My grandmother always looked youthful. My mother too, looks at least 10 years younger than she really is! Is it genetics? Maybe, however we all know the importance of taking care of your skin. Before the skincare industry became abundant with products, Grandma took care of her skin with simple natural ingredients straight from her kitchen. Some of these natural and effective ingredients are so good and still relevant that they are worthy to take note of putting on your skin today.
Here are the top 5 foods that we believe you should put right on your face. We believe in them so much; you’ll find some of these foods in various ingredient forms in our Zax’s Original Creams.
Cucumber – Cucumbers have been known for their cooling properties, hence the phrase “cool as a cucumber”. Thin slices of cooled cucumbers are great to help reduce puffiness around the eyes and dark circles. Their high-water content hydrates the eye area helping to relieve puffy and tire-looking eyes. We love cucumber so much you can find cucumber extract in our Zax’s Dark Circle Eye Cream.
Avocado – Rich in healthy fats, avocados are not only good for you to eat, but can provide your skin with plumping moisture. Their healthy fats and vitamin E are also great for smoothing your skin too. In fact, vitamin E is an excellent ingredient to look for in your favorite topical creams because it reduces inflammation and rejuvenates aging skin. Got some softened avocados lying around? Try this avocado mask and brighten your skin while deeply moisturizing it.
Oatmeal – Known for its extremely soothing properties, oatmeal and its oat milk have been used in beauty products, including face, body and hair for centuries. I remember when little, my mother would bathe me in oatmeal when I had the chicken pox or routine rashes. Oatmeal relieves itching and swelling due to its anti-irritant qualities. It also binds to your skin and makes a protective barrier to help stop the itch and protect the skin. You can find soothing oatmeal in our Zax's Bug Bite & Itch Cream.
Citrus – Various citrus fruits are popular natural fragrances in skincare and beauty products. They also are known for fighting free radicals and aiding in repairing and rejuvenating the skin preventing aging. For example, the high Vitamin C content in lemons can work as a natural skin lightening agent for age spots. Simply juice a fresh lemon and apply a little to your face (first test patch for sensitivity), once the lemon juice dries you can continue with the rest of your skincare routine. We suggest doing this during your nighttime routine as Vitamin C can react with sunlight to cause pigmentation changes. Another known spot lightening ingredient is citrus unshiu peel extract that can be found in our Zax's Darkspot Cream.
Coconut oil – Coconut oil is one of the greatest known natural moisturizers due to its high fatty acid content. Made with healthy fats, it is not only one of the best oils to cook and bake with but is excellent to use to moisturize your skin and works great as a make-up remover.
Written by Alyssa Rolnick, Co-Founder of Zax’s Original Products, Registered Dietitian and Mother of 3 active kids.