The benefits of plant-based skincare seem never-ending, and the amount of products that are adding botanical extracts and natural ingredients is continuously expanding. Multiple beauty companies are taking the benefits already found in food to give your skin a lift, and some ingredients are better than others. If you find the following foods in your lotions, buy them!

Spinach

Green vegetables, like those ingredients found in Aesop products, do wonders for your hair and skin when eaten, but they can also promote good health when rubbed directly onto the skin. Spinach especially earns its superfood status because it’s packed with vitamin C, A, K1, beta-carotene, iron, folic acid, calcium, and magnesium. 

When added to facial creams, it reduces dark circles around the eyes and improves oxygen circulation. Spinach will make your skin more supple and heal acne wounds and scars. It may even slow the development of skin cancer cells.

Cucumbers

Cucumbers have had an association with skincare culture for years, thanks to the many movies that use them during spa scenes. They are widely known for their cooling effects that improve complexion from the inside out. Utilizing a cucumber mask can brighten up your face, but if you want the full impact of this vegetable, drink it in your water for clearer skin.

In a single cup of cucumbers, you get 19% of your daily vitamin K and ample amounts of vitamins B, C, and minerals like magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and copper, which can all be absorbed through your skin with creams.

Carrots 

The popular orange vegetable, the carrot, is an absolute must-have if you’re an acne sufferer because its ingredients are a natural antiseptic. Antiseptics help to kill bacteria on the surface of the skin that leads to clogged pores and blackheads. Even if you have clear skin, carrots can still help wash away the impurities found in city air pollution and oil buildup.

Eating carrots or placing its ingredients in a facewash will give you a dose of vitamin A, k, and C as well as the minerals calcium, iron, potassium, and fiber. You’ll receive more nutrients if you add them to your salad, but your skin will still look incredible.

Strawberries

It’s difficult to find someone who doesn’t love strawberries for their wonderful taste and smell, but strawberries have an even greater purpose than being packed full of vitamins. Strawberries contain alpha-hydroxy acids, which help exfoliate the skin, whether you have a dry, oily, sensitive, or acne-prone complexion. Body creams are typically filled with strawberries for this reason!

Just like spinach, strawberries are also considered a superfood for the sheer amount of good they do for the body. Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin c, manganese, folate, and potassium but also provide iron, copper, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamins K, E, and B6 to a lesser extent.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin may be difficult to find depending on the season, but it’s worth it if you can find a cream that contains this incredible squash. Since pumpkins are filled with vitamins E, C, and A, they help to reduce redness, brighten the complexion and speed up healing. This vegetable is also filled with antioxidants which cuts back on wrinkles, acne scars, and sunspots.

The orange pigment in the pumpkin is also great at sloughing off dull or dead skin and will help make your cheeks look fuller. Pumpkins are also packed with copper, potassium, manganese, vitamin B2, and iron. You may have to wait to get a pumpkin-filled product until the fall season!

Healthy Body + Healthy Skin

Plant-based skincare is all the rage thanks to the incredible amount of good natural foods can bring to the body. Coupled with a healthy diet and exercise, natural skincare can make you look years younger, fresher, and less tired.