By Leisa Small
Xylitol is a 100% natural product that is extracted from the birch tree, some fruit and plants. Our own body produces Xylitol during the metabolic process – a normal, middle-sized adult can produce even 15 grams of Xylitol in a day.
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that behaves in a similar way to ordinary sugars. It looks and tastes exactly like the everyday sugar we use – only it is 2 times sweeter. It is a perfect healthy substitute for a sugar in our diet and is often recommended for diabetics.
Initially discovered in the 1890s, Xylitol wasn’t the subject of intensive study until the late 1960s and early 1970s. Since then, Xylitol has remained a highly researched and studied ingredient.
According to extensive research, Xylitol has numerous health benefits due to its antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and alkalising properties. Xylitol breaks down the biofilm produced by bacteria on teeth and skin, and fights candida, yeast, and other fungal infections. It is proven to enhance the healing of wounds, fight bacterial colonies, and help maintain the body’s pH balance.
Xylitol for skin care
Xylitol has been widely used in atopic skin care in Finland for years. It has been added into skin care creams and is recommended and even prescribed by doctors and dermatologists.
In hair removal, the Xylitol is a new acquaintance. In Finland, where Xylitol has been thoroughly studied, there have been many different innovations using this miraculous substance. One such innovation has been Scandinavian Skin Candy products. In 2015 in a small village of Vahto, two entrepreneurial siblings, Henna Meriharju and Harri Kujala, innovated a new epilation paste with added Xylitol. Firstly, the idea was to have a unique selling point for a new brand. It was only after practical experience that the siblings fully understood how important the discovery they had, by accident, invented.
