Maple Sap: Not Just Something Maple Syrup Made From

You may not know that I live in Vermont, but what you probably do know is that when people talk about Vermont, one of the most common associations has to do with it being a place where some of the best maple syrup comes from.  It's true, and we don't take that lightly.  Maple sap is the clear liquid which flows from trees and subsequently gets boiled to make the maple syrup we love to put on a stack of pancakes.  Maple sap can definitely stand on its own though.  It makes a wonderfully refreshing beverage and is nutritionally dense, being rich in over 46 bio-active compounds including vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, enzymes, antioxidants and can help reduce inflammation.  All of these components are beneficial for our bodies on the inside and is often drank by athletes to replenish themselves. So that got me thinking about the possibility of using it as an ingredient for skin care and whether it would exhibit beneficial effects for skin.  The short answer is a big YES! As it turns out, maple sap happens to be one of the primary ingredients in Terra Dona Skincare's Hydrating Glow (Hy-Lo) Gel, which is highly effective in keeping skin hydrated, soft, and smooth and I have seen visible results soon after applying on myself and others!  Granted, there are other natural, nourishing, and in short, amazing, ingredients in Terra Dona Skincare's Hy-Lo Gel, but being that maple sap is the second ingredient listed in it (meaning it is the second most prevalent ingredient used), its contribution to how effective the Hy-Lo Gel is cannot be ignored.  
Collecting sap from the trees is quite involved and has very specific temperature requirements to be done.  In Vermont, and most of New England, Maple Sugaring Season, as it is called, is considered to begin sometime around late March through the end of April.  The reason is that the sap flows best when there are below freezing temperatures at night and 40-45 degree(F) weather during the day.  The pressure that results in the trees from this drastic and sharp temperature change causes the sap to flow. It's quite a long-standing tradition in the New England area and makes for quite an event, with people coming to visit from all over to partake in this custom of collecting maple sap from trees and partaking in the process of making maple syrup!  Check out the article below discussing the process of how maple sap is collected  and made into maple syrup in more detail and some great sugaring farms in New England!  On a final note, I feel as a Vermonter, it deserves mentioning that this article states in the very first sentence that in the prior year, 4 million gallons of maple syrup were produced in the U.S., and Vermont trees were responsible for nearly 2 million gallons! :)

Article:
Grab a bucket. The maple sap is running!

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