The secret ingredient transforming eyes

Tiny super-seeds from the humble kiwi fruit are proving a winner when it comes to anti-ageing goodness.

We use kiwi fruit in salads or desserts and often just slice them up and enjoy them on their own.

With their fuzzy brown skin and bright green flesh speckled with tiny black seeds, this small but nutrient-dense fruit is packed with an impressive list of health benefits, including more vitamin C than the equivalent amount of orange.

All of this has led to the kiwi fruit’s Italian nickname of frutto della salute, or “the health fruit”.

But as well as having powerful health benefits, the oil extracted from the seeds of this super fruit can help rejuvenate our skin.

And that’s where Elizabeth Barbalich – founder of New Zealand-based natural beauty and skincare brand Antipodes – comes in.

The eco-savvy entrepreneur with a science background has turned a passion for all things organic and plant-based into a green empire, with products sold across the world.

And the Antipodes Kiwi Seed Oil Eye Cream has become a firm favourite.

“It’s a global bestseller, with one sold every minute,” Elizabeth says.

The skin-boosting benefits of kiwi seed oil

Antipodes chief executive Elizabeth says kiwi seed oil can help improve elasticity as well as reduce fine lines and wrinkles, making it perfect for the delicate eye area.

The high concentration of Omega-3 fatty acids in the oil extracted from the seeds of the luscious kiwifruit makes them the perfect ingredient for natural skincare, she says.

“We source our kiwi seed oil from fruit grown in orchards around New Zealand – they’re raised in rich soil and bathed in warm sunshine,” Elizabeth says.

“Only a tiny 1 per cent of each fruit comprises seeds and these are expeller-pressed to extract their pure oil.

“The oil contains around 60 per cent alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and is also a rich source of vitamins C and E, which means it holds in moisture and is incredibly nourishing.”

How kiwi seed oil stimulates collagen production

And there is great news for those of us feeling the effects of ageing around our eyes – kiwi seed oil is also scientifically* shown to help stimulate collagen production in human skin cells by up 82 per cent.

“There’s genuine science behind our products,” Elizabeth says, confirming Antipodes uses an independent lab to test formulations on human fibroblast skin cells in vitro.

Natural production of collagen, which occurs in our fibroblast skin cells, decreases after age 25, and the decreased collagen levels in the skin contribute to the visible signs of ageing.

By helping to stimulate collagen in the fibroblast skin cells, the visible signs of ageing are reduced for fresh, healthy skin at any age, Elizabeth says.

We’ll never look at a kiwi fruit in the same way again.

Written by Liz McGrath. This post is brought to you by Antipodes Kiwi Seed Oil Eye Cream.

* Trinity Bioactives: In-vitro Investigation into the Antioxidant Effects of Production of Superoxide by Activated Neutrophil Cells after 15 hours, at 4 per cent per 200ug/ml (2014).

 

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