Sphagnum De Lux skincare – 100% organic Sphagnum moss formulated
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Sphagnum De Lux is the new affordable luxury skincare brand formulated around the rare ingredient, Sphagnum Moss, which dates back to ancient civilisations and is renowned for its ability to hold huge quantities of water. Ireland based founder, Lisa Kavanagh, had intense struggles with acne and skin breakouts in her youth and after years of cosmetic training began to explore the ingredient found locally (there are over 30 species in Ireland).I caught up with her to hear the fascinating heritage of Sphagnum Moss, the challenges of converting it into topical organic skincare fused with modern science, and her passion to create not just a skincare range but a supportive community based around skin education and self-confidence.
‘My relationship with skincare is very personal due to my early acne struggles which made me want to hide. I eventually went on Roaccutane and cleared it but the experience led me to want to understand why skin behaves in the way it does and that hopefully there could be an alternative to steroids – instead something effective and luxurious but still kind to the skin,’ explains Lisa.
With top level NVQ training and obsessive research into skin ‘and how two people can come in with what looks like exactly the same concern and need completely different things,’ and the seed of the idea to launch Sphagnum De-Lux began. Lisa’s research into Sphagnum moss became impenetrable; ‘historically it was even collected and made into wound dressings in WW1 because of how absorbent it is.’
Next Lisa discovered ‘the history of the ancient bodies found preserved in peat bogs. Some are thousands of years old and still retained remarkably preserved skin and soft tissue. One of the oldest fleshed bog bodies discovered, Cashel Man in Ireland, dates to around 2000 BC. What fascinated me was the environment created by Sphagnum-rich peat bogs — they are acidic, waterlogged and very low in oxygen, and compounds associated with Sphagnum contribute to that extraordinary preservation process. I remember thinking, what is it about this plant and this environment that makes it so special?’
I ask Lisa how Sphagnum vegetation is turned into peat and ultimately formulated into a topical skincare product?
‘The interesting thing is that Sphagnum moss and peat aren’t the same thing. Sphagnum grows in very wet environments. As older moss dies underneath the living layers, those waterlogged and low-oxygen conditions slow down decomposition. Over a very long period, partially decomposed plant material accumulates and forms peat. For skincare, we’re obviously not taking raw peat out of the ground and putting that directly onto someone’s face. The material has to be properly sourced and then processed into a controlled cosmetic ingredient or extract suitable for formulation. So, I work alongside my laboratory who understand extraction, formulation, stability, preservation and safety.’ She continues, ‘what attracted me to the Sphagnum moss for skincare was really that combination of water retention, its unusual chemistry and the long history surrounding it – I wanted to take that incredible natural story and combine it with modern cosmetic science rather than pretending nature and science have to be separate.’
So Sphagnum De Lux has launched with a small edit of easy-to-use products: my way into the brand was actually through their line of sheet masks (Collagen Booster Face Mask, Hydro Glow Face Mask). I ask Lisa how the sheet masks reach deeper into the skin layers in particular with the Collagen Booster Face Mask as whole collagen is a large peptide. She is refreshingly honest: ‘I don’t want to put the word “collagen” on something and imply that a collagen molecule is travelling through the skin and replacing somebody’s lost collagen. That isn’t how it works.
Whole collagen molecules are relatively large. In topical cosmetics, collagen and collagen-derived materials are particularly useful for their moisturising and film-forming properties, while hydrolysed forms contain smaller fragments and can have different cosmetic properties.
So, with our Collagen Boost concept, I look at the whole formulation, rather than expecting one ingredient to do everything. The immediate plumped appearance you see after a really good mask is largely connected to hydration and helping that outer layer of skin hold onto moisture. When dehydrated skin becomes properly hydrated it naturally looks smoother, softer and fuller.
Then you can formulate alongside complementary ingredients that support the appearance and condition of the skin. That’s where I think the Sphagnum moss story fits beautifully. I wanted a mask centred around hydration and skin condition, rather than claiming we’re somehow pushing a huge collagen molecule straight into the dermis.’
Sphagnum De Lux utilises other rare botanicals such as bilberry working with the 100% organic peat and fusing in hyaluronic acid, humid acid, hymatomelanic acid for added efficacy. Other goodie products include the Radiance Max Serum for radiance and plumping– the 100% organic peat moss also full of bioactive compounds and rich minerals reinforces the skin’s natural defense system protecting against oxidative damage and encouraging cell turnover.
As someone who has deeply de-hydrated skin but with oily, inflammation prone surface texture, I enjoy that Sphagnum De Lux inherently places hydration at the centre of its formulations. I remark that many consumers don’t realise that you can have de-hydrated skin under the surface: Lisa agrees, ‘People automatically assume that because their face is oily, they have too much moisture. But oil and water aren’t the same thing. You can absolutely have oily skin that is dehydrated underneath,’ she continues, ‘I don’t want someone to feel like treating breakouts means punishing their skin. And Sphagnum fitted naturally into that story because the plant itself is extraordinary at holding water – I didn’t want it to just be about one hero ingredient though, so I have built a complete formulation around it.’
What are the future plans for Sphagnum De Lux?
‘I want to expand the ranges and explore new formulations. I’m also really passionate about the idea of Glow Diaries — creating a community around real skin journeys. I want women and men to be able to talk honestly about acne, ageing, hormonal skin, confidence and the days when they don’t feel their best,’ she finishes, ‘I would love Sphagnum De-Lux to become a brand that people recognise not just for beautiful skincare but for how we make people feel and to help people feel seen.’ Lisa concludes, ‘I’ve built it from my own experience, funded it from my own work and poured so much of myself into it. Now I just want to keep building it, helping people and seeing where God takes it.’