Did you know that turmeric can help your skin glow naturally? You must have been using turmeric as a topical applicant for alleviating back pain or inflammation. Have you ever used turmeric as a face pack for treating skin abnormalities? If you haven’t, then you must try it!
Turmeric has been in use for medicinal purposes since hundreds of years, yet not many know about its full potency. It is a flowering plant belonging to the ginger family of Zingiberaceae. You normally use the roots of turmeric in cooking and other medicinal purposes. The scientific name of turmeric is Curcuma longa and is a rhizomatous plant, predominantly found in the Indian subcontinent.
For culinary purposes, you generally use the powder form of turmeric. You will mostly find the presence of carbohydrates in turmeric powder, apart from proteins, water, fats, and essential oils. Turmeric powder also has dietary fibers and minerals, along with 6 percent of curcuminoids. A special class of curcuminoids is present in turmeric, known as diarylheptanoids like curcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, and demethoxycurcumin.
All these compounds have one or the other beneficial effects on your body. Your skin will be blessed with the exposure to phytochemicals, such as curcumin that has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is a bioactive phyto-compound, which has innumerable beneficial effects on your skin, and other healing effects.
Table of Contents
How to get a natural glow with turmeric?
Are you not satisfied with cosmetic products for glowing skin? Do not frustrate yourself with artificial beauty options, when you have the natural source right in front of you. Turmeric has numerous antioxidants and bioactive components to reduce inflammation, which can together contribute to a lustrous and radiant skin.
Why do you think your skin loses out its luster? It is because of multiple internal and external factors, the two most prominent causes being aging and exposure to sunlight. Aging is a natural internal phenomenon that you cannot avoid, but can definitely slow down with healthy lifestyle choices. The process of aging speeds up when a lot of free radicals are generated from body cells, due to metabolism. The greater the generation of free radicals, the more is the oxidative stress of cells.
When oxidative stress within a cell increases, it gets programmed for death or lysis through a process known as apoptosis. If more cells start dying due to oxidative stress, your aging process will naturally increase without any external stimulus. Your skin will start looking pale and the texture will be lost, with the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Then how can you defend such a condition?
To reduce oxidative stress in cells, you need to have a counter compound to fight free radicals from being generated. These counter compounds working against free radicals or oxidants are called antioxidants. Turmeric is naturally blessed with a huge count of antioxidants. It can not only combat oxidative stress but also rejuvenate your skin cells effectively. Curcumin is one such compound present in turmeric that contributes to glowing skin, by reviving your skin naturally.
How can you use turmeric for your skin?
You can easily prepare a face pack at home, to test the efficiency of turmeric on your skin health. Prepare a face mask by mixing little portions of turmeric paste, Greek yogurt, and honey in a bowl. Apply the paste all over the face and let it sit for 15 minutes or wait for it to dry. Wash your face with cool water. Repeat this process every day for at least a week to see the difference.
What other skin benefits do turmeric offer?
Turmeric is an excellent natural healer of wounds. It contains anti-inflammatory properties that can easily work on your inflamed cells on the injury, and heal that area rapidly. Curcumin can reduce both oxidation and inflammation of cells. Thus, it brings down your body’s response to any cutaneous wounds and heals injured areas in a faster way.
You may even find some research papers, proving that turmeric has a positive impact on collagen production in tissues. Although there are some optimized formulations, according to which you need to use turmeric for medicinal purposes.
Another very important advantage of using turmeric on your skin is that it cures psoriasis. Psoriasis is a skin disease that is chronic in nature, mainly happens when your immune system becomes overactive. During this condition, your skin cells accumulate over one another forming scaly patches that are dry and itchy.
The symptoms for psoriasis include-scaly and dry skin, inflammation, and thick red or white patches. If you have psoriasis, your dermatologist will mostly prescribe you a steroid topical cream, light therapy, oral medications, or occlusion. However, if you are looking for a natural remedy, turmeric can help you get rid of psoriasis. You can use turmeric in the form of a paste for direct application, or supplement it in your diet. However, remember to take care of the dosage by consulting with a professional dermal expert.
Other than psoriasis, turmeric can help you beat similar dermatological diseases like eczema, lichen planus, alopecia areata, scabies, etc. Eczema is also known as atopic dermatitis, which leaves behind itchy rashes on your skin on inflammation. Lichen planus (or lichen ruber planus) is a condition resulting in irritation and swelling of mucous membranes, nails, hair, and skin.
Alopecia areata is a skin condition that targets your hair follicles, resulting in an abnormal loss of hair with uneven bald patches. Scabies or sarcoptic mange is a contagious skin disease that is caused by mites, leaving behind itchy rashes. You can even try using a combination of neem and turmeric, to see better results for treating such skin conditions more effectively.
Can turmeric dissolve acne scars?
You may struggle with acne issues at least once in your life since it is that common. Acne often leaves behind noticeable marks or scars that become very difficult to get rid of naturally. However, turmeric can help in reducing acne and resulting in acne marks due to its anti-inflammatory properties. It can definitely clear your face of acne breakouts.
