Fruit Face Packs for Healthy Skin

Ravage your fruit basket and work wonders for your skin

An apple a day keeps the doctor away is a quote all of us have grown up with.  But most of us are unaware of the potential of this very apple to keep acne away. And why only apples, for that matter there are lots of fruits which are packed with pluses for our pollution-weary skin. 

Foodism brings for you some DIY fruit masks and also the reason for opting for them in terms of the benefits of the fruit in question. So here we go –

Apple

The vitamin C in apples helps boost collagen and tighten the skin. Then again the copper aids melanin production, brightens the skin, protects it from the harmful effect of UV rays and helps revive dying skin; and vitamin A with other antioxidants control acne, decrease dark eye pigmentation and increase hair growth. Apple purportedly decreases the scalp dandruff. 

Suggested Masks 

• Add one tablespoon of sugar and four cups of milk to a mashed apple and blend it thoroughly. Then add a few drops of chamomile oil and apply this paste on your face for at least 15 minutes. Recommended for normal skin, this pack guarantees a glow.

• Want to remove the dirt trapped in the pores of your skin? Prepare and use this daily scrub – crush half an apple in a mixer and add 2 tablespoons of honey and 2 tablespoons of oats.

Avocado

Touted to have a dense concentration of vitamin A and E, avocado lends your skin a natural glow; besides helping to moisturise and rejuvenate the scalp.

Suggested Mask

Take two teaspoons of honey and mash an avocado in it; then add a teaspoon of milk cream. Now apply this mask to your face and neck and leave it to dry. Then wash it off with plain water.

Banana

This fruit is replete with vitamins and minerals including potassium, manganese, biotin, vitamin C and B6. The vitamins ensure elasticity of the skin and the antioxidants prevent ageing. Bananas are natural moisturisers and are widely used in home-made scrubs and masks.

Suggested Mask

Use an overripe banana for this mask as it is good for dry and mature skin. Take a bowl and mash the banana; then add a few drops of honey and two tablespoons of plain yoghurt; then mix all of this into a smooth paste and apply it on your face and neck area avoiding the area around the eyes. Let it dry for 15-20 minutes before washing it away with water. Voila! You’ve got an oil-free and visibly clear skin and also put that miserable acne at bay!

Grapes

Grapes have a plethora of phytochemicals and phytonutrients which are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory in nature thereby helping in regeneration and healing of skin.

Suggested Mask

People who have oily skin should mash black grapes with some oil absorbent like Fuller’s earth; then convert it into paste form by mixing it well with a few drops of rose water. Apply it on the face and let it remain for 15 minutes on your face and then rinse it off.

Orange

Alike other citrus fruits from its family, orange also contains a high level of vitamin C along with beta carotene, folic acid, phosphates, iodides, iron, phytonutrients and flavonoids. It is precisely these components that help treat dark spots and blemishes. Practically all Indian households powder the peel of the orange and use it as a scrub for instant glow and skin whitening as it acts as – a natural bleach; and a toner removing dirt, dead skin besides lending a firmer feel to the skin.

Suggested Masks

• Add a few drops of lime juice and some honey to powdered orange and then mix it well to make a pack. Apply it on your face and neck and leave it to dry; then wash it off with cool water and pat dry. This pack is suited for oily skin. 

• Peel an orange and mash it into a pulp, add half a teaspoon of turmeric to it and make it a thick paste. In case you want to further thicken this paste then add half a teaspoon of gram flour. Apply this paste to your face and neck and leave it on for 15 minutes. Wash it off with cold water once it’s dry.

• A paste of powdered orange peel with a tablespoon of yoghurt can be applied on the face for an instant glow.

Papaya

The antioxidants like carotenes and vitamin B and C in papaya help keep your skin hydrated, making it supple and smooth. It also has exfoliation and anti-ageing properties. In case dark circles under your eyes are your bane then trust us the power of papayas can work wonders for you! The enzyme papain found in papaya destroys dead skin cells and facilitates skin renewal.

Suggested Masks

• Thoroughly mash 3-4 pieces of papaya and make a puree; then add a few drops of honey and a teaspoon of raw milk in it and mix them well. Now apply this rich pack on your face and neck. Let it stay for at least 15 minutes and then wash with water. This pack is strongly recommended for dry skin.

• Crush one-fourth of a papaya into a lump-free mix, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of honey into the mix. Then apply this smooth paste on your face and neck and wash it off with cold water once it is completely dry. This pack will deeply cleanse your skin and remove all the dead skin.

Strawberry

These pink collared berries are choc-a-bloc with vitamin C and manganese which help exfoliate and cleanse the skin without causing any sort of inflammation; alongside salicylic and ellagic acid that reduce dark spots, freckles and hyperpigmentation; besides preventing thinning of hair and lending it a glossy shine; moreover they double up as an exfoliator in foot scrubs too. Strawberries are a blessing for those with a severely sensitive skin and prone to allergies. 

Suggested Mask

• Mash a few strawberries and add a bit of lime juice. Now apply this paste and leave it on for 15 minutes. Then wash it off with water. 

• This scrub is for those whose skin is not very sensitive – add oatmeal and milk to mashed strawberries and scrub it on your face and wash off 

• Crush 5-6 strawberries in a mixer to create a puree; add 2 tablespoons of yoghurt and 1 tablespoon of honey to create the perfect strawberry face mask. Apply the mask on your face and neck; and post drying wash it off with mildly warm water.

Tomato

Not only are tomatoes rich in vitamin A, C and K; but they also act as an antioxidant in preventing ageing and are also widely used as whitening and de-tanning agents.

Suggested Mask

Grate or crush - half a ripe tomato and a small piece of peeled potato – in a cup. Then apply this paste onto your face and allow it to dry. Wash off with warm water when it dries or after 15 minutes. 

So it’s time now to swap those toxin-filled face packs with fruit-based homemade masks and give your skin the much-needed makeover it’s been craving for! Do write in to us to share any DIY fruit packs …