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It’s no secret we love veggies here at One Green Planet! We eat them for breakfast, drink them in juice, blend them into smoothies, bake them into burgers, use them in salads, sneak them into brownies…the list goes on and on. Oh yes, we love our veggies. But our love affair doesn’t stop at eating them. We also love the benefits they can provide for our skin! Here are some veggies you can eat AND wear!
1. Pumpkin
This fall flavor obsession is tasty in lattes, muffins, and countless other food items, but it’s also great for your skin. That orange pumpkin goop helps promote cell “turnover” or regrowth, smooths skin, brightens skin and contains zinc and is high in vitamin E. You can use this veggie to make moisturizer, face scrubs, and lip balm. Check out these awesome DIY beauty recipes with pumpkin!
2. Cucumber
Cucumbers are far more than little pieces to rest on your eyes during a spa session – use them all over your face! This veggie contains ascorbic acid and caffeic acid, which prevents water retention, and overall they help tighten collagen in the skin. Try mashing up cucumber in a blender or food processor and apply the paste directly onto your skin. If you don’t to make face wash/paste yourself, watch out for products that are cucumber scented but contain nasty ingredients. Go for products that are free of parabens and phthalates such as Yes to Cucumbers products.
MDMallett/ Flickr3. Spinach
Spinach is packed with beta-carotene and lutein, two nutrients that have been shown to improve skin elasticity, according to a study in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry. And this superfood green has made its way into a $110 serum that claims to brighten and lighten sun-damaged skin, prevent inflammation, and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Check out this DIY spinach face mask below. The mask recipe begins at 2:30 into the video.
4. Avocado
Though avocado is technically a fruit, we couldn’t leave it off this list since we often use it like a veggie. Whether you eat them or apply them as a topical cream, avocado is great for skin! This fruit contains vitamins A, C and E, and it can be used to clear blemishes and fight acne. Try this awesome, raw vegan avocado face mask from Mama in the Kitchen.
Mama in the Kitchen5. Asparagus
Some people use asparagus to help clear acne. To make a simple, blemish clearing mask, all you need is lemon and asparagus! There are many recipes online that use honey, so if you wanted to follow one of those, we recommend you use a substitute such as coconut, olive oil or coconut nectar.
meganwest/Flickr
Lead image source: Tim Patterson/ Flickr
I\’d like to add grapes into the equation – crush them, including the peels, mix it with honey and voila, you have a nice anti-acne face mask. The science behind the insanity is quite simple: grapes have resveratrol, which is an effective acne combatant, while honey effectively kills bacteria and has anti-inflammatory properties. I recommend using manuka honey, like those coming from New Zealand (bit.ly/1wqVpry).