Sálvora: natural beauty from deep sea
Sea water has always, since ancient times, been recognized as an elixir with unique therapeutic properties. Plato established it when he said that sea water healed all ailments. In fact, life was born from the sea. That’s where the first cells were formed, which then gave rise to life on our planet.
But it was René Quinton who spread the fundamentals, properties and laws that explain how sea water is a nutrient because, besides from carbohydrates, fats and proteins which are essential to life, it contains hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, magnesium, manganese, sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, fluorine, silica, copper and iodine. It has a total of 83 bioavailable elements of the 118 elements of the periodic table, plus zooplankton and phytoplankton, which are all protein. Imagine, then, what using a cream created from seaweed can do for our skin. Ready to discover it?
We began a global change, and we do it from the depths of natural beauty, the sea. From it we extract ecologically certified controlled algae, and with their extract we formulate advanced natural, sustainable and responsible cosmetics.
Sálvora, another way of making cosmetics
Roaming through our Instagram account, @luxiders_magazine, we ran into the brand Sálvora. Its message said: From the marine forests of the Galician coast, a new generation of highly natural and sustainable cosmetics is born, respectful of the marine environment and its people. We decided to contact its creator so she could explain more about the subject of marine cosmetics. We were able to talk with Marivel Sanchez, one of the founders of the company.
We firmly believe that cosmetic products can be made organically, with the active ingredients that nature provides so generously in our environment. Its splendid results are evident.
We liked the humility with which she spoke from the very beginning: Celtalga (the company that owns the brand Sálvora), is still on the starting path. It’s a spin off of the University of Santiago, and was founded last year. Now we are “making way”. Therefore, Celtaga’s current situation focuses on articulating and launching Sálvora’s sales in the pharmaceutical industry.
Sálvora: diving for beauty
Celtalga extracts algae through a process that’s been patented by the University of Santiago de Compostela and licensed to the company. It’s a physical process, assisted by ultrasound. Our extractor vehicle is one of the most common and indispensable compounds of life, with it we wouldn’t be able to survive, I’m talking about water. That’s how we get an aqueous extract that contains antioxidants (florotanins).
The beauty of our Galician coast and its land’s fertility are the perfect muses for Sálvora’s creativity.
Algae are collected manually by diving and only in authorized areas around Galicia’s Atlantic islands, thus promoting a blue and sustainable economy. The raw material has local organic farming certification. We don’t use massive algae collection mechanisms, we don’t want to deplete a natural resource – states Marivel. All collection is done manually,
The active ingredients that accompany extractions are all from organic farming, Aloe vera gel, olive oil, almond oil, Damascus rose scented water and a soft Wood rose essential oil scent.
It has airless and glass technology packaging, which makes it recyclable and facilitates material separation (plastic and glass). Sálvora’s scent is a differentiating element, which sensorially reveals its organic origin. By that I mean that our users can notice the absence of synthetic fragrances – she points out.
Ecological cultivation, recyclable packaging and natural aromas
Finding the perfect harmony between natural ingredients, the actions’ diversification and their synergies hasn’t been easy, state the brand representatives.
Sálvora’s values are resource sustainability, the application of I+D+i and the commitment to add organic farming ingredients.
There’s also the issue of pricing. I agree that ecological cosmetics are more expensive. But there’s a reason. We’re replacing synthetic components or very cheap petroleum derivatives with natural ingredients that come from organic farming. We are in a transitional stage in which consuming organic products isn’t popular, it’s still a sideline purchase. We don’t have a rooted ecological consumption culture (at least in Spain). It’ll take an evangelization period to make the consumer aware of its benefits. It requires a greater productive apparatus or driving agents that will promote ecological farming entrepreneurship. With that I mean that by increasing and diversifying organic farming production, product supply will grow and, as a result, prices will be more competitive.
As for the results or efficacy of ecological cosmetics, I have no doubt that the veracity of the results is guaranteed both at the clinical and users’ Vox Populi level – she says.
More than good beauty
Marivel recommends to use both products: These are two products that satisfy our skin’s demands at different stages of life. Moisturizing & Antioxidant and Anti-aging creams are very different in texture. The moisturizer is more fluid and has a texture that resembles gel, it doesn’t make your skin shine and moisturizes it while protecting it from free radicals. Anti-aging cream is slightly denser and oily, and contains more Ascophyllum nodosum extract. Ana says that in four weeks we can observe the attenuation of expression lines. The truth is that we’re dying to try these creams and tell you the results through our social networks.
We always rely on expert advice and for that, we asked Marivel about other beauty brands that she uses. I recommend Weleda, Matarrania and, of course, Sálvora!
Finally, we asked about their future plans. We want to create new and original proposals that will expand our product catalog. We have several good ideas in mind that we want to crystallize in a few months. Another medium-term objective is internationalization: we want Sálvora to be known outside of Spain. In the crowdfunding-reward campaign, Sálvora creams were sent to our resident patrons in the USA and Mexico, and we got great feedback.
