Autumn is the time of year when people enjoy pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pie, and other delicious foods and beverages. Pumpkin can also have many health and beauty benefits. It is full of vitamins and minerals and can give you glowing skin and healthy hair.
Pumpkin is a good source of vitamin C that can protect your skin from free radicals that cause wrinkles and skin cancer. Eating it can also promote the production of collagen, which can improve your skin’s tone and elasticity over time.
Alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and other carotenoids are the antioxidants that give pumpkin its orange color. Eating foods with carotenoids can reverse UV damage and improve skin’s texture.
Pumpkin contains many minerals, including potassium, copper, magnesium, manganese, and iron. Potassium promotes healthy hair and makes it grow faster, while copper and zinc contribute to healthy skin and hair. Zinc also protects cell membranes, maintains collagen, fights acne, and renews skin. Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc. You can incorporate them into your diet by adding them to soups, salads, yogurt, or oatmeal.
Pumpkin also contains most of the B vitamins, including niacin, riboflavin, B6, and folate. Niacin treats acne and improves circulation. Folate also improves circulation, which increases cell turnover.
In addition to eating pumpkin, you can apply it topically in the form of a peel, mask, cream, or conditioner to get healthy skin and hair. It is often used in facials with ingredients such as honey and lemon to soothe and brighten skin and improve a dull complexion. You can make a simple pumpkin hair conditioner by combining ½ can of pumpkin puree, ¼ cup of yogurt, 2 tablespoons of honey, and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil.