Birds Nest Ingredient Review: What is birds nest and why does it make for a good skincare product

Birds nest is the most expensive ingredient in skincare. It's made from a type of bird that lives on cliffs and they make their nests out of saliva, sticks, roots, and grasses. The nests are collected off the ground or by rappelling down the cliff to collect them. We hope you find this article really interesting because it explains about how birds nest can help with wrinkles, reducing dark spots, moisturizing skin without being greasy, preventing acne breakouts and more!  

What do you think? Do you want to know more? Read this blog post for more information about what birds nest is all about!

What is birds nest and what does it do for your skin?

Birds nest ingredient has been used in Chinese medicine for over 2000 years! Despite only recently becoming known outside of Asia as a skincare wonder-worker, birds nest contains many naturally occurring amino acids which are essential to maintaining healthy skin due to their hydrating properties. Amino acids are large molecules made up of smaller particles known as 'amino acids' that link together like beads on a necklace: As such, these chains can be

TLDR: YES, Birds nest is glorified bird puke. Not really, but kinda? Birds nest is made from the male bird's saliva that is hardened. Of course, it is cleaned and boiled so many times that it's free from any impurities. But this ingredient, which may cause some Western audiences to gag, is one of the most sought after and expensive ingredients on the market.

Why should you use birds nest in your skincare routine

Birds Nest is known scientifically as 'FN-2A', and in Chinese Medicine it's known as 'Ling Dan' and is used to treat skin problems such as dryness, wrinkles, acne, freckles and other signs of aging. This ingredient has even been referred to as the 'Asian Gold' due to its many health benefits but we want to take a look at some key ones that you can expect when you incorporate this baby into your skincare routine!

1) Hydration

The main component of birds nest is hyaluronic acid which acts like a sponge for hydration by drawing water from the humidity around it straight into your cells. Hyaluronic acid levels naturally decrease with age so if you're suffering from dry skin, this ingredient is great for you. 

It's recommended to drink a cup of water every waking hour but that's not always possible to do. So, when we're dehydrated inside it makes sense that our faces will appear dehydrated on the outside. Birds nest hyaluronic acid can help 'plump' up your skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles like no other by providing heavy-duty hydration where it's needed most! 

2) Anti-aging properties

Lots of animals have naturally occurring amino acids in their body and birds nest, a byproduct from swallows contain a huge cocktail of amino acids including glycine, proline, arginine alanine, and serine. These are essential components for maintaining plump and healthy-looking skin due to their anti-aging properties. Amino acids work together with your skin's natural moisture retention process or 'acid mantle' (that we're all supposed to maintain but that most of us do not) to keep your skin free from dryness, fine lines, and wrinkles.

3) Prevent acne breakouts

Skincare experts note that one of the major components found in birds nest is known as arginine. This can act as a ‘drying agent’ by shrinking the size of pores, which causes blackheads and whiteheads. It also helps increase blood circulation so toxins are more easily expelled from your skin keeping it clean and clear! 

Related article: A Must-Read Guide On How To Get Rid Of Acne And Not Die Trying

4) Helps even out dark spots/reduce freckles

Because birds nest contains lots of amino acids, it can help lighten hyperpigmentation scars and even out your skin tone. Amino acids can also help prevent new acne breakouts by getting rid of dirt in the pores! Lots of ladies use face masks with this ingredient, which is totally a great way to consume it too!

Eye Care

Eye Care Bird's Nest Aqua Fresh Eye Patch

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Eye Care

Eye Care Gold CF-Nest White Bomb Eye Cream

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How to incorporate the ingredient into your daily regimen

The easiest way to get birds nest into your beauty regime is by adding one or two drops of Elizavecca's White Bomb Eye Cream directly onto your ring fingers and pat the product around your eyes. It's the only eye cream we've ever tried that actually reduces the appearance of dark circles and lines. If that wasn't enough, this supercharged eye treatment is packed with hydrators like glycerin, extracts of black sesame oil (which improves skin elasticity) as well as lots of peptides and amino acids for brightening!

Does this ingredient have any negative effects on skin health and how to avoid them

While this product can be considered controversial, at Asian Beauty Essentials we work with brands that ensure sustainability and safety. Birds nest is typically made from the nests of house sparrows who are protected on a national level, so it's better to choose skincare products that are sourced from birds nests harvested sustainably and ethically like from the brands we carry on our site.

Did you know? In several Southeast Asian countries, birds nest hotels are popping up where birds nest harvesting is done safely and without disruption to the population, leveraging technology to attract and monitor the birds. In fact, this species is growing in population in some areas because of these 'hotels'.

It doesn't take much product for you to achieve a dewy finish on your skin and start seeing results!

Final thoughts: Why this ingredient could be beneficial for those with sensitive skin types, dry patches, or acne

For people with acne-prone skin, birds nest might not be the best ingredient to add into your regimen. It's high in arginine, which is a 'drying agent' that can help expel toxins from your skin and help shrink pores. While this sounds awesome, anyone suffering from acne should avoid drying agents because they could trigger more acne breakouts.  If you have really sensitive skin that cannot handle most ingredients, then birds nest might be a good addition to your routine.

Ladies with dry patches or rough areas can benefit from this ingredient by using it on stubborn and flaky areas (like elbows). Because the peptides in birds nest help increase collagen & elasticity, this ingredient is great at smoothing out the most stubborn patches.

 I'll be honest, when I first heard about birds nest in skincare routine, my thoughts were "that sounds gross." But after a little research and talking to experts on the subject of skin care, it's really not that weird. Birds nests are made up of lots of beneficial things for your skin like vitamins and minerals which can help hydrate dry patches or acne prone areas as well as improve anti-aging properties. So what do you think? Would YOU try adding this into your beauty routine? Let us know in the comments below!

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