The pomace is one of the most abundant by-products of the agro-industry especially in Italy, one of the most important wine producers in the world.

What are marcs and where do they come from?

The pomace is the residue of grape processing made up of skins, pips and, sometimes, even the stalks. To better understand what we are talking about, here is a brief definition of these elements:

• the skins are the external part of the berry
• grape seeds are the seeds found in the grape pulp
• the stalks are all that remains of the bunches of grapes after removing the berries

It all begins with the grape harvest, that is with the collection of grapes for the production of wine. The first phase of this process takes place during the ripening of the grapes and consists in the collection of the bunches . It then continues with the crushing , thanks to which the must is obtained which is poured into large tanks where the third phase of the winemaking process will take place: fermentation . The must remains in contact with the skins and seeds and, once the skins and seeds are separated from the must, the marcs are generated, the waste of this process.

The properties of grapes

Red grapes are a concentrate of precious substances for one's health and for one's skin.

In ancient times the grape was used as an antidote against anxiety, psychophysical stress and worries. It has always been a very welcome fruit both for its sweetness and for its medicinal virtues.

Grapes are refreshing, purifying and nourishing. Each of its grapes is a mini pharmacy .

The list of its benefits is decidedly long, among the main properties we find antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and vasoprotective ones.

But what benefits do grapes have on our skin?

Grapes are rich in polyphenols , organic compounds considered to be the most powerful antioxidants found in nature . Polyphenols are able to counteract the harmful action of free radicals which are one of the main causes of skin ageing.

Red grape biophenols inhibit MMP2 which causes the degradation of collagen and other skin proteins such as elastin. These processes would lead to a decrease in skin tone and elasticity, loss of firmness and the onset of wrinkles.

Absolutely yes! All the precious properties of this fruit that we can use in favor of our skin are also found within the pomace , the waste that we have seen to be the residue of grape processing, made up of skins and grape seeds. It is precisely here that the greatest concentration of polyphenols is found.

We can therefore recover what would be real waste and bring it back to life , thus avoiding wasting the precious properties that nature offers us and reducing waste !