7 Ingredients from Your Thanksgiving Feast That Are Good For Your Skin
Thanksgiving is just around the corner and you might not know it, but many of the common, seasonal ingredients used to create your holiday meal also have benefits for your skin. While indulging in some of your favorite foods this Thanksgiving, indulge your skin at the same time! Here are 7 Thanksgiving ingredients our skin can be thankful for this holiday season.
- Pumpkin
Pumpkin is first on our list, and deservingly so! This fruit (yes, fruit) is jam-packed with nutrients that benefit the skin. Pumpkin is a good source of vitamin C, which helps protect the skin from free radicals and promotes collagen production. Carotenoids, which are the antioxidants responsible for giving pumpkins their orange hue, help to improve skin texture and prevent UV damage. Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc, which helps protect cell membranes, maintain collagen, fight acne, and promotes skin renewal.
Lastly, pumpkin is a good source of most of the B vitamins, including niacin and folate. Niacin helps treat acne and improve circulation and folate also helps to improve circulation, which increases cell turn over and renewal.
- Cranberry
Go ahead and have that second helping of cranberry sauce–in the name of skin health! Cranberries contain resveratrol, an acne-fighting compound and cranberry juice has antiseptic properties that, when applied directly to skin, helps to ensure thorough cleansing. Due to the high levels of vitamin C found in cranberry juice, it is effective in the promotion of collagen production. The function of collagen is to help blood vessels beneath the skin carry oxygen, giving your skin that youthful appearance and radiant glow we all desire.
- Cinnamon
In addition to adding flavor to many of your favorite foods this season, cinnamon is one of nature’s greatest antibacterial spices. The antimicrobial properties found in cinnamon can help eliminate acne blemishes and when added to your exfoliant, cinnamon helps remove dead skin cells and restores skin’s suppleness and shine. Cinnamon can also help in giving your skin a fuller, more plump appearance because it brings the oxygen and blood to the outer surface of the skin.
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Apple
An apple a day…keeps the wrinkles away! In addition to an abundance of vitamin C (which we’ve read helps collagen production), apples are also a great source of copper. Copper helps you make melanin, the brown-black pigment that colors your skin. Melanin is what protects your skin from the sun’s UV rays and being able to produce it provides natural sun protection, important for keeping skin wrinkle-free.
- Carrot
Carrots are most well-known for their beta-carotene content, a carotenoid that is converted into vitamin A inside the human body that is helpful in repairing skin tissues. Carrots are an abundant source of vitamin A, antioxidants, and vitamin C, all of which contribute to healthy, vibrant skin. But what you may not know is that carrots are a rich source of potassium. Dry skin is found to be caused by a deficiency of potassium, so daily consumption of carrots can lead to naturally more hydrated skin.
- Rosemary
The scent of rosemary alone should provide incentive enough to apply to your skin. You can purchase rosemary essential oil at your local health food store or extract the oil from the leaves yourself. When applied directly to skin, this herb increases elasticity, and the anti-inflammatory benefits are key to eliminating puffiness from lack of sleep or consuming too many sugary cocktails. Rosemary contains iron, calcium, and phytonutrients which help to protect skin cells from damage caused by free radicals and sun exposure.
- Sage
It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without this savory herb, but sage has benefits beyond making your stuffing aromatic. The antioxidants found in sage protect skin against free radicals and reverse the signs of aging. Battling an oily complexion? Applied directly to the skin, sage oil acts as a toner by regulating sebum production. The anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties found in sage have been found to help cure acne and even relieve the symptoms of eczema and psoriasis!
Wild Naturals Can Help Too
If you want to keep your skin healthy year long – without eating the same holiday-specific ingredients – than Wild Naturals offers a full range of natural skin care products that can do all the above and more! Make sure to browse our online store for our manuka honey products for skin truly youthful and healthy 365 days out of the year!
