Is Pineapple Good for Your Skin?
Pineapple is a tropical fruit that’s loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, and water, but is pineapple good for your skin? And if it is, what are the benefits of pineapple for skin?
Thanks to its antioxidant and nutritional content, along with its gentle exfoliating action, this sweet summery fruit might just be the season’s go-to ingredient to perk up dull skin and restore our summer glow. Here are all the pineapple benefits for skin.
Is Pineapple Good for Your Skin?
Pineapple offers a plethora of benefits for the skin. Rich in vitamin C and E, pineapple can brighten and even out skin tone whilst being a potent antioxidant and preventing skin from UV damage.
Pineapple extract (the ingredient you’ll find in most pineapple skincare products) contains bromelain, an exfoliating enzyme that helps sweep away dead skin cells to reveal fresh, gleaming skin. Bromelain also has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory benefits, which can help treat inflamed acne and reduce redness.
Some people use pineapple topically by applying the fruit directly to their skin. Like a homemade pineapple face mask for instance. However, it’s more common for people to purchase skincare products that contain pineapple extract.
Benefits of Pineapple for Skin
Is pineapple good for skin? Pineapple extract, also known as ananas sativus fruit extract (remember to look for it in the product label) is quickly becoming a popular skincare ingredient thanks to its exfoliating and brightening powers. Does pineapple help your skin? It does indeed. In fact, it can help resolve a number of skin concerns. Here are all the skincare benefits of pineapple.
Makes Your Skin Glow
The bromelain in pineapple extract acts like an alpha hydroxy acid. It gently exfoliates the skin, removing dead cells without causing irritation. As a result, fresh new cells surface to reveal bright, glowing skin. Plus, pineapple is packed with vitamin C, a well-known skin brightening ingredient.
Treats Inflamed Acne
Pineapple can also work wonders for acne-prone skin thanks to its bromelain content. With its anti-inflammatory properties, pineapple helps to promote healing while reducing redness in inflamed breakouts. It also contains zinc, a naturally antibacterial mineral that may reduce acne.
One test-tube study suggests that a bromelain face wash works against several types of bacteria common in acne and skin infections.
Pineapple may even help prevent blackheads by keeping the pores clear thanks to its exfoliating activity. By sloughing away dead cells and other pore-clogging debris, pineapple decongests skin to prevent future blemishes.
Fades Discoloration
Applying pineapple to skin might be able to reverse some effects of skin damage caused by UV rays, like dark spots and discoloration. This is largely due to its exfoliating effects and melanin inhibiting action along with its brightening vitamin C content.
In one study, 11 people with melasma noted a significant reduction in dark spots after using pineapple extract cream twice daily for 12 weeks. They also reported reduced skin irritation and sebum production following long-term application of pineapple cream.
Heals Wounds and Burns
Research from 2012 suggests that pineapple could help severe burns heal more rapidly. However, more research is required to fully understand its long-term effects on wounds.
That being said, pineapple may help promote wound healing by encouraging the production of new skin cells. It also boasts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity which can help reduce redness and irritation while promoting skin healing.
Prevents Ingrown Hairs
Another one of the interesting benefits of pineapple for skin is its ability to promote a smoother, less painful shave. Because of the fruit’s exfoliating enzymes, pineapple prevents hair follicles from getting clogged and ingrown hairs from developing after shaving.
What’s more, it allows your razor to glide more easily over skin by exfoliating the skin’s surface to remove razor-clogging dead cells. As a result, you’ll be able to enjoy a smoother, more comfortable shave.
Suitable for All Skin Types
Pineapple is a gentle, non-toxic ingredient that’s suitable for all skin types, including sensitive ones. In fact, it can be extremely beneficial for people with sensitive skin looking for a gentler exfoliating alternatives to potentially irritating ones like AHAs, BHAs, and scrubs.
Pineapple should not cause irritation or redness. You can always do a patch test before using to make sure your skin is happy with this new ingredient. Of course, if you experience any kind of irritation, it’s best to avoid using it.
Best Pineapple Skincare Products
Truly's Cooka Colada Luxury Shave Butter
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A whipped and buttery, pineapple-powered shave butter that softens coarse bikini hair while drenching skin in moisture for long-lasting smoothness and zero bumps. It exfoliates with pineapple, soothes with primrose, and intensely moisturizes with coconut and shea butter. Plus, it has the most delicious tropical scent of juicy pineapple and delicate floral notes. Perfect for summer!
What are the Benefits of Eating Pineapple for Skin?
Now you know the benefits of using pineapple topically, here are all the perks of eating this tropical fruit.
Anti-Aging
Pineapple promotes collagen production, which helps your skin stay smooth, supple, and fine line-free. This is thanks to its vitamin C content. One cup of pineapple chunks includes 79 milligrams of this anti-aging powerhouse ingredient.
In addition to keeping your immune system strong, vitamin C stimulates collagen production and increases skin’s elasticity for firmer, smoother skin. It also protects your skin against oxidative stress that can lead to fine lines and wrinkles. It does so by flooding your body with antioxidants to shield your skin against sun damage.
Calms Inflammation
Inflammation in the body equals redness, swelling, and sometimes pain. Research shows that pineapple is naturally anti-inflammatory, so it can help soothe pain, redness, and irritation provided that you eat it regularly. It may even combat inflammatory acne.
And because it’s loaded with vitamin C, pineapple can help speed up the healing of any irritation, wounds, or burns by spurring skin cell regeneration.
May Inhibit Hyperpigmentation
According to a research review, healthy vitamin C levels can make the skin appear more even. Since pineapple is packed full of vitamin C, snacking on pineapple chunks might just be the way to improve the appearance of hyperpigmentation caused by acne or sun exposure.
Is pineapple good for your skin? With its high vitamin C content, exfoliating enzymes, and anti-inflammatory properties, there are several benefits of pineapple for skin. It can help to brighten skin, fade discoloration, treat acne, and combat premature signs of aging. Best of all, all skin types can reap the skincare benefits of pineapple.
Feature photo by ArtHouse Studio, Pexels
