Without suffering too many unintentional, vampire-related puns (did anyone else watch the True Blood finale?), silver is pretty good at keeping things you don’t want or need away from you. Let me explain: A few weeks ago Gwyneth Paltrow Goop'd that every time she flies, she mists herself in a cloud of colloidal silver (tiny silver particles suspended in water) to keep away germs (and maybe also vampires, if you’re watching The Strain in addition to True Blood).
Being a bit of a germaphobe myself, I did as any person of the 21st century might and marched straight to Google, which revealed: The precious metal is antimicrobial in nature, meaning it can eliminate acne, firm skin, heal infections, and strengthen the immune system.
It’s also luxurious as hell. Take anything May Lindstrom makes—she’s a genius, and also something of a silver whisperer. In an email, she told me she loves “silver as an ingredient to soothe the skin and protect against acne.” Her Honey Mud—pulling double duty as mask and silky cleanser—is the kind of thing you want to curl up in bed with on a Sunday night, even if it means staining your pillows with brown goop, or snuggling with a glass bottle. It’s soft, smells wonderful, and the silver content rids skin of pollutants.
In the same church, but different pew, her Jasmine Garden Botanical Mist has made me a believer in face sprays (before now, I had too often wondered if they did anything other than make your face a little wet). Like The Honey Mud, silver is listed as one of its top ingredients, giving the mist protecting and anti-inflammatory properties—and giving you that mystical glow that’s so in right now. The box says to be indulgent and spritz yourself head to toe…and what May says should go. Always.
Where May Lindstrom’s products are indulgent, Julisis's are mystical. Founded by actual, real-life alchemist (and Comme des Garçons perfumer) Julius Eulberg, Julisis embraces what might only be described as silver’s astrological power: its chakra is sexual, its planet is the moon, and its stone is pearl. Which might also explain the rather large price tag. The Julisis Silver Night Wash, praised by Erin Wasson, claims to clear skin impurities while evening out the nervous system. While I can’t speak directly to those affects (maybe I’m not as in touch with my nervous system as some) the wash itself is quite mild and overall enjoyable; it has a light scent and left my face feeling very clean but not dried out. But make sure you follow the extremely specific directions and splash your face exactly seven times with warm water to ensure the maximum effect.
Another thing of note: Where there’s silver, there is often cocoa—a selling point if ever there was one. The silver citrate in the Amala Rejuvenating Collagen Mask mask isn’t quite as potent as the silver in May’s formulas, but who wants to eat chocolate cake for every meal, right? Sometimes you’ve got to cut back. That being said, it’s just as silky and is a worthy alternative for a little less money.
Then there’s Silver Soft Hand Sanitizer—foamy, convenient, straight to the point. And perfect for anyone who’s ever aspired to fly like Gwyneth on a dime.
—Megan Spengler
Photos by Tom Newton.
