This tropical fruit is the secret to healthy skin
Which enzyme makes papaya so special for your skin?
Another day, another article which proves that sometimes, what you need for proper skincare, is growing right in your backyard. Or even sitting in your fridge. Nutritionists will tell you to “eat your colors,” and well, we say to “treat your skin to colors” too. Meaning, if the food is colorful, there’s a high chance that it may be great for your skincare routine. Today, we eat a fruit that's a key skincare ingredient for Masktini’s Night Ranger Overnight Renewal Mask. Yes, we’re talking about papaya.
Native to the Americas, papaya is nutrient-rich
It's high in vitamins A, B, and C. In case you missed it, vitamin A is essential for your 30s+ skincare routine. Papaya is the main skincare ingredient in many retinol skincare products. Retinol promotes rapid cell turnover that makes room for clearer, smoother, brighter skin. Like vitamin A, vitamin B promotes new cell growth. Niacinamide is a popular skincare ingredient that comes from vitamin B-3. It's effective in fighting the signs of skin aging. As for vitamin C, well, it’s the elixir of skincare! This vitamin fights free radicals that damage your skin cells, blocks melanin production, and brightens your skin.
Those three vitamins alone aren’t what make papaya great, though. There’s so much more to this delectable tropical fruit. Papaya contains an enzyme called papain. If you don’t know what an enzyme is, much less papain, here’s a quick lesson. Like most over-complicated scientific terms, an enzyme is a substance that acts as a catalyst for a specific biochemical reaction. These chemical reactions take place within cells. And your cells? Well, they’re what make up the tissues of your inner and outermost skin - the epidermis and dermis.
Now that you have that out of the way, let’s get back to papain. So, this enzyme has all the properties that go into healthy skin. It’s antibacterial, anti-fungal, and antiviral. Since bacteria is at the root of all your skin’s acne issues, for example, an enzyme with antibacterial properties is important. This is why papaya could be an excellent fruit to help fight off acne. Apart from controlling acne outbreaks, here are:
4 reasons that you need papaya in your skincare routine
1. It helps to prevent wrinkles and fight other signs of aging
Aging is one of the oxymorons of life. Everyone wants to live a long life, but no one wants to deal with the effects of living said life. For example, we loathe the day that fine lines, wrinkles, and gray hairs appear. The reason that your skin shows signs of aging is because of cell damage. As mentioned, papaya contains enzymes that fight free radicals that cause cell damage. So, if you do the math, there’s a high chance that increased use of papaya may slow aging.
2. Your skin will become more hydrated
Did you know that dry skin is a recipe for cracked, chapped, wrinkled skin?! My mother raised me to stay moisturized from head to toe. She never gave me a reason why, but I always thought it was because she hates ashiness. It turns out that hydrated skin is less prone to aging. If you didn’t take a page from my mom’s book and want to treat dry, flaky skin, consider using Masktini’s Night Ranger Overnight Renewal Mask as part of your nighttime skincare routine.
3. Removes dead skin cells
There’s something about dull skin that makes me want to bury my head in the sand in hopes of exfoliation, every time. If you struggle with dull skin, there’s a chance that you’re not exfoliating as you should. All your dead skin cells live on your face like the dead skin cell cemetery. Puns intended. Papaya is a natural skin exfoliant because of this magical enzyme, papain. So the next time you feel a bit lackluster, try a DIY papaya face mask.
4. Papaya treats melasma
Most natural skincare enthusiasts boast of the power of papaya in treating melasma. This common condition causes dark, discolored patches on your skin. They recommend using cold-pressed papaya seed oil on your dark spots daily to brighten them. Since cold-pressed anything seems to work, I’m inclined to believe in the healing powers of a papaya!
The general takeaway is this - natural skincare ingredients win. You don’t have to believe me - take a look at Masktini’s skincare ingredients to see why. Have you ever tried a papaya-based skincare product? If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below. In the meantime, follow us on Instagram and tag us in your fun DIY skincare recipes. And of course, your Masktini unboxings. Until next time!