What is Qi?
In traditional Chinese culture, Qi (pronounced 'chee') translates as ‘air’ and figuratively as ‘life force’ or ‘energy flow’. Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners believe that to be balanced in life and free from physical or mental health issues, a person must have balanced Qi. So does skin, as a microcosm - need the same balanced Qi Energy?
Why does my skin always look so tired? Low Qi?
You probably don’t get enough sleep (the optimal estimated 7-9 hours a night?), spend too much time in front of your screens (working, socialising, reading ‘fake news’) and put relatively few measurable hours into getting fresh air, breathing deeply, performing yoga inversions, or otherwise sending energy to your oxygen-starved facial skin cells.
It’s modern life. Holistic energy flow gets low priority.
But cellular activity requires energy (and therefore oxygen). The busier and older you get, the more you sit, the more sun damage you have, the more pollution and smoke and recycled air you breathe, the less permeable your capillary walls are, and the less O2 gets past your vital organs to feed your skin cells.
You can see it on your face. If Qi is air, we all need Qi.
Is a multicultural plant-active skincare mashup really the answer - how to fix dull skin?
So, when the best Swiss lab we know sent us Qi-boosting skincare, using powerful supertonic extracts of ginger and ginseng, both which - when massaged on - help stimulate blood flow, plus Crocus bulb extract and Circasynch to help fight energy lost to overexposure to blue light, every person in our product development team volunteered to test it. The results? Love. Unanimous.
Like a liquid acupuncture for stressed out skin (needle-free, obviously).
But how can you boost Qi energy with skincare?
With ingredients, some western-inspired, some eastern-inspired, which work synergistically and holistically to tackle tired skin. Including...
Ginseng Extract, which is energy boosting, with visible anti-ageing, tonic, and anti-blotch properties.
Vita Gly-Ginger, a powerful warming root-derived antioxidant that detoxifies and promotes smoother, healthier-looking skin.
Vitalux, a worldwide-patented ingredient technology from the bell pepper, which works to help tackle improve dark circles and promote circulation.
Flower Growth Factor + (Ceramide NG & Palmitoylated Matrikines), helps minimise the appearance of age-related skin damage caused by the reduction of cell communication.
NMF Hydrating Complex and Wild Pansy Extract and Squalane, to help normalise the water content of the epidermis and produce a visible improvement in suppleness, helping prevent the appearance of wrinkles and ageing.
Sodium Hyaluronate, the most powerful moisturising humectant molecule, to improve hydration and visible elasticity.
Mixing QI ENERGY into your existing skincare routine.
The QI ENERGY range can be mixed and matched with any other BEAUTY PIE skincare (or any skincare routine you’re currently using). The Moisture Cream can be used day or night, over any serum, Super Drops, or as a hydrating layer on top of SUPER RETINOL, or under your daily sunscreen. (Yes, daily.) The Super Glow Serum can be used post cleanse, under a sleep mask, or a moisturiser, or even under another serum (if you like to layer your serums for a multiactive anti-ageing attack). The Brightening Eye Fix is a genius puffiness reducer, use it twice a day, or layer over Super Retinol, or alternate with another favourite eye cream. And the Beauty Sleep Mask can be used overnight once or twice a week, over your serum(s), or alone, or while you take a bath, or on an airplane for a gorgeous, glowing, rested complexion.
Qi Energy FAQs
Q. Is Qi Energy cruelty-free? Vegan?
A. Yes to both. Qi Energy is both cruelty-free and vegan.
Q. What skin type is Qi Energy suitable for?
A. Qi Energy is suitable for all skin types, including oily skins. If you’re acne prone, we recommend combining it with twice daily application of PLANTASTIC Micropeeling Super Drops and once or twice weekly Super Pore Detox or Fruitizyme Facial Masks.
Q. Can this be used in conjunction with the SUPER RETINOL line?
A. Yes, you can layer SUPER RETINOL Serum under the QI ENERGY Moisture Cream. Or layer the SUPER RETINOL Night Cream over the QI ENERGY Super Glow Serum. Or, if you’re a skincare junkie, layer Qi Serum under Super Retinol Serum under Super Retinol Night Cream. Super Retinol Eye Cream can be layered under the Qi Eye Fix, twice daily (for the best anti-aging results).
Q. How does the SUPER RETINOL Eye Cream compare to the QI ENERGY Eye Fix for anti-aging and brightness?
A. The SUPER RETINOL and QI ENERGY eye creams have very different focuses. SUPER RETINOL Eye Cream is formulated with a vitamin A derivative in a micro-encapsulated form that is slow-released into the skin to help support collagen and reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles, and aging-related pigmentation. Our QI ENERGY Eye Fix is formulated with ginseng, ginger and Vitalux (among other restorative ingredients) to reduce puffiness, visibly improve hydration and elasticity, help reduce the appearance of dark under eye circles. Why not use both?
Q. Is QI ENERGY safe to use while pregnant/breastfeeding?
A. There are no ingredients in our QI ENERGY formulations that we believe would be harmful to use while you are pregnant or breastfeeding, but if you’re concerned, please take the ingredient list to your doctor before you try it.
Q. Is QI ENERGY fragrance-free?
A. With the exception of the Eye Fix, which IS fragrance-free, our QI ENERGY range is NOT fragrance-free. The chemists have used a very small amount of fragrance to balance out the odour of some of very powerful naturals (which, unscented, do not always translate into something you want massage onto your face)!
Q. Is QI ENERGY suitable for use on redness?
A. Yes, QI ENERGY is an excellent choice for skin that is redness prone. The ginseng extract has anti-blotchiness properties, and the squalane and sodium hyaluronate bolster your skin barrier, so that irritants don’t make their way in, and water can’t make its way out!
Q. Which cleanser should I use with QI ENERGY products?
A. You can use any non-foaming cleanser in conjunction with our QI ENERGY Range. (A QI ENERGY Cleanser will launch later this year.) Dry/Dehydrated and Normal/Combination skin types can combine it with the PLANTASTIC Apricot Butter Cleansing Balm, JAPANFUSION Transforming Cleanser, or our amazing Double Phase Cleanser.
More questions? Need skincare advice? A custom treatment regimen? Email us.
