Considering all the buzzy food-inspired ingredients in beauty products, lentil extract might initially seem underwhelming. After all, those tiny, unassuming legumes are best known as a fiber-packed health food added to soups and salads. How could these humble plant extracts possibly have a place in beauty products too?
Well, lentil seed extract offers serious, long-lasting perks when included in skincare and makeup formulas. Disclaimer: We love it so much that the low-key legume you may have noticed it has a starring role in our beloved Pore Eclipse lineup.
Ahead, experts share what makes lentil extract an incredible ingredient to include in your beauty routine and how it powers our Pore Eclipse products.
What is lentil extract?
Lens esculenta fruit extract (also known as lens culinaris or lentil fruit extract) is derived from actual lentils and is packed with antioxidant properties and essential nutrients like polyphenols—many of which are behind the legume’s skincare benefits.
“Lentil is rich in protein, oligosaccharides (a carbohydrate), and minerals,” says cosmetic chemist Ginger King. Together, these work to refine skin texture and moisturize skin. Lentils are also a natural source of vitamin B5, or pantothenic acid, which helps soothe inflamed skin and strengthen damaged skin barriers by attracting and locking in moisture.
What else does lentil extract do? Are lentils good for skin?
Because lentil seed extract is brimming with vital nutrients, it offers similarly versatile benefits for skin, particularly those with oily skin. For one, it keeps skin hydrated and minimizes the appearance of pores, King explains. When turned into a physical powder, it also helps mattify skin by absorbing excess oil without feeling heavy or cakey on skin.
Combine that with the fact that lentil extract is a “unique biological solution for treating pore visibility,” and you have a natural solution for combatting shine and excess sebum production, says cosmetic chemist Krupa Koestline. It also stimulates collagen synthesis to firm up the walls of large pores for a tighter, smoother appearance.
Which Milk Makeup products contain lentil extract?
Not surprisingly, the benefits of lentils for skin made it a no-brainer for our Pore Eclipse fam. We use lentil extract—which is literally lentils crushed up into a powder—instead of talc or silicone in our mattifying primer, blur stick, setting spray, and setting powder to absorb oil all day long, says our Co-founder and COO Dianna Ruth.
After getting your base prepped with cleanser, skincare, and sunscreen, you can start your soft-matte makeup routine by blending Pore Eclipse Mattifying Primer onto your T-zone and working outward to create an ultra-smooth, oil-controlled base with the powers of lentil extract. It also softens the look of pores and creates a blurred finish for your foundation and concealer.
Once you’re done with your makeup application, you can lock in your seamless base, soft sculpting, and stunning flush with Pore Eclipse Matte Setting Spray. In this form, lentil extract locks in the matte finish of your complexion products and keeps shine from breaking through them. It also controls oiliness throughout the day and keeps makeup from budging for up to 16 hours.
You can also sweep on Pore Eclipse Matte Translucent Setting Powder to zap away any semblance and possibility of shine with lentil extract. The superstar legume will also help give skin an airbrushed finish when added to setting powder.
Throughout the day, if you need to touch up any areas that are starting to look shiny, our Pore Eclipse Matte Blur Stick is also spiked with lentil extract to instantly cut through shine and leave your skin with a dreamy soft-focus finish. You can also sub in the mess-free stick for primer when doing your makeup on the go. Just swipe your fingers over the stick and tap them over any oily spots to instantly zap away shine.
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Which skin types does lentil extract work best for?
Although lentil’s shine-absorbing properties can make it an incredible option for oily skin, the versatile ingredient can be used for all skin types, according to King. Take Pore Eclipse Matte Setting Spray, for example: Not only does it instantly give skin a glowy, filtered finish, but it also imparts an extra layer of hydration for those with dry skin. The vitamin B5 in lentil seed extract is to thank. Its skin-smoothing magic in primer and blur stick forms also comes in handy for creating an even, blurred base for those with acne-prone skin and mature skin.
Is lentil extract safe for sensitive skin?
Both King and Koestline agree that lentil extract is safe for sensitive skin. “Some studies show its potential as an anti-inflammatory agent in skincare,” Koestline points out. Plus, all of the Pore Eclipse formulas feature niacinamide, which is beloved for its anti-inflammatory, sensitive skin-friendly properties.
Bottom line: Lentil’s benefits for skin make it a keeper not only if you have oily skin, but for anyone going for a dreamy, soft-focus look—no filter needed.
Meet the Experts
Ginger King (she/her) is the founder & CEO at Grace Kingdom Beauty, a cosmetic product development firm in New Jersey specializing in helping create beauty brands from concept to launch. She has been the keynote speaker for brand launches and has spoken at various trade conferences on product development and In-Cosmetics on product innovation. Ginger is an oft-quoted beauty expert and has been on radio and video chat with leading beauty magazines as well as a regular TV appearances on Good Day Sacramento. She has been quoted by over 35 top beauty magazines such as Allure, Self, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Shape, Teen Vogue, and Women’s Health.
Krupa Koestline (she/her) is a clean cosmetic chemist and founder of KKT Consultants. She has created award-winning formulations with breakthrough technology for brands like Kopari, May Lindstrom Skin, and Tower 28. A thought leader, trend forecaster, and industry pioneer in clean beauty, Krupa has merged her background in biology, biochemistry, and biotechnology with her lifelong practice of Ayurveda. Krupa also consults for brands and retailers on improving their Clean Beauty guidelines based on the latest research in ingredient safety, environmental impact, and sustainability impact. Starting her 10+ year career at Estée Lauder and Neutrogena, Krupa pivoted her focus to creating safer products. Krupa saw firsthand the impact of potentially harmful ingredients used in personal care products. Today, Krupa continues to revolutionize clean beauty. By taking inspiration from an array of industries ranging from food and wellness to even automobiles and toys, Krupa is able to design breakthrough products, from skincare masks with a radical preservation system to new moisturizers with a better penetration technology.
Dianna Ruth (she/her) is the Co-founder and COO at Milk Makeup. She’s launched thousands of makeup and skincare products, overseeing them from concept to development, garnering over 30 industry awards from institutions such as CEW, Allure, Self, and Cosmopolitan. With her extensive background in product development and her busy lifestyle as a mom of two, Dianna wields her extensive industry knowledge and ability to seek out the new, useful, and functional to create our revolutionary and highly innovative Milk Makeup products.
