Ingredient Spotlight: Papain

Similar to the enzyme bromelain found in pineapple, papain is an active, protein digesting enzyme that is found in papaya.

How does papain work?

 Eating papaya after a big meal helps digest food. When applied to the skin, papain breaks down dead skin cells and cleans out the pores, resulting in smooth, glowing skin. In the skincare business we call this “chemical exfoliation”. Though papain is a natural chemical found in fruit, it chemically smoothens the skin’s surface. Where as a scrub like our Cleansing Clay Exfoliant, does in physically.

When would you use a chemical exfoliant over a physical one?

It all depends. For people with active breakouts, I don’t recommend “scrubbing” your skin with a physical exfoliant, because it may aggravate the acne. A chemical exfoliant, especially a gentle one with fruit enzymes like our GLOW Superfruit Enzyme Mask, will only remove what isn’t meant to be there, while penetrating the skin with antioxidants. However, you can use both types of exfoliants in your skincare repertoire, even one after the other (scrub first, then mask for the ultimate spa night).

In short, papain is a gentle but active, fruit enzyme that when used correctly, will leave your skin radiant! Always apply masks to clean skin for 10-15 mins.