The medicinal use of pomegranate can be traced back to the ancient times when it was used to heal everything from poor circulation, infections, and diarrhea, to fertility, arthritis, and wound
healing. We are just discovering what our ancestors knew about the restorative benefits of this fruit on our bodies, but let’s talk about pomegranate’s beneficial effects for our skin.
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Pomegranate Packs a Punch in Skin Nutrition
It’s a tidy little package for skin wellness that you can ingest or use the seeds, the flesh, and even the rind, to promote skin health.
There are over a hundred phytonutrients in pomegranate. That’s three times more antioxidant benefit than in green tea or red wine! The incredible amount of phytonutrients found in pomegranate play a key role in providing health benefits for skin and the body and make it a great choice to add to your diet or skin care routine..
Pomegranate Has A Restorative Effect on UVA Damage
A study published in April 2007 in the journal Photochemistry and Photobiology, showed that pomegranate fruit extract possesses powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which have a restorative effect on UVA caused cellular damages. The study went on to say that pomegranate “merits further evaluation as a photochemopreventative agent.”
UV radiation cause many skin conditions like hyperpigmentation or age spots, wrinkles, and sagging skin.
Anti Inflammatory Properties
Pomegranate is helpful in restoring the skin from sun damage because of the anti-inflammatory properties it contains that help generate new tissue to promote and expedite healing and the reduction of damage and scars.
Pomegranate Helps Diminish Hyperpigmentation
Study of pomegranate’s healing effect on hyperpigmentation is still in its infancy, but studies are increasingly showing that pomegranate has a healing effect on ultraviolet induced melanin synthesis leading to hyperpigmentation. Three studies are included below.
- A study published online in June 2012 in the journal Fitoterapia demonstrated that Siberian larch extract and pomegranate fruit extract, which each separately inhibit the expression of genes that regulate the melanin producing cells, worked synergistically when combined. When these extracts were used together in a 1:1 ratio, researchers found that the reduction of melanin pigment production was double that of the Siberian larch extract or pomegranate extract alone. The study also showed that the combination had no effect on cell viability.
- Another study published in Fitoterapia, in June 2014 showed that pomegranate fruit extract combined with Chia seed extract worked synergistically to inhibit melanin biosynthesis that was better than chia seed alone.
- In the journal Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, a study was published online in May 2014, that tested the effect of pomegranate extract on ultraviolet-induced pigmentation. The results of this study suggest that the pomegranate, when taken by mouth, is an effective skin-whitening agent.
Eat It Or Apply To Your Skin?
Apply directly to skin: You can apply pomegranate oil directly to the skin irritations and scars to help them heal faster. Look for unrefined or virgin cold press oil. It retains the most beneficial phytoactive compounds, without all of the chemicals.
Ear or drink it You eat a pomegranate and drink its juice to experience the beneficial healing effects from inside.
Supplements: Since obtaining pomegranates is not always possible, you can still reap the benefits through supplementation
The Vitamins & Minerals In Poms
Pomegranate is also a rich source of vitamins and minerals that benefit our skin but Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and Vitamin E are the most prominent vitamins it contains.
Vitamin C
- helps stabilize and create collagen which reverses fine lines and wrinkles
- Is an anti-inflammatory which aids the skin in healing, diminishing blemishes and age spots.
Vitamin K
- works to heal wounds by producing new skin cells
- protects and maintains the collagen in the skin
- reduces visible signs of aging and acne scarring.
Pomegranate seeds
- protect the outer layers of the skin and aid in the regeneration of the cells.
Vitamin E
- reduces UV damage
- maintains the health of the skin
- used topically, speeds healing by reducing scavenging free radicals.
- protects against sun damage
- diminishes signs of aging skin.
Minerals
- folate is crucial to healthy growth of and circulation of red blood cells.
- Potassium helps maintain proper water balance in your skin, keeping it hydrated.
- zinc assists in wound healing.
- iron repairs both oxidative stress and photo-induced skin damage
Other ways to fade hyperpigmentation
If budget doesn’t permit you to try red light therapy, there are other creams that will hep fade age spots over time. The Tommy Timmy Intensive Skin Corrector is a solution for dark spots and age spots. We have found niacinamide to be particularly effective. It doesn’t dry out the skin and it works quickly. Check out our favorite age spot fading cream here. The good news is you can try it out for just $1, including shipping.
