your face cleanser can only remove dirt from your skin if you allow it the time to do so.  It takes about 30 seconds to wash your face effectively.  Use your fingertips to gently massage your cleanser into your skin in circular motions, focusing on your T-zone or areas that you are ...
Read more

All About AHAs - Mandelic Acid 5% Skin Prep Water by Wishtrend

Image
AHAs and BHAs, which are Alpha Hydroxy Acids and Beta Hydroxy Acids respectively, are very effective chemical exfoliants for your skin.  AHAs and BHAs help to smooth skin texture, brighten dull skin, and reduce the appearance of dark spots and fine lines. Thinking back to chemistry class, AHAs and BHAs are structurally distinct at the molecular level - the hydroxyl -group is attached to the carboxylic acid at the alpha -position in Alpha Hydroxy Acids and at the beta -position in Beta Hydroxy Acids.  AHAs are predominantly water soluble and thus work on the surface of the skin, essentially weakening the bonds between our skin and its dead skin cells, allowing them to be removed.  AHAs include glycolic acid, lactic acid, and my favorite, the more gentle mandelic acid.  BHAs are oil-soluble and work on both the surface of the skin and within the pores to remove dead skin cells, as well as dirt and oils.  In the realm of skin care, BHAs exclusively refer to sa...
Read more