It’s that time of year.. apple picking, warm apple pie, a nice toasty cup of cider by the fire, and all of that other homemade goodness that comes with the fall. Apples not only taste delish all year round, are super good for you, and supposedly keep the “doctor away” but apples are packed full of riches for our skin. After baking, or juicing your apples, hold onto those not so used parts… or just keep one extra and do your face a little favor. Even an apple that’s not looking so appealing anymore, try using it in a way that you may not have thought of before. Rather than tossing your past its due date apple, save it for some skincare magic. Apples are super rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, copper, antioxidants, and other wondrous properties. Vitamin C helps restore collagen and elastin in the skin which as we know, helps prevent wrinkles and restore skins tissue. Copper helps combat damaging UV rays, (don’t use in place of sunscreen), and helps as aftercare for sunburned skin. Apples have Ph balancing value as well, so are great for cleaning and neutralizing the skin. With this common everyday fruit and a switch of added ingredients you can nourish your face in sooo many different capacities, keeping all kinds of doctors away!
Whether you want to whip, chop it, or slice it up, when applied to your skin apples can help improve all types in some way or another. Here are some quickie DIY steps to help you with whatever areas you want to address in your at-home skin care TLC.
*Test patch behind your ear or on a sensitive area of your skin before applying recipes.
**Make sure apples are raw and used soon after breaking into, otherwise they will dry out and lose some the punch. If using a boiled apple brew version, be sure to cool first.
The ANTI-Puff (and dark circles)
We have all woken up from a “what happened to me last night face”, from a possible late night out, or for those of you who may have little ones who just won’t quit, (I am not familiar with just yet)… Apples to the rescue! Slice up a few pieces and pop on top of those bags and leave for about 15-20 minutes. This should help bring the puffies back down to your average tired - day after eyes. For extra impact add a bit o’potato. Peel and grate a small potato and mix with two teaspoons of apple cider or juiced apple, apply to puffed or dark circle area and let sit for the same amount of time. If you do the potato-apple blend on the regs you can help reduce the dark circle happenings.
The BATTLE of the Oils- Acne
Apples can also help Ph balance your oily skin and help with breakouts. I was at war with this one when I was younger, and now just a mild battle from time-to-time. You can either slice up an apple (use before dried or brown), rub all over face and let the vitamin E and antioxidants do their thing. You can also make apple juice or apple cider vinegar into a toner, which I personally saw work miracles. Mix 2 parts water and one part juice, spritz or dab on face and watch your breakouts begin to chill. Make sure if you are using apple juice its totally fresh and the real deal. Lastly, if you mash up your apples and add cream (milk) or yogurt, mix and apply for about 15 minutes. This helps with breakouts, dark spots, and lighten acne scars.
Moisturizing with demmm Apples
If you are just looking to brighten, moisturize, and hydrate for some happy skin love, add 2 tbsp of honey to your grated or mashed apple pack. Apply to face, neck and decollate, and leave for 15-20 minutes, rinse and feel that soft aftermath. Add more honey if using for more then just face. If you want to kick it up a notch, (and are not vegan), add egg white to this mask and you will get some amazing tightening and brightening benefits. It may be a bit mess, but with the all the vitamins, minerals, and protein it’s worth the show.
Exfoliating Freshness
Whether you want to blend, bullet, shave or grate your apple, make sure it’s bendable enough to mix into a paste. Grab some oatmeal, honey and an apple, mix, apply to your damp face. In a circular and gentle motion begin to rub all over the face and neck. Once you feel you’ve spent an appropriate amount of time doing this, you can let sit for a minute and then rinse. The cleansing and Ph properties from the apple, moisture and glue-like help of the honey, combined with the soft skin shluffing ways of the oatmeal texture, make for a perfect fresh face scrub.
POP an Apple On the Spot
Chilled apple slices are a nice cool way to treat acne spots. Again, with the cleansing and Ph properties apples when freshly sliced can help treat pimples, and feels great for irritated areas. Leave as long as desired, but don’t apply to different areas if overly inflamed or open, you don’t want to transfer bacteria around the skin. If you have sunburn you can also pop a few slices or mashed apple to the area and allow to cool and treat the burn.
These are just some of the fun ways you can use apples for your facial compost, get creative and make your own! Comment below with some other variations, thoughts, or questions.