IN THIS ARTICLE
- What is chlorophyll?
- Does ingesting chlorophyll help cure acne?
- Does chlorophyll have a place in skincare products?
Recently, I’ve noticed something interesting: Concentrated liquid chlorophyll is flying off the shelves at my local stores, which has never happened in all my years of purchasing it.
Naturally, I was intrigued.
It wasn’t long before I found out that chlorophyll was trending like crazy on TikTok. With my background as a vegan chef, I’ve actually been incorporating this ingredient into my diet for a very long time. And when I started Graydon Skincare, naturally, I found a way to add chlorophyll to one of our products. It just felt right, you know?
So as someone with knowledge about chlorophyll, let me walk you through this topic.
What is chlorophyll?
Simply put, chlorophyll is a naturally occurring pigment found in plants and some algae that gives them their green hue.
Thanks to this molecule, plants are able to absorb sunlight and use its energy to convert water, CO2 and other minerals into energy-rich organic compounds and oxygen—the most basic necessity for life. And yes, you’ve definitely heard of this process before...it’s called photosynthesis.
As you can see, chlorophyll is so essential to life on Earth because it facilitates the number one source of oxygen needed by most living creatures.
FYI: Chlorophyll is not actually green. Rather, it only appears that way because it absorbs most of the energy from the violet-blue and reddish-orange part of the light spectrum while only reflecting the colour green. #themoreyouknow
Does ingesting chlorophyll help cure acne?
Now, this is the million dollar question. So without further ado, the answer is...
...it depends.
Okay, okay. That might sound frustrating if you’re just looking for a simple and straightforward answer. But science is never black and white and it wouldn’t do any good to just simplify everything without considering the context.
So here’s a bit more information about chlorophyll to give you more context.
Chlorophyll is an abundant source of essential nutrients like fatty acids, vitamins A, C and K, minerals such as magnesium, iron, calcium and potassium, and finally, antioxidants. These are all important nutrients needed for us to maintain a healthy immune system.
That being said, the kind of chlorophyll that’s popular these days is not natural chlorophyll, but rather chlorophyllin, which is a derivative of chlorophyll. The difference between chlorophyll and chlorophyllin is that chlorophyll is fat-soluble and chlorophyllin is water-soluble—making it easier for our body to absorb. However, both chlorophyll and chlorophyllin have similar benefits. With its impressive health profile, consuming chlorophyll (or chlorophyllin) is bound to be beneficial.
Now whether or not they will help with acne is a different question.
At the moment, the science is inconclusive.
There’s been some evidence that chlorophyll, when taken orally, can help support your overall skin health and improve the appearance of your skin in a pro-aging manner. It seems that the antioxidant properties of chlorophyll will scavenge for free radicals, leading to a reduction in wrinkles, epidermal DNA damage and apoptosis (the process our body uses to eliminate unwanted and abnormal cells). Also, adding an appropriate amount of chlorophyll into your routine can improve your health, particularly if your diet is lacking in greens. Here's how it helps: As chlorophyll is high in fibre, it can be used as "food" by certain bacteria in your gut to stimulate their growth. And as we all know, a happy gut microbiome leads to a happy skin microbiome, translating into healthier, more beautiful skin.
So, that’s as far as science goes on whether or not taking chlorophyll orally can help with your acne.
But the thing is, just because it has yet to be proven doesn’t mean that it’s not actually effective.
Anecdotally, from what we’ve seen and experienced for ourselves, drinking liquid chlorophyll is particularly helpful if you have inflammatory acne. However, it doesn’t seem like it’s helpful against blackheads and deep, cystic acne.
But here’s what I have to say...
Everyone’s different. Just because something works for someone else doesn’t mean it’ll work for you. And vice versa. So if you’ve been taking chlorophyll and are seeing improvements in your skin, then by all means, keep taking it! If you haven’t taken it yet and want to give it a try, I say go for it. Although, I’d encourage you to check with your doctor first.
Does chlorophyll have a place in skincare products?
We’ve talked about adding chlorophyll to your diet but what about putting it on your face? Would it have any effect when applied topically?
Truthfully, there are no studies to examine the effect of putting chlorophyll onto your skin for acne.
However, based on what we know and have discussed about chlorophyll, logic suggests that it can definitely provide immense benefits. Aside from being a rich source of nutrients, chlorophyll also has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. So we can make a direct connection that chlorophyll can also be used topically to alleviate acne.
If you’re intrigued by chlorophyll and are looking to add this natural ingredient into your skincare routine, check out Phyto Clear. This gel-like natural retinol face moisturizer contains not just one, but two retinol-like botanicals, making it the perfect choice if you’re looking to get all the benefits of conventional retinol without the sensitizing effects. Not to mention, it also contains chlorophyll to give you that extra anti-acne benefit.
TL;DR: If you’re dealing with some mild acne, chlorophyll might help to alleviate your concern. I’d also encourage you to take chlorophyll both orally and topically to nourish your skin inside and out. ☺️
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