Every MALINNA° product contains the same, seemingly unassuming ingredient: hand-harvested sea salt from Nin, Croatia. We chose it for its naturally occurring minerals and incorporated it into our proprietary formulation process. In skincare, it raises an interesting question: what determines whether skin is able to retain water?
Crystals shaped by the sun and wind
In Nin, salt is produced traditionally in open salt pans. Seawater fills shallow pools and naturally evaporates during warm, dry days. Once the salt crystallises, it is harvested by hand. It is produced without industrial boiling and remains naturally rich in minerals.
At MALINNA°, we heat-treat this very salt and process it further using our proprietary method. It is part of every product; in this article, we focus on why the interaction between water and minerals is particularly interesting in skincare.
Hydrated skin can retain water
Hydrated skin needs more than brief contact with water. What matters is the ability of its outermost layer to bind water and slow its evaporation. This function is jointly performed by the skin barrier, the lipids between cells and the skin’s natural moisturising factor – NMF.
We can think of NMF as a natural blend of substances that attract and bind water within the skin. It consists mainly of amino acids and their derivatives, urea, lactate, sugars and mineral ions. Through this interplay, the skin’s outermost layer is better able to maintain its suppleness, softness and comfort.
Mineral ions belong to the skin’s natural environment
When minerals dissolve in water, they form electrically charged particles – ions. We also know them as electrolytes. Sodium, potassium, calcium and chlorides are naturally present in the skin and its hydration environment. Calcium also helps regulate the maturation of skin cells and the formation of the protective barrier.
But the name of an ingredient alone does not determine the result. Its form, concentration and how all the ingredients work together matter. That is why, at MALINNA°, we do not see sea salt as an eye-catching addition to a formula, but as one part of a carefully considered whole.
When minerals meet water and oils
In MALINNA° skincare products, we fragment plant oils at a temperature of 35 to 40 °C, combine them with water and heat-treated sea salt from Nin, and then rapidly cool the blend.
This creates a formulation in which water, plant oils and the mineral component work together. The complete formula helps the skin maintain hydration, comfort and a properly functioning skin barrier. Sea salt is a natural part of this formula, processed together with the other ingredients using MALINNA°’s proprietary method.
This is what makes our approach unique: rather than adding salt as a standalone ingredient, we combine it with water, oils and other ingredients to create one functional whole. The same hand-harvested salt from Nin runs throughout our entire product range.
Discover MALINNA° through our bestseller
Cleansing Foam is MALINNA°’s best-selling product and, for many, their first introduction to our skincare. It gently removes excess surface oil, perspiration and everyday impurities without leaving the skin feeling tight. It, too, contains hand-harvested sea salt from Nin.
One hand-harvested ingredient. Naturally occurring minerals. A proprietary processing method. Sea salt from Nin is the subtle signature that unites every MALINNA° product.
