Quinoa Oil Is Changing How We're Thinking About Body Care & Beauty. Here's Why

by Devon Barrow
mindbodygreen

At its best, beauty is made up of products and practices that are not just cutting-edge and effective but meaningful. Thus, as beauty enthusiasts, we need rituals that take us beyond what meets the eye, that help us rediscover our own inner beauty. Beauty shouldn't just be a checklist of lotions and potions but a program that nurtures our whole body. And what ingredient could be better for that than a whole grain like quinoa?

 

Quinoa: The new beauty ingredient.

Quinoa really is the grain that does it all—and it has been for thousands of years since the Incas considered this "mother grain" a sacred crop. Not only is it packed with protein, fats, and fiber to power up our plate, but this golden grain is setting the golden standard for beauty and skin care. Quinoa is a powerful ingredient inside and out, and now that Brazilian beauty brand Nativa SPA is finally launching in the U.S., beauty enthusiasts can experience the benefits for themselves.

 

The beauty benefits of quinoa.

There's a reason Nativa SPA's collection of whole-body care is powered by quinoa. This ingredient is loaded with properties that take skin care to the next level... Starting with omegas. Quinoa is rich in omega-3, -6, and -9—the healthy fats that help us build a healthy body. Our body already produces omega-9 on its own, but applying quinoa oil topically helps replenish our skin's supply of omega-3 and -6 in one slather. Omegas are proven to support healthy skin, aiding in both inflammation and healing wounds, and quinoa oil has 30x more than coconut oil, 4x more than avocado oil, and 2x more than almond oil. 

Quinoa oil is rich in the healthy fats our skin is thirsty for, but it also provides significant antioxidant protection. As a refresher, antioxidants help our skin fight the free radicals that can lead to skin damage, wrinkles, and inflammation. This golden oil has high concentrations of polyphenols (micronutrients proven to protect our skin from the sun), carotenoids ("powerful antioxidant substances"), and tocopherols like vitamin E, also protecting our skin from the sun and free radicals. Compared to other grains, quinoa oil is the superior source for antioxidants, which have the potential to transform our skin.

 

 

Transform your skin.

If quinoa oil is starting to sound more like liquid gold, then you're getting the picture. But how does our skin feel about it? By virtue of its many properties, quinoa oil deeply moisturizes our skin to leave it looking firmer and smoother. In doing so, it also strengthens our skin barrier, locking in this hydration for effects that last a luminously long time. Quinoa oil is even occlusive, which means that it will prevent transepidermal water loss, where water evaporates from our skin. (Take that, winter weather.)

So many benefits to reap, but making the most out of this ingredient ultimately starts with quality, as not all quinoa oils are created equal. Nativa SPA uses an exclusive patented process that allows 100% pure quinoa oil to be extracted from the grain, versus other products that use chemicals (often toxic) in the extraction process. Their process not only preserves the properties of quinoa oil but ensures a higher concentration of them. There's quinoa extract, and there's Nativa SPA quinoa oil. For whole-body care, we should only ever settle for the latter.

 

Whole-body care.

In a world of fleeting beauty trends and impossible expectations, it's easy to forget that true beauty starts from within. But a ritual with Nativa SPA Quinoa Firming Body Lotion or Oil can help us remember how whole care is connected to whole being. Instead of only rubbing lotion on the parts of our body the world will see (guilty as charged), it's time to take a page out of the Brazilian beauty handbook by taking our time, embracing our body, and generously applying quinoa oil head to toe.

When whole-body care looks like this—slow, mindful, self-loving—the world of beauty transforms. It's no longer about what's on the surface but something much bigger: nature, our own body, and the planet around us. And Nativa SPA speaks to that with products that are vegan, cruelty-free, and made through sustainable processes start to finish. Quinoa is the key to a new era of skin care and beauty. What will you unlock?