Look Good – Feel Good – In 2018 the UK’s beauty products and services industry was worth £28.4 billion, a figure that relates to 1.3% of the UK’s total GDP. So, what does this tell us? What it tells us is, a great many of us take a lot of pride in the way we look.
This is especially true when it comes to our skin. Whether we are trying to mask some slight imperfections or blemishes or trying to cover up those wrinkles and unsightly bags under the eyes that come with age, one thing for sure, we all want to look good. If we look good, we’re more likely to feel the same way.
We are What We Eat
Nothing could be closer to the truth where the fruit is concerned. Believe me, if you start eating the right fruits, you’ll catch yourself looking in the mirror more than you ever have before, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what you see. A radiant, glowing and revitalised reflection of yourself smiling back at you.
Before you rush out to the supermarket and stuff your trolley full of different fruits, you need to realise certain fruits are more advantageous than others when used for maintaining healthy skin, whether through ingestion or applying directly to the skin.
The Highs and Lows
The bottom line is some fruits are very high in sugar. “But they’re natural sugars,” I hear you say. And you’d be correct, but they can do just as much damage to your skin as processed white sugars. Simply put, high amounts of sugar have a detrimental effect on the health of your skin. So cast aside those sugary villains and set your sights on some skin-friendly fruits so that you can attain that glowing and radiant complexion you desire.
Behind the Mask
Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why avocados are one of the main ingredients in so many facemasks? If you realised just how beneficial fruits are for healthy, radiant-looking skin, then the reasons would be clear. Vitamin C is one of our skin’s greatest allies, and because our collagen levels begin to decline as we hit our twenties, eating fruits rich in vitamin C help make up the loss.
Grapefruit is Great fruit
Only forty-one calories and over 50-70% of your daily vitamin C intake, you can be sure that the Grapefruit is a perfect companion on your journey towards radiant and glowing skin. Its high-water content helps keep your skin barrier hydrated, and it’s been found that ingesting vitamin C rather than applying it may be more beneficial to collagen stimulation.
As delicious as the Grapefruit may be, applying it directly to your face has huge benefits also. Luxury skincare brands such as Misumi Skincare have products like their AHA cleanser that boast the beneficial nutrients that grapefruit offers. Citric, tartaric and malic are just three of the many alpha-hydroxy acids found in Grapefruits. This help dissolves the glue that holds all those dead skin cells together and is excellent when used for a liquid exfoliation to leave your skin smoother and glowing in appearance.
Avocados. Inside and Out
Avocados are rich in vitamin E, which is a major antioxidant that helps safeguard your skin from oxidative damage, and of course, vitamin C, which we know is essential for creating collagen. They’re also high in healthy fats, which helps us achieve a more supple and flexible skin type.
We’re all aware of the dangers that come with sitting in the sun for too long. As well as the health risks, prolonged exposure to the suns damaging UV rays can cause wrinkles and various other signs of ageing, so you’ll be glad to hear that initial studies found that this fruit contained certain compounds which may protect you from such damage.
Because Avocado oil contains potassium, lecithin, and several other nutrients, it makes a great daily face moisturiser. This superfruit has many benefits and can help your skin in a multitude of ways including, relief from eczema, prevention and treatment of acne, and it’s been found to speed up t
These are just a few of the many benefits. Just use the inside of a piece of Avacado peel and massage into the face. Leave for fifteen minutes and rinse off. If you’d prefer not to mess around with fresh fruits, then avocado oils and facemasks are widely available to buy.
Say Hi to Tom. Your Skin Friendly Fruit
Packed with skin-friendly ingredients called carotenoids, specifically Lycopene and filled to the brim with antioxidants, tomatoes are a sure-fire way of attaining that glowing complexion you desire so much. The antioxidant properties of Lycopene not only protect the skin from harmful UV rays, but they’ve also been found to help with heart health and protection from certain types of cancer.
The Anti-Ageing Benefits of Strawberries
Because strawberries are low in glycemic index (a winner for great skin) and extremely low in glycemic load, it means they release their sugars oh so slowly, which is excellent news. But it gets better. These heart-shaped summer fruits are a significant source of phenolic antioxidants and are packed with 2 to 11 times more of them than other fruits.
There’s one particular phenolic acid that stands out above any of the others, and it’s ellagic. It’s quite apt that it rhymes with magic considering the benefits it has in the fight against ageing. Not only does it stop the breakdown of your skin’s collagen; it also prevents UV skin damage and averts the thickening of the skin with age.
Three Cheers for the Cherry
Small in stature immense in antioxidant benefits, so we know by now that they will help with the fight against ageing. The big difference here is the proven anti-inflammatory benefits found in the mixture of antioxidants that the cherries contain. You may be surprised when you hear what skin conditions are defined as inflammatory. Bruises, cuts, irritating itches, redness and even acne is a form of skin inflammation. So, for clearer looking skin, why not grab yourself a cheery or two. Hip hip hooray!
Let the Goodness Inside Shine on the Outside
We already knew that fruit was good for us. Hopefully, now, we realise just how much it can benefit us both on the inside and out. Not only can it help us in the constant battle against ageing, with its wrinkles and laugh lines, but it can also be a huge help in clearing up skin conditions such as acne and eczema. Maybe next time you’re out shopping, you’ll give the chemist or beauty salon a miss for once, and head to the fruit aisle in your local supermarket instead.