As an educated professional who understands the value of effective, professional skincare, the constitution of products is important to you. You are not fooled by novelty ingredients, but only use effective, results driven formulas in your treatments. Working cooperatively, you only recommend quality homecare for your clientele.

From the beginning, Lira Clinical’s inclusive philosophies have focused on providing effective options for all global skin types. Lira Clinical has been a leader in emphasizing the importance of considering many factors in clinical treatments, as well as focused homecare. This is why you choose a brand that not only produces effective products but supports with quality education. Lira Clinical has always, and will continue to scour the globe, searching far and wide to source effective ingredients, discovering and sharing the science of nature’s secrets with you along the way.

One effective ingredient that deserves attention is mastiha. It comes in many forms: granule, oil, extract and freeze-dried powder. Mastiha has the potential to strengthen and calm all skin types, brighten all skin tones, and revive all skin ages when utilized properly.

MASQ-tech™ Method is based on the understanding of what form of mastiha works best in a specific formula to deliver visual results in skin. The correct form will encourage diverse penetration for the relative skin type, condition and Glogau classification.  In 2013, Lira Clinical began incorporating the power of mastiha in its product offerings. Originally found in MYSTQ products, Lira Clinical has expanded to utilize mastiha in several forms throughout the MYSTIQ, ICE, PRO, BIO, HEALTH and Resurfacing lines.

The Magic:

It’s easy to breeze over words in an ingredient deck. However, to truly understand how unique mastiha is, you must know where it comes from. How did Lira Clinical stop here, on this unique island, the only location in the world that supplies the potency of mastic resin with over 60 different medicinal uses?

The pistacia lentiscus trees can be found in other countries, and even in other regions, but they do not produce the same potency of resin as that deriving from the Southern Chios trees.  The incorporation of pistacia lentiscus var. chia (botanical name for Chios mastic resin) in Lira Clinical products is evidence of the commitment of using science and nature’s secrets to develop effective professional skincare products.

Chios mastiha was discovered thousands of years ago and has been used to soothe many ailments, from relieving dental discomfort to wound healing. The development of a specific and a unique cultivation process combined with nutrient dense volcanic soil and the dry microclimate contributes to the potency. This is where the magic of mastiha begins.

There are 24 villages in southern Chios that are collectively known as Mastihohoria, or “Mastic Villages.” Historically, mastic resin was considered so valuable the villages were protected with fortress-like walls; absent of doorways or windows and only permeable via ladder. To the residents, then and now, mastiha is life. Production involves the entire community and requires attention throughout the whole year.

In the winter, the lentisc trees are fertilized, plants and debris are removed from the ground below. Deliberate care is taken to prune and sculpt the branches in a specific shape to ensure circulation of air and light.

In the late spring/early summer, the soil surrounding the trunks of the tree is cleaned and leveled in a circular way, creating “tables.” The soil is swept and scraped and then a layer of white soil powder is spread and pressed into the ground. This creates a smooth surface for the mastic resin “tear drops” to fall.

The Kentos: In the Summer, the most crucial stage in mastiha production begins. The Kentos is the process of creating small, shallow incisions into the Lentisc’s bark with a sharp iron tool called a Kentitiri. The practice begins methodically from the bottom of the tree trunk, where the thickest drops will fall, working upwards to the main branches. The trees initiate a natural response of healing themselves with the mastic tear resin, to protect the incision from disease or predatory insects.

The arid Mediterranean air dries the tears, a process that takes about 15-20 days. They then fall to the ground where they are gathered by hand. The beadlike resin is then put into wooden boxes, stored in cool places before it is diligently cleaned for processing. If it rains anytime between the Kentos and gathering, the resin dissolves and that year’s harvest is lost. Mastiha is a powerful, yet precious commodity.

The Medicine:

The medicinal properties of mastiha have been known anecdotally for over 2,500 years. It has a long history of use in oral health, not only to freshen breath, but to fight plaque and sooth dental pain. In fact, the word masticate, or “to chew”, had influence on the naming of the resin. It has also been used as traditional remedy for a sour stomach.

Modern herbalism utilizes mastiha extract as an expectorant for bronchial troubles, coughs and as a cure for diarrhea. Current scientific studies indicate the strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of mastiha can explain the dental and pulmonary relief, and the balancing of digestive flora for the tummy taming.

As with many ancient remedies, we now have scientific evidence of how and why mastic extracts work with the body. In addition to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits, studies have proven mastiha is analgesic, antitussive, carminative, diuretic, expectorant, odontalgic and sedative.

In the Mastic tree, the resin works to heal a wound created in the bark (it’s skin), protecting from external damage and assault. In the appropriate form and in a deliberate formulation, mastiha offers the same wound healing properties for our skin, while also calming and soothing trauma caused by external/environmental factors.

Mastiha is both magic and medicine and, when utilized deliberately, is a powerful tool for all skin care practitioners. Please look for Volume Two of the Medicinal Mastiha series: De-mystifying the Properties and Potential of Mastiha where we will further explore the phytochemistry and pharmacology of mastiha.

Click here to read Volume 2 of the blog series – Medicinal Mastiha: De-mystifying the Properties and Potential of Mastiha.

Watch our video where our education specialist Ella Cress talks about magic of mastic tears: