Ingredience

Pinus Sylvestris Pollen (borovicový pyl)

Pinus Sylvestris

The fine yellow powder floating around pine trees in the summer breeze might seem insignificant but it's a real treat for the skin. Packed with antioxidants like vitamin A, Beta-Carotene and folic acid, as well as a long list of amino acids and minerals, pine pollen will give the skin a gorgeous, healthy glow.

Pinus sylvestris (also known as Scots Pine) is an evergreen tree. It may reach heights of 40 metres tall and is native to the Eurasian continent. Its needles are long and blue-green, and its bark is reddish-brown.

Scots pine grows two types of cones: male and female. The female ones are the well-known jagged cones we were grabbing on the floor as kids to play with, while the male cones are smaller and contain pollen. Pine trees rely on the wind to spread the pollen in the air, reaching for a female cone to fertilize (don't blush, pine trees have the right to make love too!). This explains why the pollen is so easy to get from the cones, an effortless shake being enough to release the yellow dust. The farther the pollen will be transported in the breeze, the more the trees will cross and diversify their genetic material.

Consumption of pine pollen is often recommended to keep pregnant women in good health and is also a popular treatment for men because it contains testosterone. Its high levels of vitamins, amino acids and minerals were also valued in Chinese and Japanese traditional medicine as an energy booster among others.