Product Spotlight: Caviar

Long considered one of the world's finest delicacies, caviar has captured the hearts of the most discerning palates.  This salt-cured sturgeon roe is typically served cold, atop an unsalted cracker or toast.  Premium grade caviar should be light in color with large pearls and provides a bold taste.  If you want to experience it, it will cost you- somewhere in the range of $300 per ounce.  

Caviar is now more than just an appetizer and has joined the ranks of gold and stem cells as some of the most expensive ingredients in skin, hair, and nail care products. If you thought the cost of premium caviar was high, then take a deep breath before checking out the $500 price tag on some of the prestige caviar beauty products at your local Nordstrom, Saks, or Sephora.  Brands like La Prairie, Alterna Haircare, and Nails Inc are all infusing their products with caviar extracts.

Can it really be worth it?  Can caviar really make me look more beautiful?  As it turns out, the answer is: maybe…  

Caviar is a natural source of some of the ingredients commonly used in anti-aging creams.  Vitamins A, C, and E are found at high levels in caviar.  These potent antioxidants reduce skin inflammation and minimize the damage that oxygen free radicals have on our collagen.  Minerals like zinc are important co-factors needed for skin cells to make healthy, new collagen.  And omega-3 fatty acids provide the building blocks for healthy skin cell membranes.  While there is more pseudo-science out there than anything else, one published study showed that a caviar extract did help skin cells rev up collagen production and improve the function of the cell’s power plant (the mitochondria).

So what do I think?  I confess that while an evening of caviar and vodka at Petrossian would be an evening to remember, for now I think my split ends and wrinkles will appreciate the caviar more than my taste buds.

 #CoriConfesses