Cucumber: Summer Vegetable That Refreshes Your Skin
Next time you hit the produce aisle or farmers market, grab three cucumbers for your salads and three for your skin.
This low-cal veggie is chock-full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that nourish your face from the inside out.
The Cool Cucumber
According to RealAge skin expert Amy Wechsler, MD, author of The Mind-Beauty Connection, cucumbers have a little extra something going for them. They contain both vitamin C and caffeic acid, two antioxidants that, when applied to the skin, help fend off wrinkles, sun damage, and more. Vitamin C boosts collagen and elastin, which keeps skin looking young, and caffeic acid protects cells from UV radiation. Find out why carrots are good for your skin, too.
Skin's Best Friend
Dr. Wechsler recommends cucumber therapy for these skin problems, too:
- Puffy peepers: Chilled and sliced, cucumbers fit perfectly over eye sockets to relieve puffy lids. Watch this video to find out why getting your beauty sleep is essential.
- Redness: Cucumbers' natural anti-inflammatory properties calm and soothe skin reddened by rosacea or sunburn. Place thin, cold slices anywhere there's redness. Watch this video to learn which skin care ingredients to avoid if you have sensitive skin.
Summer Spa
Make your own spa experience at home with Dr. Wechsler's recipe for kitchen divas: Barely puree half a cucumber and blend with 2 to 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt; it should be thick, not drippy. Pat all over your face and neck, stretch out for 15 minutes or so, then rinse -- and relish how good your skin feels.
RealAge Benefit:
Safely getting enough sun can make your RealAge as much as 1.7 years younger.
The Mind-Beauty Connection: 9 Days to Less Stress, Gorgeous Skin, and a Whole New You. Wechsler, A. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2008.
