This precious metal has been used throughout time and history as a powerful antimicrobial agent that aids in healing, skin care and overall health.

These rich properties are why silver is one of our ingredient heroes, delivering the magic of our ever-loved silver face cream, la potion infinie. It’s all in the name ~ ARgENTUM, Latin for silver. A sense of the cleansing, purifying power of silver is rooted in its etymology, with Arg meaning ‘white’ and ‘shining’.

What is silver?

Silver is a chemical element that you can find in foods such as grains and mushrooms, as well as in the milk of mammals and water. Though it occurs naturally in the Earth’s crust, this precious metal is created in space, the result of supernovae (an explosion of a supergiant star).

It’s one of nature’s 92 elements, with well-documented healing properties that have been utilised medically for millennia. That’s why we love silver in our skincare ~ not only is it entirely natural and organic, but heals, soothes and restores.

As with other chemical elements, there are many types of silver, each with unique properties and toxicity levels. The human body metabolises these types of silver differently.

Different types of silver 

As with other chemical elements, there are many types of silver, each with unique properties and toxicity levels. The human body metabolises these types of silver differently.

• True colloidal silver ~ this is a purer form of colloidal silver. In true colloidal silver there are no ions, just pure silver particles immersed in pure water.
• Ionic silver ~ a solution containing only silver ions with a positive charge (+1), ionic silver is still used in medicine. Studies have shown that silver particles are more effective than silver ions as they are better able to penetrate cells, granting the healing properties deeper reach.
• Silver protein ~ ionic or colloidal silver with protein added to allow the particles to remain suspended. The protein may reduce the potency of silver significantly and there are reports that this silver protein can host bacteria.
• Silver hydrosol ~ the highest grade composed of only two ingredients, 99.99% pure silver and USP 23 grade purified water. For that reason, it’s the only type of silver we use in our skincare. With more than 98% positively-charged silver content, it’s the safest and most active form of silver.

Many people can feel wary about the health concerns associated with using different types of silver, and we always recommend doing thorough research before adding anything new to your routine. That’s what we did ~ we made sure the science behind our skincare was both effective and safe. There are no reported health cases associated with silver hydrosol.

The benefits of silver: what silver does for your skin

Silver’s antimicrobial power has been hailed for thousands of years. Historically, it’s been used to heal wounds, soothe burns and replenish skin issues. Utilising the metal’s natural capability to nourish and restore skin is what makes our silver skincare so effective.

Some of the benefits of silver for your skin include:

• Anti-inflammatory - reduces redness and swelling of acne and blemishes.
• Repairs tissue - targets wrinkles and fine lines by stimulating tissue regeneration.
• Powerful antioxidant - combats free radicals to reduce oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can cause premature ageing by depleting the body’s natural stores of collagen and elastin.
• Soothing - can help settle rosacea, psoriasis and eczema.

How does silver work?

Silver’s antibacterial, antimicrobial magic works in several powerful ways:

• The silver ions penetrate bacteria and bind to the cell wall so that no substances can enter or leave the cell.
• These positively-charged silver ions bind to the oxygen receptors that bacteria use for respiration and metabolism, disabling them.
• Much like iron, silver is a powerful carrier of oxygen. When it comes into contact with an infectious microbe, it releases an oxygen ‘burst’ which kills pathogens.
• Silver penetrates bacterial cell membranes, preventing the bacteria from replicating and growing.

Is silver harmful?

Being in contact with silver is not harmful to humans ~ consider the silver jewellery that many people wear on a daily basis.

When using silver topically, it’s important to make sure that the product you’re using is of the highest quality and to understand the type of silver that it contains.

That’s why we would never recommend anything other than true silver hydrosol. ARgENTUM only uses silver hydrosol of the highest grade ~ there are no cases that show silver hydrosol causes any health concerns.

Silver for the soul

Beyond its healing powers for the body, this cosmic element is a tonic for the soul.

Embodying the moon's energy, silver cools and reflects. Time spent with this energy inspires connectivity ~ both to your inner self and the world around you.

In Ayurveda’s ancient chakra system, the body’s network of energy centres, silver is associated with the sixth chakra, or ‘third-eye’. This chakra is the centre of your intuition, it is where you access your higher self. Self-reflection is a key part of creating more openness in this chakra, an aspect represented in silver.

Gifts of silver in many cultures are given as a symbol of trust, wisdom and love. In antiquity, silver gifts were even given to protect against evil.

The essence

For thousands of years silver has been praised for its healing abilities and recognised as one of nature's most powerful infection-fighting agents. It is a natural and sacred element that restores balance in one’s body and soul ~ the magical essence of ARgENTUM.

If you’d like to know more about our ingredients, please, email bonjour@argentumapothecary.com