The Stone Crop Collection: Skin-Saving Succulents
Stone crop skin care products are Eminence Organics classics for good reason. From our award-winning Stone Crop Masque to the best-selling Stone Crop Hydrating Mist, skin care fanatics will always find a place on their bathroom shelf for these perennial favorites that hydrate and brighten the appearance of dark spots. To help improve your complexion, learn how this stone crop ingredient can help soothe dry skin and minimize the visible signs of aging.
What Is Stone Crop? | How We Use Stone Crop | The Benefits | Skin-Saving Succulents | Product Recommendations
What Is Stone Crop?
Stone crop is a small, succulent plant commonly found in Hungary, and its name literally means “a crop grown in stone.” This unique plant can thrive in rocky soil and can even grow on top of rocks alone. With its shallow root system, it requires very little soil or water to flourish. This hardy succulent does best in a moderate, dry environment but can survive almost anywhere with a little care. One fantastic application for the stone crop plant? It’s ideal for green roofs because it's easy to grow, doesn't attract pests and is resistant to disease.
How We Use Stone Crop
Our stone crop plants grown in Hungary are cut into quarters and then pressed to extract the fresh juice that retains all the natural hydrating qualities of the plant.
Another processing method we use is drying and pulverizing the succulent into powder before blending it into a skin care product. Watch our Made In Hungary video above to see our stone crop plants being prepared for our farm fresh products.
Interesting fact: The stone crop plant turns red in cold weather. To make sure that products like our Stone Crop Whip Moisturizer and Stone Crop Masque keep their vibrant green color, we plant our stone crop plants in trays and bring them indoors before the first cold snap!
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Benefits Of Stone Crop
Like other succulents (think aloe vera and prickly pear), stone crop offers deeply effective yet lightweight hydration. As Eminence Organics President Boldijarre Koronczay explained to DAYSPA: “...the stone crop plant assists in ... toning the epidermis, moisturizing and helping reduce signs of aging.”
Most succulents have a very shallow root system, relying on rainfall, mist or dew to provide all the water it needs to thrive. The shape of stone crop funnels water into the center of the plant, where it is stored until the plant needs to use the water to grow.
1. Heals Dry Skin
Like other succulents, stone crop has adapted to a dry environment by retaining large amounts of water in its stem and leaves. Our General Manager, Attila Koronczay, tells Dermstore: “Most succulents have a very shallow root system, relying on rainfall, mist or dew to provide all the water it needs to thrive. The shape of stone crop funnels water into the center of the plant, where it is stored until the plant needs to use the water to grow.” This water-storing capability enables stone crop to deeply hydrate and heal dry and dehydrated complexions.
2. Soothes Irritated, Dry Skin
For centuries, stone crop has been used in folk medicine for calming dry irritated skin. The bruised leaves of the fresh plant or juice collected from its leaves were traditionally applied as a poultice to treat a wide range of skin problems, including burns, eczema and ulcers. This ability to soothe makes stone crop an ideal remedy for uncomfortable symptoms of dry, sensitive skin, such as redness and itching.
3. Brightens The Appearance Of Skin
When dark spots appear on your complexion, your skin has gone into overdrive producing melanin. This is often due to stress such as UV exposure or hormonal imbalances. Similar to other natural hydroquinone alternatives, stone crop brightens the appearance of skin by affecting some of these processes. Over time, this minimizes the look of dark spots and contributes to a more even-looking complexion.
4. Smooths The Look Of Wrinkles
Scientific studies confirm that stone crop is rich in antioxidants that reduce the visible signs of aging. Antioxidants like anthocyanin and quercetin neutralize free radicals that contribute to the look of premature aging. They help delay the emergence of the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and help skin stay looking youthful for longer.
Skin-Saving Succulents
Lead Skin Care Trainer Natalie Pergar is passionate about the benefits of stone crop, saying: "Stone crop is an amazing succulent that been around for a really long time. Some of us may even recognize it. You may even have it growing right outside your home right now.
"We see succulents being used a lot for things like green design to better our environment, and it’s been an inspiration for us at Eminence to use as one of our signature scents and ingredients. We have built an entire range inspired by this plant, called our Stone Crop Collection.
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When In Doubt - Stone Crop It Out
"... At Eminence Organics, we have this fabulous little tagline that we use: 'When in doubt, stone crop it out,' and that's for good reason. It is good for all skin types; everybody can use it.
"Gentlemen that I know also enjoy using it because it's very fresh in scent (not highly floral) making it very friendly for anyone to use. Stone crop also helps minimize the appearance of redness from dry skin so, thinking about men who often shave their face, our stone crop products are great to help soothe the skin after shaving. Watch this In The Mix with Natalie to learn more about the benefits of stone crop.
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According to Natalie, "[the Stone Crop Collection includes] the Stone Crop Gel Wash — a Top Ten product, Stone Crop Masque, Stone Crop Hydrating Gel, Stone Crop Whip Moisturizer and Stone Crop Serum. One of my favorite parts about the Stone Crop Collection is that they give you an option of using a nice lightweight gel to finish your home care routine or you can use a cream. So, whether you're oily-combination or combination-to-dry, this is a really great piece to introduce a collection to your friends, family or yourself.
"You'll also enjoy our Stone Crop Cleansing Oil from our Microgreens Collection. Any of you who use cleansing oils will know that they're fabulous for double cleansing, an incredibly valuable technique for you makeup gurus out there because it really helps to lift and pull everything off. This cleansing oil is also very effective for those of you who are dealing with problem skin. Don’t forget: oil for oil. Just because you have an oilier skin type doesn't mean you can't use cleansing oils. This will leave the face beautifully even in tone afterward.
"We also added Stone Crop Oxygenating Fizzofoliant in this collection, which is like the sister or the brother to our Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant. Take any cleanser you like. You could even use Stone Crop Cleansing Oil or Stone Crop Gel Wash and use a couple of shakes, adding a little bit of water. This will really help with skin that is experiencing milia, blackheads and congestion.
"For any of you who love mineral makeup or powders, the Stone Crop Hydrating Mist is useful as a setting spray. It doesn't leave a dry residue and it really makes the skin look not super dewy, but very hydrated and you can easily throw it in your gym bag.
"We have other stone crop products as well, including the Stone Crop Body Lotion. This beautiful succulent plant truly has a lot to offer and has inspired one of the most special lines that we have."
If you’re already a fan of our signature stone crop ingredient, you can also elevate your body care ritual with the Stone Crop Body Collection. Visit our Spa Locator and experience it with your favorite Eminence Organics Spa Partner.
This article was originally written in December 2018.