Calcium, magnesium and iron get all the attention. Silicon, meanwhile, stays in the shadows — even though it is one of the most abundant minerals on Earth, and a genuine structural element in living things. A short tour of a fascinating and little-known trace element.
Silicon is the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust, after oxygen. It is found in sand and rock, but also in many plants.
What is less well known is that it is also present in our own body: traces are found in the skin, hair, nails, bones, blood-vessel walls and connective tissue. This is what is called a trace element: present in very small amounts, but widely distributed.
DID YOU KNOW?
Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) is one of the most silica-rich plants in nature. Used since antiquity, it owes its characteristic rigidity to its high silicon content, a fine example of this mineral's "structural" role in the plant world.
A structural mineral
Why speak of a "structural" mineral? Because in the plant world it contributes to the rigidity of certain plants, such as horsetail.
Dietary sources
Silicon occurs naturally in several everyday foods:
- Whole grains: oats, barley, wholemeal wheat.
- Certain vegetables such as green beans.
- Certain mineral waters, naturally rich in silica.
Conversely, a highly refined diet provides less of it, since refining removes part of the silicon contained in the husk of the grain.
Mineral silicon or organic silicon?
There are two broad families. Mineral silicon (silica) is very widespread but generally poorly absorbed by the body.
Organic silicon refers to forms in which silicon is bound to organic molecules, reputed to be more bioavailable. It is this form that is found in most silicon-based care and wellness products.
Note: in Switzerland, the use of organic silicon in ingestible form is governed by regulation. This is one of the reasons it is often offered for external application, in gel form.
Flexinol: a massage gel with organic silicon
Flexinol by Bio-Gestion is a massage gel for external use, highly concentrated in organic silicon. It is massaged into the body's mobility areas: ankles, knees, elbows, shoulders, neck and wrists.
Applied and massaged into the skin, it gives a pleasant sensation of freshness, particularly welcome after physical activity or at the end of the day. Its gel texture absorbs easily and leaves no greasy film.
Flexinol is a care and massage product. It is valued for the moment of relaxation it offers and for the sense of well-being of the massage gesture itself.
How to use it
- Apply a hazelnut-sized amount of gel to the desired area.
- Massage gently in circular movements until absorbed.
- Ideal after sport, after a walk, or at the end of the day.
- External use only. Avoid the eye area and mucous membranes.
In summary
Silicon is a fascinating structural mineral, present everywhere in nature and even in our own body.
Organic silicon finds a fine application in massage gels such as Flexinol, for the pleasure of a relaxing gesture and an everyday feeling of freshness.
