Top 3 Benefits of Pumpkin to Your Skin and a DIY Pumpkin Facial

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Pumpkin provides many benefits for your skin. Below are 3 great reasons why healthy pumpkin is such a great superfood in improving your skin’s appearance and tone.

Top 3 Benefits of Pumpkin to Your Skin and a DIY Pumpkin Facial
pumpkin skin benefits / pixabay

Benefits of Pumpkin to Your Skin:

1. Antioxidant Carotenoids for Skin Aging

Beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and other carotenoids present in the bright orange pulp of pumpkins can help in defending your skin cells against oxidative damage.

Free radicals from UV light and environmental pollutants can start to break down the elastin and connective collagen that holds your skin together. The long-term results of this elastin and collagen breakdown are wrinkles and other signs of aging.

A good consumption of antioxidant carotenoids in your diet from vegetables such as pumpkins has been reported to help protect cells from free radical damage which often leads to skin aging.

Also, dietary carotenoid supplementation has been linked with less scaling and roughness of the skin’s surface.

2. Fiber for Healthy Looking Skin

A good digestive health provides many benefits for your skin. Even with the best treatments and creams, it is hard to achieve healthy appearance, if you have a sluggish intestinal tract loaded with toxins.

Poor elimination and digestion will often show up as an unhealthy looking skin and tired face. Pumpkin or winter squash may help due to their high levels of dietary fiber, in order to get things moving properly in your digestive tract.

3. Vitamin C for Skin Firmness and Elasticity

Pumpkin is a good source of vitamin C, which is known to help in protecting your skin from free radical derived oxidative damage, which can lead to poor tone, wrinkles and even skin cancer.

Also, vitamin C is required for the production of elastin and collagen, the connective proteins that maintain your skin’s elasticity and firmness. Consuming vitamin C rich foods may help in promoting collagen production over time for better appearance and tone.

Pumpkin Facial Scrub Recipes:

1. Pumpkin Spice Facial Scrub:

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon vitamin E oil or oil from a few vitamin E capsules
1/2 cup coconut oil for dry/normal skin or cup jojoba oil for oily skin

Directions:
1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Apply to clean skin using your pinky and ring fingertips with warm water.
3. Avoid the eye area, while gently moving the scrub around your neck and face.
4. Once done with a few rotations on your face, rinse using warm water.

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2. Pumpkin Facial Scrub With Honey:

Ingredients:

Pumpkin peel (from steamed pumpkin)
Raw honey or Manuka honey
Ground cinnamon

How to Make a Pumpkin Facial Scrub:
1. Wash your face using a natural cleanser.
2. While your face is still moist, take a section of the pumpkin peel into a plate with your ground cinnamon, raw honey, a butter knife, teaspoon and fork.
3. Use a fork to scoop the inside of the pumpkin skin, through any remaining pulp and as close to the inner rind as possible, but without tearing it too much. The highest concentration of beneficial enzymes is present closest to the skin, therefore drag the fork into the inside of the pumpkin peel, while still keeping it usable as a facial rub.
4. Using the knife, coat the inside of the peel using the scored pulp and a thin covering of raw honey.
5. Sprinkle a pinch of ground cinnamon over the honey coated pumpkin pulp.

How to Apply the Pumpkin Facial Scrub:
6.Rub the honey and cinnamon coated pumpkin peel over your face, in a gentle, upwards, circular motion.
7. After massaging in the scrub into your nose and forehead, tear the strip in half and use one on either cheek. Remember not to forget your neck area and to always be working upwards in circles, never dragging down.
8. Add some cinnamon and raw honey halfway through. Then scrape the rind with a fork again.
9. After rubbing the peel over your face well, lie down for at least 10-15 minutes to relax and let the alpha hydroxy acids, enzymes and other nutrients go to work to improve your skin.
10. Wash off and moisturized using a good chemical-free moisturizer.

Read More:
1. 5 Incredible Health Benefits of Pumpkins You Probably Didn’t Know
2. Fight Cancer With This Delicious Spicy Pumpkin Soup
3. 10 Health Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds

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