The terms 'fresh', 'green', 'organic' and 'natural' are frequent when referring to the 'gastro-cosmetics' movement which harmonises beauty treatments and gastronomy, and cares for both inner health and outer beauty. Think of milk, lemons, olive oil, caviar, grapes, honey... Now it's the turn of broccoli.
There are foods that are good for you both inside and out, and 'green' is a colour that's very much in fashion: organic products, respect for the environment, and sustainability are values that have already had a profound impact on fashion and food, and the world of cosmetics isn't going to be left behind. Ecological awareness is making us turn back to our origins, and nature itself is once again being seen as a source of well-being.
The modern western lifestyle, with its stress, pollution and inadequate and irregular eating habits, has led to deficiencies in vitamin and mineral intake, which is reflected in our general health and also in our skin. In order to rectify this, and to regain balance and strength, we need to care for our bodies from the inside with a healthy, balanced diet and from the outside with moisturising and nourishing skin treatments.
Broccoli – actually the flower head of a plant from the cabbage family – has long been known to be a healthy food. What's more, recent scientific studies have shown it to have important properties that were previously unrecognised: its high concentration of bioactive phytochemicals enhances the vegetable's beneficial antioxidant, anti-cancer and energising properties. As a food, broccoli warrants an important place in our lives, and is one of the 'in' ingredients in haute cuisine.
The challenge, then has been to incorporate the vegetable – and its properties – into cosmetics. It's precisely the conservation of the beneficial properties in emulsion form that has proved the stumbling block. Now, though, the problem has been solved by producing a capsule format that activates at the moment of application, meaning that all the antioxidant and energising power of broccoli is delivered direct to the skin.