Skincare & Haircare Benefits of Pumpkin – Why Is Pumpkin Good for Skin & Hair?
Pumpkins aren’t just for decoration on your door steps, there are some surprising skin benefits to them too! So, before you go throwing out any left-over pumpkin flesh from your Halloween crafting, take a look at these ideas of how to use this skin boosting super fruit!
Glow Boosting Face Mask
Pumpkin is a great source of vitamin C with its antioxidant benefits being able to fight off any free radicals on the skin which can cause wrinkles. Vitamin C is also great for treating any texture found on the face and uneven skin tone such as dark spots. To fade dark spots and give the skin a healthy glow try this recipe below.
1 tablespoon of pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon of honey
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of vitamin E oil
Apply the mixture for 30 minutes onto damp skin, wait for the mask to dry and then rinse off with lukewarm water.
Lip Scrub and Balm
For many of you having a lip balm on you during these chilly months would be a must have! With chapped flaky lips causing great discomfort, using a scrub as well as a balm will work wonders for your sore lips by ridding you of flaking skin and hydrating. Here is a two in one recipe for a lip scrub and balm!
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon pumpkin seed oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix the coconut and pumpkin seed oil together in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Allow the mixture to cool, but not harden then add in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Allow to cool completely and then the scrub and balm is ready to use!
The coconut oil will add moisture and pumpkin seed oil is very hydrating for dry skin, as for the sugar this provides the exfoliating part of the mixture to make the scrub and cinnamon spice adds not only a wonderful taste but will help plump the lips up too. The recipe will give you a multipurpose pot of a lip exfoliating and moisturising balm! Perfect for battling these chilly months!
Body Scrub
Now I’m not going to lie to you guys this recipe will get you messy! So, I find it’s best to hop in the shower and give your body a scrub. Here is what you will need;
1x small bowl of pumpkin pulp
1x tablespoon of coconut oil
1x small bowl of pink Himalayan salt
Mix the ingredients together by hand and then rub the scrub all over the body, the salt with buff away all the dead skin cells whilst the coconut oil and vitamin E enriched pumpkin pulp will restore the skin and give it back some hydration.
Nourishing Hair Mask
This hair conditioning treatment is amazingly beneficial if you have very dry hair, here is what you will need to make this mask.
1x small bowl of cooked pumpkin
1x tablespoon of coconut oil
1x tablespoon of honey
2x tablespoons of yogurt
In a food mixer blend the cooked pumpkin and yogurt together to make a thick puree, add the coconut oil and honey to the mixture and blend more. Apply the mask to damp shampooed hair and leave for 15 minutes, you can leave the hair by itself or use a shower cap. Rinse thoroughly and then you are done! Your hair is restored, nourished and shiny!
Anti-Ageing Treatment
With pumpkin being enriched in different vitamins and also contains beta-carotene which wonderfully reverses the signs of any UV sun damage to the skin. And let’s not forget your skin’s tone and elasticity improving due to collagen promotion thanks to this autumnal super fruit!
You can mix a at home mask to benefit your skin and can change the ingredients used to help with different skin types, dry and oily. Here are the recipes for both below.
Dry Skin
2x teaspoons of cooked pumpkin
½ teaspoon of honey
¼ teaspoon of thick whipping cream
In a bowl mash all the ingredients together to make a puree using a fork, apply the mask to a clean, dry face and allow to dry for 10-15 minutes. Though there may be only 3 ingredients in this mask, you will find your skin is exfoliated, nourished and hydrated once you have rinsed off the mask! Apply some moisturiser and you and your skin will feel happy and comfortable.
Oily Skin
1x tablespoon cooked pumpkin
1x teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Using the same method as before, mix these ingredients together using a fork to create a puree, apply the mixture to a damp face and leave to dry for 30 minutes, rinse off with warm water and then cold water to allow your pores to close, apply some moisturiser and you will find your skin is healthy and feeling deeply cleansed.
So when you have craved your pumpkins be sure not to waste it but instead have yourself looking glorious and not ghostly this Halloween!
