LITTLE ORBS OF WONDER
Who said beauty can be achieved only by spending a fortune? Take a look into your kitchen even a common vegetable like tomato can go a long way in keeping you pretty.
You say “toe-may-toe”, I say “toe-mah-toe”. I say a tomato is a fruit, you say it’s a vegetable. Which one of us is right? We can keep debating on that but for the moment let us put it aside. The one thing that everyone can agree upon is this – tomatoes are delicious. Added bonus, these much loved little orbs have an interesting history with the world of beauty. If you are looking for natural solutions to get a glowing and radiant skin, tomatoes can be your best friend. The amino acids, vitamins and the antioxidants help clear acne, reduce open pores and remove excess oil from the skin.
10 benefits which make these little wonders, well, wonderful!
– Tomatoes are not just an important part of a healthy diet but also work wonders when applied topically on the skin. Applying tomato juice or rubbing tomato halves on the skin evens out the skin tone and revives the glow. It contains high amount of vitamin C which is known to brighten skin.
– Lycopene is the most abundant carotenoid in the ripened tomato and is found in the highest amount in the tomato peel. This antioxidant can reduce erythema or skin redness to a large degree. It can also soothe rough skin by promoting the growth of new skin cells.
– Vitamins A and C (abundant in tomatoes), are commonly found in many acne treating medicines and ointments. If you suffer from severe acne then peel a fresh tomato and mash it. Apply this pulp on your face and leave it for an hour and watch the magic work.
– Tomatoes are the major dietary source of vitamin A and its derivative, Retinol, which is one of the best ways to reduce the effects of ageing as it promotes the production of collagen and melatonin.
– Vitamins C and A, as well as amino acids in tomatoes are known for their pore-reducing properties. Thus making them a wonderful ingredient for the face mask.
– Tomatoes have cooling properties to soothe the skin, and astringent properties to absorb the excess oil from the face. Mash one tomato and one avocado to create a face mask. Smooth onto your skin and leave on for 15 to 20 minutes. The tomato deep cleans dirt and debris, while the avocado restores moisture.
– A tomato’s acidity is powerful enough to clear up blemishes. Simply apply the pulp to the affected area for up to 30 minutes each day, and then rinse off. Do this consistently over two weeks and you will begin to notice the difference.
– Consumption of Lycopene every day reduces the amount of free radicals in the body to give you a youthful skin. It fights cellular damage, reddening of the skin and also retains the moisture, thus preventing fine lines and wrinkles.
– Once you’ve shampooed your hair, pour tomato juice onto your strands and leave on for five minutes. The homemade conditioner will not only remove build-up and dandruff, but it will also hydrate parched lifeless locks. However, what is to be remembered is that tomato juice is acidic in nature. So using this conditioner regularly is not recommended. Ideally mixed with olive oil, tomato juice for the hair works best in humid weather.
– Applying a sliced tomato directly on the skin is the easiest and the safest way to remove tan. Tomatoes contain vitamin C, which has healing powers and ascorbic acid which reduces the pores and gently exfoliates the skin to reduce tan.
Expert consulted: Dr Shehla Agarwal
