It was 14 November 1943 in Guadeloupe, Caribbean Sea. At the feet of Christopher Columbus, the local population had placed a basket containing strange fruits that resembled pine cones. In reality, they were delicious fruits, woody only on the surface but with a golden heart, juicy, sweet and at the same time with a hint of sour, the pineapples! And as travelers, passing through these lands, tried this delicious fruit, they fell in love with it. So much so that it seems that a Spanish explorer said that this fruit was worthy to be picked only by Venus, the goddess of beauty, and to delight the deities! But pineapple is also a concentrate of anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties that we can use for our beauty, giving brightness and softness to even the driest skin, counteracting acne and skin blemishes. So, let's feel a little like Christopher Columbus and explore a new use of pineapple, not only an excellent fruit but also a precious cosmetic.
Cosmetic properties of pineapple, what science says
Pineapple contains bromelain, which is an anti-aging, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substance, able to renew the skin, exfoliating it gently, and also to show a healing action and useful to stimulate microcirculation (Rathnavelu et al, Biomed Rep, 2016 - Lourenco et al, Int J Cosmet Sci, 2016). Not only that, pineapple also contains substances with a lightening action, useful to make the complexion homogeneous by contrasting skin spots (Binic et al, Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2013). Noteworthy is the fact that pineapple is also antimicrobial, thanks to its bromelain content, and has been shown to act by counteracting the bacteria responsible for the onset of acne such as staphylococcus aureus and propionibacterium acnes (Abbas et al, Saudi J Biol Sci., 2021). Therefore, the topical application of pineapple helps in case of premature aging of the skin, dark spots but also acne and dull complexion. In short, a real beauty treatment for all skin types!
Beauty masks with pineapple
Rub a small piece of freshly cut pineapple on the skin. If possible, choose a part near the stem that is the richest in bromelain. Leave on for five minutes, then rinse and continue with your treatment. This is the simplest recipe to benefit from the cosmetic properties of pineapple. Alternatively, you can make a pineapple-based mask. Blend a slice of pineapple, taking care not to remove the part closest to the stem. Add half a teaspoon of honey, healing, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory (Mc Loone et al, Cent Asian J Glob Health., 2016), two teaspoons of oatmeal, which is antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and increases skin hydration (Pazyar et al , Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol, 2012 - Ilnytska et al, J Drugs Dermatol, 2016), and two teaspoons of thick yogurt, which improves skin elasticity, hydration and radiance (Yeom et al, J Cosmet Sci, 2011). Mix and apply to cleansed face for ten minutes, then rinse and continue with your treatment. In case of very dry or mature skin you can add a teaspoon of argan oil, which enriches the mask with its precious anti-aging and elasticizing properties (Boucetta et al, Clin Interv Aging, 2015).
