Good as Gold
Why do we use gold in our skincare?
Gavée Gold––the world’s first organically extracted, metal-free, purified 24K gold liquid.
It sounds good, right? We all realize gold is a precious metal, and of course the word evokes luxury, value and elegance. Our lexicon is filled with phrases about gold, including these nuggets:
- The gold standard
- Follow the Golden Rule
- We’re golden
- She’s sitting on a gold mine
Naming a product line after a precious metal seems logical in that context. But if you think about it, does it really make sense to have gold in skincare? It’s a metal, for heaven’s sake! How does it become “metal-free” and how could it possibly be good for our skin?
To understand why gold became the fundamental element in the Gavée Gold Proprietary Blend–– and why it’s also in our brand name––we have to dig a into a little science and history.
First, let’s understand what gold is. In the Periodic Table of Elements, the letters “Au” represent gold, from the Latin word aurum. Driven by obsession, early alchemists pursued their desire to transmute base metals (usually lead) into gold. Gold has the highest electron affinity of any metal, which makes it a very stable and sought-after element.
Ions naturally present in gold help stimulate the body’s cells, leading to improved blood circulation, increased skin cell metabolism and secretion of waste, stimulating healthy skin. Gold is often used as an anti-inflammatory element for arthritis in the joints.
Interesting, right? But how does one get the benefits of gold––typically a hard metal––into the skin? Let’s look at zinc, another element that our bodies happen to need. In its elemental form, zinc is a necessary component of more than 300 enzyme systems within our bodies needed to help with wounds, fertility, vision, immunity and to fight against free radicals. We don’t eat blocks of zinc, though, do we? No, of course not! Plants absorb zinc into their roots from the soil that contains this precious metal; we then eat the plants and receive the benefits.
