Enjoying watermelons during summer now goes beyond just including them in your fruit shakes or salads. It’s yummy and healthy, but there’s proof that watermelon does wonders for the skin, too. Its high water content makes it perfect for hydration—and that’s just one of its best qualities.
It’s a natural exfoliator
Watermelons contain citrulline, an amino acid that improves blood circulation. And because of its acid content, watermelon extract makes for a great natural toner and exfoliator, says celebrity facialist Su-Man.
It can soothe inflamed skin
Tomatoes aren’t the only fruits rich in lycopene, apparently. Equally red, watermelons also have lycopene that has anti-inflammatory properties, which help in ridding your skin of redness and puffiness.
It works for all skin types
What’s probably the best thing about watermelons is that its benefits can be enjoyed by any skin type. It’s “particularly beneficial for people prone to breakouts, redness, or dry and flaky skin,” thanks to its moisturizing properties, Refinery29 writes. But because watermelons are also rich in vitamin A, it helps in reducing the amount of oil secreted by the skin’s glands.
It’s also fairly easy to treat your skin to the benefits of watermelons. In Korea, using chilled watermelon rinds has been a traditional remedy for soothing heat rashes and irritated skin. You can do this too by slicing up watermelon rinds into thin pieces, and then popping them into the freezer—just 10 minutes would suffice, Vogue writes—then apply to your skin.
Paper-thin rind slices can be used as a mask, while squeezed out watermelon rind juice can be made into a face mist.
Header image courtesy of Unsplash
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Writer: PAULINE MIRANDA
