Jatoba - the Rainforest Skin Protector

Benefits & Uses of Jatoba in Skin Care
Jatoba contains numerous active compounds that help cleanse, purify and soothe the skin. You will find extracts of jatoba used in all the Lluvia™ skin care products (except the Deep Nourishing Oil™) helping you maintain healthy skin. The ingredient’s main functions within the skin care products are its anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties.

Indigenous Traditional Uses
There are a wide variety of uses for jatoba in the jungle - from curing ailments of the lungs and bowels, to a ‘wine’ used for long-lasting energy. Indigenous people also make a decoction (essence extraction through boiling down) of the bark of jatoba and apply it to remove and prevent fungal growth. The timber is highly valued commercially, and is used for flooring, furniture and railroad ties.

Protect against harmful micro-organisms
The leaves of jatoba contain a group of phytochemicals called terpenes and phenolics which are responsible for protecting the leaves of the tree from leaf fungus. These water-soluble antimicrobial compounds are particularly interesting in light of recent scientific developments regarding the growth of specific microbes in the body. Extracts of jatoba have been found to protect against some of the harmful micro-organisms found in our environment.

Inflammation is the cause of many skin problems
It is generally accepted that inflammation is the cause of many skin problems, therefore plants having anti-inflammatory properties can have useful applications in skin care. Jatoba was shown to be a potent inhibitor of the enzyme 5-lipoxygenase, an enzyme involved in the production of inflammatory compounds generally referred to as prostaglandins. Such compounds are involved in the local induction of inflammation. They can be seen as local “hormones” released at the site of an injury and responsible for initiating the immune response. Oftentimes skin problems have a component of recurrent local inflammation. Topical application of jatoba extracts may therefore help maintain healthy skin.

Protect the skin from UVB-induced and UVA-induced damage
Jatoba also contains a kind of polysaccharides called xyloglucans, which have been demonstrated to protect the skin from UVB-induced and UVA-induced damage. The study suggested that such polysaccharides may provide significant protection against sunlight.