According to Nicholas Perricone, MD, a board certified dermatologist, certain foods contain ingredients that keep our skin supple and smooth and help fight age related damage. So get our your pad/pen and add these items to your grocery list - strawberries, pumpkin, pomegranates, olive oil, green tea, oatmeal, vanilla yogurt and honey.
Let's start with pomegranates which are the richest in antioxidants of all the fruits. Make an exfoliating scrub by combining 2 tbsp of the seeds with a cup of uncooked oatmeal (not instant) in a food processor. After blended transfer to a bowl and add 2tbsp of honey and 2tbsp of buttermilk. Apply to face...let set for a few minutes then rinse. If you want to exfoliate your elbows and knees add 3/4 cup of turbinado sugar. Apply to those rough areas..let set a few minutes and rinse.
Pumpkins are rich in vitamins C, E, & A along with having hydrating properties. To make a pumpkin pudding facial that is applied once a week, combine in a blender or food processor 2 cups of canned pumpkin, 4 tbsp low-fat vanilla yogurt, 4tbsp honey, and 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice. Apply to face leaving it on for 10 minutes and rinse.
The strawberries will provide a quinching drink as well as a face mask. Stawberries have more vitamin C per serving than grapefruits or oranges. Vitamin C helps fight free radicals which are skin damaging and break down collagen. Combine in a blender or food processor 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries, 1 cup of vanilla or plain yogurt, and 1 1/2 tbsp of honey. Set asied enough to coat your face and drink the remainder. Leave the mask on for about eight minutes before rinsing off.
Olive oil is known for it's anti-inflammatory properties and when used topically it smoothes and radiates the skin. Using it on your lips can moisturize the most parched lips and it can also be applied to other dry areas of the body.
There are many beverages containing green tea on the market today, so there is no doubt about the benefits of adding green tea to your diet. A recent study shows that green tea may reduce the risk of getting skin cancer. After brewing a cup, chill the bag in the refrigerator. Apply the chilled bag to your eyes when needed for 10-15 minutes to reduce puffiness.
Because the skin can be sensitive to certain things it is advisable to do a patch test first with the strawberry, pumpkin and pomegranate mixtures. If you have no reaction after twenty four hours you can begin to incorporate them into your weekly "taking good care of me" routine.
Posted By: Belinda Anderson
Sunday, November 23rd 2008 at 9:46PM
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