Health food-inspired beauty products are now a thing, and here’s why. Editor Trudi Brewer says utilizing the potent antioxidants from fruits and plants, once bottled and served up in anti-ageing skincare can get expect even the dullest of complexions glowing again.
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The goodness from superfoods not only keeps our bodies and immune system healthy the power of cleansing oats, antioxidant-rich tomato, a spice that calms the most upset of skin, and nourishing avocado maybe just what the doctor ordered for your winter skincare routine. Here are the superfoods showing up in skincare and how they benefit your face.
AVOCADO
While they come with a hefty price tag over winter, this fruit is full of skin-loving antioxidants, and fatty acids including omega 3, 6 and 9. Avocado is also rich in vitamins A, D, and E, soothing the skin and providing relief from itching or inflammation, while strengthening the skin's barrier to keep moisture in and irritants out. Recent research also shows avocado oil contains sterolin, which offers immune-enhancing benefits and can help fade the look of brown spots and sun damage.
Try…
Antipodes Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream, $63.
Formulated with nutrient-rich avocado oil to hydrate the skin, Manuka honey for its antibacterial benefits to promote a blemish-free complexion, and white grape extracts, that will help improve the texture and firmness of the skin this natural night cream is delicious.
YOGURT
Packed with probiotics and lactic acid, not only is this fermented food great for your digestive system, and bloat control, it's the best way to get your skin glowing. The lactic acid in yogurt helps remove the dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, brightening your complexion fast.
Try…
The Crème Shop Raspberry Yogurt 2-in-1 Fusion Sheet Mask, $6.
A yogurt-infused sheet mask, ideal for busy women, this quick skin-fix is packed with lactic acid and hyaluronic acid that helps to promote a brighter-looking complexion, while boostings moisture levels at the same time.
OATS
One of the best prebiotic foods are oats. They help to feed the good bacteria ( probiotics in your gut) and are . some of the healthiest ancient grains you can eat. Known as a low glycemic, energy boosting superfoods, these good-for-you carbs, are a great way to kickstart the day better than a breakfast of starchy foods (like bagels and toast), they are gluten-free and stacked with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. For the skin, they have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits that will hydrate dry skin and calm irritated skin. Clever natural cleansers thanks to the saponins in oats or natural soap-like benefits once packed into a cleanser they will gently remove dirt and oil from the skin while gently exfoliating as well.
Try…
Dermalogica Ultracalming Cleanser, $68.
A gentle, non-foaming cleanser that calms redness and sensitised skin, helps to strengthen the skin's protective barrier without being irritating. It’s an ideal cleanser for sensitised skin as it’s formulated without artificial fragrances or any colour.
TOMATOES
Readily available, tomatoes are a salad staple and one of the best sources of lycopene, a powerhouse, anti-ageing antioxidant. Brightly coloured they are packed with carotenoids that help protect the skin from UV damage. A fat-soluble nutrient, lycopene is absorbed faster when eaten with avocados, olive oil or seeds (the base to the Mediterranean diet), a diet known to help prevent heart disease. More good news, new research suggests that lycopene is absorbed faster by your body when it's cooked. With winter the perfect season to whip up a warming tomato-based stews or soups. As an ingredient applied topically lycopene is rich in vitamins C and E which nourish, protect and help to brighten the skin.
Try…
The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane, $16.
Packed with lycopene, and jojoba seed oil, as well as skin brightening vitamin A (retinol) this after five skin treatment will help brighten dark spots and hydrate ageing skin. Apply this serum to clean dry skin, before using rich night creams.
CITRUS
The vitamin C shot you get from eating citrus fruits such as oranges, tangerines, mandarins and grapefruit benefits the bodies immune system instantly helping to ward off winter chills. Vitamin C is an excellent alkalizing food that once metabolised it helps to balance the bodies’ pH levels, which gets out of whack from drinking too much coffee, wine, or eating too much junk food. Topically applied this skin-loving vitamin can calm inflammation, brighten dark patches, and even help boost collagen in the skin.
Try…
Trilogy Rosehip Vitamin C Booster, $45.
A two-week intensive treatment of pure vitamin C, vitamin E, and ferulic acid, for natural skincare lovers, this is a glow-giver in a bottle. It sets to work boosting luminosity (great prior to a special occasion), used over 14 nights. Along with the active vitamin C, this booster also contains hyaluronic acid, skin brightening daisy extract, aloe vera juice, rosehip, and mandarin oil.
Turmeric
Known in beauty circles as a skin-loving spice, turmeric has brilliant anti-inflammatory and antibacterial benefits that work from the inside out. Turmeric contains curcumin, a potent antioxidant that fights free radical damage, in the body. Added to a smoothie or sprinkled onto eggs or grated into tea with honey, it can boost collagen production, and encourage skin firmness, which is why as an ingredient in skincare it's showing up in some serious anti-ageing skin serums.
Try…
Clarins Double Serum, $175.
Along with organic, quinoa, goji berries, edelweiss, and green banana extract this bi-phase serum, (made in a water-soluble and oil-soluble formula) is packed with the wonder spice turmeric. This powerful cocktail of ingredients forms a hydrolipidic film or protective barrier on the skin to help keep moisture in and nasties from the environment out. After a few weeks of use, you will notice firmer, and smoother -looking skin.
