An Italian Legend says that, a long time ago, a monk lived in the woods, a certain Friar Crespino. The years passed for everyone, wrinkles appeared on the faces of friends and acquaintances of Friar Crespino who, on the other hand, like magic, kept a luminous, fresh and young complexion. When the years were too many even for Friar Crespino, the good friar ended his days on this earth but left his beauty secret to posterity, which was discovered by chance in the basement of the friar's house, boxes, jars and bottles contained preparations based on red currant! In fact, Friar Crespino collected red currants and then, from its fruits, obtained macerations, ointments and juices. Today we know, thanks to science, that Friar Crespino was right because the red currant fruits are a concentrate of anti-aging substances. So, right now that St. John's Day is approaching, June 24, the day when, it is said, the red currants reach full ripeness, let's not miss this delicious fruit, to be eaten for the health of the body but also to be used for the creation of powerful beauty masks, just a couple of twigs are enough! So let's find out the cosmetic properties of this plant and how to make a face mask worthy of Friar Crespino at home.
Red currant, cosmetic properties
Red currant is rich in important antioxidant substances, such as anthocyanins, capable of protecting the skin from damage from UV rays and free radicals. UV rays and free radicals, in fact, destroy the skin's natural defenses and its ability to regenerate, opening the doors to premature aging of tissues, erythema, dermatitis, skin spots, wrinkles, dry and dehydrated skin and cellular degenerations (Michalak et al, Int J Mol Sci, 2022 - Diaconeasa et al, Biomedicines, 2020). Therefore, this small fruit becomes a great help now that, in the summer, our facial skin is more exposed to sunlight and, if we live in cities, also to pollution, increasing the risk of excess free radicals. The anthocyanins contained in red currant help block the action of free radicals, protect against damage from solar radiation, make the skin soft and hydrated, are anti-aging and illuminating (Michalak et al, Int J Mol Sci, 2022).
DIY red currant face mask, very simple
Get two sprigs of red currant, possibly organic, remove the fruits, rinse them, dry them and mash them with a spoon. Mix the red currant pulp with two tablespoons of thick yogurt, which improves skin hydration, brightness and elasticity, add half a teaspoon of honey, which protects the skin from photoaging (Karapetsas et al, Antioxidants, 2020). Apply to cleansed face for 15 minutes, then rinse and continue with your normal treatment. The extra idea? The addition of a vegetable oil. For a deep anti-aging action and to help with skin inflamed and irritated by the sun and atmospheric agents, you can add a few drops of sea buckthorn oil, an oil rich in nourishment, capable of improving skin oxygenation and act as an anti inflammatory remedy. In fact, sea buckthorn oil contains gamma linolenic acid that, once penetrated into the skin, is converted into anti-inflammatory substances (Zielinska et al, Lipids health Dis, 2017). If, on the other hand, the skin is very dry, it is possible to use half a teaspoon of coconut oil, which is a moisturizing and soothing agent (Varma et al, J Tradit Complement Med, 2019). Attention only in the case of acne-prone skin as coconut oil may be comedogenic.
