Harsh but true, your skin is the victim of your poor lifestyle choices and ignorance (and dust and pollution). Maybe you are not blessed with the “perfect skin” genes, but you can turn that around if pay attention to what you eat and what you apply to your skin. And the best way to rejuvenate your skin is to consume fruits and apply a fruit mask every alternate day. Invest 10 minutes of your time every day in doing this and see a visible difference in two weeks’ time.
1. Lemon
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Lemons are natural bleaching agents. They are rich in vitamin C, a potent antioxidant that helps flush out toxins and protect the skin from photodamage and hyperpigmentation . So, if you have uneven pigmentation, dark spots, acne scars, or keratinization, try using lemon to get glowing skin. Here’s how you can use it.
How To Use Lemon For Glowing Skin
- Add the juice of ½ lemon and 1 teaspoon of organic honey to a glass of water and drink it first thing in the morning. This will help flush out toxins.
- Add lemon juice to your salad.
- For oily skin with pigmentation or acne scars, mix lemon juice with rose water and dab it on your skin and rinse off after 10 minutes.
- For dry skin with pigmentation, mix lemon juice and coconut oil, dab it on your skin and rinse off after 10 minutes.
- To get rid of dark circles, mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice with 1 teaspoon of milk. Apply it to your under-eye area and rinse off gently after 10 minutes.
- Rub lemon and sugar on the keratinized areas to lighten the skin tone and reduce keratinization.
2. Papaya
Papayas contain vitamins A, C, B, pantothenic acid, and folate and minerals such as copper, potassium, and magnesium. They also contain enzymes like papain and chymopapain that help prevent skin damage by free radicals and have antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. Consuming papaya can help prevent constipation, which is one of the reasons for poor skin health. It can also help treat warts, eczema, corns, and cutaneous tubercles . Scientists have also found that papaya can help heal wounds and chronic skin ulcers . So, if you have digestive issues, scars, and pigmentation, you must include papaya in your diet and beauty regimen. Here’s how to use it.
- Eat a bowl of papaya for breakfast or as an evening snack.
- You can prepare papaya smoothie by blending papaya, lemon juice, and pink Himalayan salt.
- Mash a small piece of papaya and apply it on your skin. Rinse off after 10 minutes.
- Mix mashed papaya with lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon of turmeric and apply it on the pigmented and scarred areas. Rinse off after 10 minutes.
- For dry and flaky skin, apply mashed papaya with half a teaspoon of almond oil. Wipe it away with a soft wet cloth after 10 minutes.
- Make a papaya scrub using a small piece of papaya, 1 teaspoon of orange peel, and 1 tablespoon of rose water (for oily skin) or honey (for dry skin). Use gentle circular motions to scrub your skin. Rinse with room temperature water.
- 3. Avocado
Avocado is rich in healthy fats, dietary fiber, and vitamins E, A, C, K, B6, niacin, folate, and pantothenic acid. It has antioxidant properties that help reduce oxidative damage, which, in turn, prevents DNA damage. Consuming avocado can promote healthy aging as it is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin that protect your skin from UV radiation. The healthy fats in avocados help retain the skin’s elasticity, reduce inflammation, and speed up wound healing . Here’s how you can use avocado to get clear and flawless skin.
How To Use Avocado For Glowing Skin
- Add avocado to your salad, burritos, wraps, breakfast bowl, sandwiches, etc.
- Make an avocado and spinach smoothie.
- Prepare an avocado dip by mixing it with yogurt or hummus.
- Use avocado in cakes or as a topping.
- Mash an avocado and apply it on your skin. Rinse off after 10 minutes.
- For oily skin, mash a small piece of avocado with rose water and a pinch of camphor. Rinse off after 10 minutes.
4. Orange
The sweet, juicy, and pulpy orange has a vibrant color and intoxicating smell. This fruit can also work wonders for your skin. Like lemons, oranges too are rich in vitamin C – 100 grams of oranges contain 54 milligrams of vitamin C, which is an antioxidant. This means that oranges can help prevent oxidative damage, photodamage, DNA damage, reduce inflammation, and aid collagen synthesis. Now, let me tell you how to include oranges in your daily life.
How To Use Oranges For Glowing Skin
- Consume half an orange each day.
- Drink freshly pressed orange juice with the pulp. Avoid the pulp if you have stomach ulcers or are suffering from IBS/IBD.
- Add oranges to your salad, pizza, stew, cakes, and chocolates.
- Add orange juice to your smoothie.
- Apply orange juice topically wherever you have pigmentation. Rinse off after 10 minutes.
- For oily skin, mix 3 tablespoons of orange juice, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of gram flour, and ½ teaspoon of turmeric. Apply as a pack.
- For dry skin, mix 3 tablespoons of orange juice, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of milk, ½ teaspoon of turmeric, and 1 teaspoon of honey and apply on your skin.
5. Watermelon
Red, fleshy, watery, sweet, and refreshing – I just cannot get enough of watermelon. And what’s more, it is great for your skin too, especially if you have oily and acne-prone skin. Watermelon has dietary fiber (0.4%), water (92%), carbs (7.55%), sugar (0.4%), vitamins C, A, B1, and B6, carotenoids, flavonoids, and lycopene. It has zero fat and is cholesterol-free . Lycopene helps in scavenging the free oxygen radicals and prevents skin damage. Water helps to flush out toxins and improve bowel movement. Here’s how you can use watermelon to achieve clear skin.
How To Use Watermelon For Glowing Skin
- Have a medium bowl of watermelon as an afternoon snack or for breakfast.
- Drink freshly made watermelon juice in the morning or evening.
- Make a fruit salad with watermelon.
- Add watermelon to add a zing to your otherwise dull smoothie.
- Mash a watermelon and apply it on your skin. Rinse off after 10 minutes.
- For oily skin, mix 3 tablespoons of watermelon juice, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, 1 tablespoon of Fuller’s earth, and 1 teaspoon of rose water. Rinse with cold water after the mask dries.
- For dry skin, mix 3 tablespoons of watermelon juice, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, 1 teaspoon of honey, and 1 teaspoon of aloe vera. Rinse off after 10 minutes.
6. Cucumber
A fresh green cucumber has a typical aroma that can make you feel fresh even without eating it. Like watermelons, cucumbers are also very high in water content, have a cooling effect on the body, and possess antioxidant properties . Unpeeled cucumbers are also rich in vitamins K and C and dietary fiber. Scientists have found that sea cucumbers can be used for skin whitening and reducing wrinkles . Here’s how you can use cucumbers to heal your skin.
How To Use Cucumber For Glowing Skin
- Add cucumber to your salads, wraps, sandwiches, smoothies, etc.
- Prepare a glass of refreshing cucumber pulpy juice and add a dash of lime juice, roasted cumin powder, and pink Himalayan salt for taste and flavor.
- Eat a cucumber as a snack in the evening.
- Grate a cucumber and mix it with 1 tablespoon of gram flour and 1 teaspoon of rose water to reduce inflammation in acne prone skin.
- Mix grated cucumber, 1 tablespoon of milk, and 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to moisturize dry skin.
- Mix grated cucumber, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, and sugar to scrub your hands and feet.
7. Mango
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The sweet and fleshy mangoes work amazingly well when it comes to rejuvenating the skin. They are rich in vitamins A, E, C, and K, flavonoids, polyphenolics, beta-carotene, and xanthophylls. This is why mangoes help protect your skin from DNA damage and inflammation . They are also rich in sugar and dietary fiber, which helps treat constipation. In fact, mangoes are already used in the cosmetic industry to create hair and skin butters that have shown wound healing properties . Here are different ways in which you can use mangoes to rejuvenate your skin.
How To Use Mango For Glowing Skin
- Add mango to your smoothie, breakfast bowl, or fruit salad.
- Mash a small piece of mango and apply it all over your skin. Rinse off after 10 minutes.
- For oily skin, mix mango, rose water, and lime juice and apply it on your skin. Wash with cold water after 10 minutes.
- For dry skin, apply a mask of mashed mango, 1 teaspoon of yogurt, and 1 teaspoon of honey. Wash with room temperature water after 10 minutes.
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