A Tree That Doesn’t Rot Can Help Preserve Your Skin
One thing that sets the Ao range apart is our reliance on ingredients sourced from the New Zealand wild. For instance, we use Totarol, derived from New Zealand’s unique Totara tree, as a preservative.
The indigenous Māori people discovered that Totara wood was highly durable and resistant to decay. When European farmers arrived on the scene, they turned to Totara heartwood fence posts for the same reason.
Science later confirmed that Totara wood contains a naturally produced diterpene that has strong antimicrobial and therapeutic qualities. This substance has been isolated and is now produced from recycled Totara fence posts. So instead of specifying synthetic chemicals such as parabens as preservatives, we include Totarol.
But the good news doesn’t end there. Totarol also has antioxidant qualities, quenching the free radicals that cause damage at the cell level.
Research has confirmed this:
Totarol also prevents cells from undergoing oxidative stress in vitro by acting as a hydrogen donor to peroxy radicals or reacting with other peroxy radicals to terminate undesirable radical reactions.
Totarol is a multifunctional marvel, produced by nature. By using ingredients with more than one benefit, we can multiply the beneficial effects and minimize the risk of side effects. Your skin will feel the benefit.