Watermelon

Filled with watery pulps for hydration, watermelon is rich in Vitamins C and B Complex.

Vitamin C is a key ingredient for antiaging, as it keeps skin from sagging and it encourages collagen production, while the Vitamin B complex can help address acne, among other key benefits. The watermelon's vibrant red color comes from lycopene, a potent antioxidant (Cefali, et. al., 2017).

It's no wonder that watermelons are so iconic during the summer!

Cucumber

This popular beauty ingredient is also perfect for summer hydration since it is 95% water and packed with nutrients. Cucumbers are anti-inflammatory and can address skin discoloration.  Research shows that "cucumbers fortify cells so they retain hydrated, work at the highest levels, and may slow (aging) cellular deterioration (Murad, n.d.)." 

Who can say no to this green and refreshing fruit in beauty and skin care? Slice through these cucumber beauty selections below and take your pick!

Raspberry

Raspberries (Rubus idaeus L.) are in season this summer and are abundant in health and beauty benefits. It protects against UVB-induced photoaging or sun damage, hydrating, antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. 

Raspberry seed oil is particularly rich in Vitamins A & E, which are potent for anti-aging and essential to repairing and maintaining healthy skin cells (Ispiryan et. al., 2021). 

Grapefruit

Grapefruit oil is another summer citrus with great beauty and health benefits! It's antimicrobial, antioxidant, and shows promising anti-cancer effects. An in vitro lab test done at the Gannan Normal University in China showed that grapefruit oil stopped liver and colon cancer cells from spreading (Deng et. al., 2020).

Juicy tidbits for your beauty and skincare aficionados that care about health from the inside out.

Strawberry

A pilot study by Gasparrini and co-authors in 2015 found that strawberries protect against UVA-induced photoaging (sun damage), the type of sun radiation that causes skin cancer.

Not only that, but this delectable fruit is also a rich source of polyphenols, anthocyanins, vitamins and highly antioxidant/antiaging. Let your skin soak up all of this strawberry goodness.

REFERENCES:

• Cefali, L. C., Ataide, J. A., DonegAi, R. T., Godoy, K. M. S., de AraAjo, F. G., & Mazzola, P. G. (2017). Development of emulsion containing watermelon extract for skin aging. Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, 11(46), 749-754.
  
• Deng, W., Liu, K., Cao, S., Sun, J., Zhong, B., & Chun, J. (2020). Chemical Composition, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, and Antiproliferative Properties of Grapefruit Essential Oil Prepared by Molecular Distillation. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 25(1), 217. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25010217
  
• Gasparrini, M., Forbes-Hernandez, T. Y., Afrin, S., Alvarez-Suarez, J. M., Gonzalez-Paramas, A. M., Santos-Buelga, C., Bompadre, S., Quiles, J. L., Mezzetti, B., & Giampieri, F. (2015). A Pilot Study of the Photoprotective Effects of Strawberry-Based Cosmetic Formulations on Human Dermal Fibroblasts. International journal of molecular sciences, 16(8), https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms160817870
  
• Ispiryan, A., Viskelis, J., & Viskelis, P. (2021). Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) Seed Oil: A Review. Plants (Basel, Switzerland), 10(5), 944. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10050944
• Murad, H., & Nyc, M. (2016). Evaluating the Potential Benefits of Cucumbers for Improved Health and Skin Care. The Journal of Aging Research and Lifestyle, 5(3), 139-141. http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jarcp.2016.108
  
• Sohn, E. (2012, October 27). Eat it, wear it? Produce in skin-care products may not help. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
• Wang, P. W., Cheng, Y. C., Hung, Y. C., Lee, C. H., Fang, J. Y., Li, W. T., Wu, Y. R., & Pan, T. L. (2019). Red Raspberry Extract Protects the Skin against UVB-Induced Damage with Antioxidative and Anti-inflammatory Properties. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2019, 9529676. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/9529676