One of the skin-care ingredients we love—it’s in our Rescue + Relief Spray—is white water lily. If you’ve ever seen one, you know it’s pretty to look at. In fact, it was often the subject of Claude Monet’s paintings because of its delicate beauty. Today, it’s frequently used as an ornamental addition to water gardens.
The benefits of this plant go far beyond its appearance, though. It’s been used in traditional medicine for hundreds of years, with recent research showing it has soothing, anti-inflammatory and skin renewal properties.
What is Water Lily?
Also known as the white water rose, the white water lily is native to North Africa, Asia, Europe, and India, and grows in large ponds and lakes with its roots in the mud at the bottom. It’s considered one of the world’s oldest plants, dating back over 65 million years.
Historically a symbol of purity and chastity, the white water lily has leaves that can be up to a foot in diameter. The flowers float on top of the water, and are white with many small, bright-yellow stamens inside. They give shade and protection for fish while providing a resting spot for frogs and dragonflies.
In traditional medicine, practitioners used the roots and stalks along with the flower, though the flower was considered the most potent part. The plant is thought to help control blood sugar and insulin levels, to treat chronic diarrhea, and to protect against liver damage. Water lily may also help soothe burns and other skin injuries when applied directly, as it’s believed to be an effective pain reliever.
How Water Lily Benefits the Skin
Water lily has a number of benefits for the skin and hair.
Water Lily Soothes Skin Rashes and Irritations
One of the best things about water lily is its soothing, anti-inflammatory properties. It can help ease the heat and irritation of a skin rash, wound, burn, or other problem, while reducing swelling and encouraging the skin to regenerate itself. Redness fades, and the skin seems to breathe a sigh of relief.
Because of this, water lily fits perfectly in any sensitive-skin formula. That’s why we added it to our Rescue + Relief Spray, as we wanted ingredients that would go to work immediately reducing swelling and redness, while providing a cooling and soothing effect for all skin types.
Whether you have medically treated skin, rashes, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, an irritated scalp, or you just finished shaving, our spray, infused with water lily, will help stop the irritation and allow your skin to relax, renew, and restore itself to a more comfortable and healthy condition.
Water Lily Helps Eliminate Toxins and Rejuvenate and Renew Skin
White water lily also helps balance cell renewal in the skin, increasing the elimination of toxins, and creating an environment where the cells in the epidermis can develop as they should. It purifies and detoxifies, soothing the skin against irritations while also providing a conditioning and moisturizing effect.
Water Lily Brightens and Creates Radiance
If you want brightening, this is the ingredient for you. The extract has a unique combination of compounds that help even skin tone and maximize brightness for a radiant appearance, while the hydrating effect keeps that appearance soft and glowy.
Water Lily Moisturizes Dry Skin
If you suffer from dry, irritated skin, water lily will help. It has a moisturizing, conditioning effect that remains with the skin even you’ve patted it in. It absorbs easily, and goes to work hydrating skin cells and providing a healthier look.
Water Lily is Good for Hair, Too
Though we don’t have hair-care products in our product line, water lily also works well on hair. It helps thicken and revitalize it, getting rid of impurities and allowing the beauty to shine through.
If you have an irritated scalp, don’t be afraid to spray on our Rescue + Relief Spray. It will help tame inflammation and soothe the skin on your scalp, but it can also condition and help restore and renew your hair strands.
What do you think of water lily?