Healthy Foods That Double As DIY Skin Care Ingredients

The one thing better than great skin care is great skin care that you can eat. Fruits, vegetables, and other natural ingredients may taste fantastic in a cold pressed juice or smoothie sold at your local juice bar franchise, but many of them can also make wonderful additions to your skin care routine. 

Your midday avocado mousse or morning ginger shot can double as an amazing face mask. 

Using fresh ingredients to make DIY face masks, toners, cleansers, and scrubs provides so many benefits. For starters, it helps to reduce the amount of chemicals you’re applying to your face, which can help to boost your overall health and help reduce your risk of illness. Adding fresh foods to your skin care routine can also help reduce food waste and save money. Did we mention that whipping up a face mask from a few goodies in your fridge will also make you feel incredibly crafty? It’s a win all around.

All this said, some fresh foods are far better than others for your complexion. When it comes to DIY skin care, it’s important to have a basic understanding of which ingredients to start with. Below are a few of our favorite edible ingredients for DIY skin care—all of which you can also find in your favorite Pure Green juices, smoothies, and bowls.

Avocado

Avocado mousse is more than just delicious: it’s great for you too. Avocados are loaded with antioxidants and healthy fats. They’re also great sources of potassium and fiber. They’re delicious, and they make a perfect addition to smoothies for extra creaminess.

When it comes to skin care, avocados are excellent moisturizers and can help your skin fight off free radicals. When used in a face mask, avocado mousse can leave your skin soft and smooth.

Ginger

Ginger is a superfood, packed with anti-inflammatory properties and immune system boosters. Your morning ginger shot can help reduce your risk of heart disease and can help lower your cholesterol. It can also help soothe an upset stomach. It’s especially great first thing in the morning to add a little extra kick to your day.
 
Adding a ginger shot to your skin care routine can help fight hyperpigmentation and even out your skin tone. As anyone who’s tried a ginger face mask knows, the ingredient also works wonders when it comes to adding a little glow to your look. If you’re looking to take things to an even more epic level, use ginger in a facial scrub for exfoliation. Hello radiance.

 
Lemon

Whether mixed with a ginger shot or enjoyed on its own, lemon is a wonderful ingredient to add to nearly any eating routine. Its ability to aid in digestion, boost the health of your kidneys, and help reduce inflammation is worth writing home about.

When you introduce lemon to your face, you’ll notice that the fruit helps to exfoliate, reduce excess oil, and manage blackheads. When used in a scrub, lemon can help to slough off dead skin cells. On its own, lemon juice can help keep your skin bright and glowing.

Coconut Water

The sweet, delicious taste of coconut water is compelling enough on its own, but the health benefits of the drink make it out of this world. Coconut water is full of electrolytes, protein, iron, potassium, calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin C—yes please!

You can add coconut water to your skin care routine as a cleanser or toner, especially if you have sensitive skin. After applying coconut water, you’ll likely find your skin more hydrated, and your pores may appear to shrink.

Bananas

Bananas provide your body with the potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, and other ingredients that it craves. They can help benefit the health of your nerves and muscles. They can boost your immune system to help you better fight off illness. Bananas can also keep you full longer, which can help you to avoid eating unhealthy foods due to a sugar crash or sudden hunger pangs.

When used in a face mask, bananas can help relieve acne, moisturize, reduce oiliness, and brighten your skin. Bananas’ antioxidants can also help you fight potential wrinkles. No matter what your skin care goals are, you’ll likely end up with smoother, softer skin after applying bananas. They also work great in exfoliating scrubs!

Pineapple

Pineapples are known for their high concentrations of manganese and vitamin C. Manganese can boost your bone health, and vitamin C is excellent for your immune system. When pineapples are a regular part of your diet, you might find yourself with better digestion, wounds that heal more quickly, and potentially fewer colds.

If you’re looking to add a little extra glow to your skin, pineapples are an excellent choice. Pineapples can help slow aging on your skin, and can fight off free radicals. Be sure to only leave them on your face for a few minutes to avoid any irritation, especially when you first start using them.

 
Beets

Beets are more than just delicious. They’re also an excellent aid to your immune system and overall health. Beets are known for their ability to provide you with steady, long-lasting energy without crashes. They can also benefit your bones, brain, and blood pressure. Talk about a win-win.
 
In the world of skin care, beets are a great option for fighting pigmentation problems, as well as acne. They can also soothe puffiness. Try beets in the form of a face mask or toner for surprisingly awesome results.

 
Blueberries

Most health lovers know by now that blueberries are excellent for your body. They’re jam packed with antioxidants to keep you healthy and glowing, and can help fight off illness. In addition to boosting your heart health and overall wellness, blueberries may even help prevent cancer.

Another thing that makes blueberries so special is that their antioxidants remain powerful even when the berries are chilled or heated. Talk about superheroes! When you apply blueberries to your skin, they’ll help treat acne, reduce the appearance of spider veins, and keep your skin cells healthy while warding off free radical damage.

Strawberries

Strawberries are loaded with antioxidants that can help protect your immune system and your general wellbeing. They’re also packed with vitamin C and manganese. Strawberries can aid in heart health, help lower your blood pressure, and may increase your good cholesterol.

Strawberries contain salicylic acid, one of the most popular ingredients in skin care products. Strawberries can help manage acne and blackheads, as well as pH issues. More often than not, applying mashed strawberries to your face is a one-way ticket to soft, happy skin.

Acai Berries

There’s reason we love acai bowls so much beyond the amazing taste: the fruit is incredibly healthy. This superfood is an excellent source of antioxidants, healthy fats, and fiber. Acai berries may help with cholesterol, arthritis, inflammation issues, and heart health.

Use acai berries in your skin care routine for fewer wrinkles, softer skin, and reduced puffiness. Acai berries can also help reduce redness, fight acne, hydrate, and exfoliate.

Carrot

Carrots are great for your vision, heart, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. Carrots might also be able to help reduce your risk of certain types of cancer, such as lung cancer. These tasty, crunchy vegetables are loaded with Vitamin K, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C—and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

When used in a face mask, carrots can help treat acne and uneven patches. They can also help brighten your skin. When used chilled, they can also have a soothing sensation on puffy or inflamed skin.

Apples

Apples will provide your body with lots of fiber, antioxidants, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, and Vitamin C, among their many other nutrients. Apples can boost your eye health, aid in digestion, and may reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer.

Your skin will likely love apples just as much as your immune system does. The vitamin B in apples can help fight acne. The alpha-hydroxy acids in the fruit can also help with exfoliation. You’ll also likely find that apples are great at reducing signs of aging.

 

Cucumber

Cucumbers have incredible hydrating properties. They’re also excellent for brain health, immune system strength, and healthier digestion.

Those famous hydrating properties translate to skin care as well. There’s a reason it’s so common to put cucumber slices on your eyes at the spa—they can hydrate, reduce swelling, and minimize the appearance of dark circles. Cucumbers are also great as part of a toner or mask to add a little extra glow to your complexion. In mask form, it may even help clear acne and pores.

Cacao

With its rich, chocolatey taste, cacao is tough not to love. Its high concentration of antioxidants also make it a nutritional powerhouse. Cacao is excellent for lifting your spirits when you’re in a bad mood, and can help keep your mind and memory extra sharp.
 
Cacao can boost circulation in your skin, which can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and make your complexion look healthier overall. Cacao may also help to fight off free radicals, reduce redness, and boost collagen for younger-looking skin.

 
Coffee

Coffee is so much more than your daily cup of joe. It’s also rich in antioxidants and may help prevent cancer, reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, and reduce your risk of Parkinson’s disease. Some experts also believe that coffee might help reduce headaches, prevent gallstones, and provide other extra benefits like an improved mood. When used as a beauty treatment, coffee can help firm up your skin and increase your overall glow. It’s also an excellent exfoliating scrub ingredient.