When most people think of turmeric, curry comes to mind. But there is more to this yellow spice! This little golden orange root packs a lot of power.
Read on to find out how your favorite curry ingredient can spice up your beauty routine!
Turmeric’s History in Medicine
Turmeric has been used in traditional medicine for a wide variety of ailments. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), turmeric is used as an herbal medicine for its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antiseptic properties. From aiding rheumatism and digestive issues, to treating wounds, and dissolving gallstones, the turmeric benefits are numerous.
Turmeric is recognized in the east as a tonic and healer for the skin and hair. Turmeric paste is traditionally applied to cuts, burns, and bruises. It’s also used to treat skin conditions like dermatitis and eczema. It is even used to treat hair loss and to correct scalp conditions like dandruff.
Western medicine is beginning to catch up to its eastern counterparts in studying this little wonder root for its healing potential.
Turmeric Benefits for Skin and Hair
There are so many benefits of turmeric, it’s nearly impossible to list them all! Here’s the top five turmeric benefits for skin and hair:
One of the ways that turmeric benefits skin health is through its antioxidant effects. According to research, the polyphenols in turmeric reduce oxidative stress on our cells.
Oxidation, just like the process that causes metal to rust, causes our bodies to age and break down. By damaging healthy cells, oxidative stress contributes not just to aging skin, but to other health problems as well. Antioxidants actually stop this process in its tracks by interrupting the chain reactions that cause oxidation and cellular damage.
When used regularly, turmeric’s antioxidant potential can help protect your skin from the effects of aging.
And because our skin is healthiest when our overall health is at its best, it’s important to consider reducing oxidative stress in other ways, too.
Consuming more fresh fruits and vegetables, getting regular, moderate exercise, and aiming for 8-9 hours of sleep per night can help. If you need help with healthy sleep patterns, try our Sleep Fast.
Turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties are another way your skin and hair can benefit from this herb’s beauty boosting power. While we usually think of inflammation for its role in pain conditions like arthritis, that’s not the only way inflammation wreaks havoc on our bodies. Eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, rosacea, acne breakouts, and dandruff are all conditions related to inflammation.
Ideally, inflammation plays a key role in our body’s healing process. When we are injured or sick, our body mobilizes a cascade of reactions that activates the inflammatory process. Chemical signals are released from injured cells that alert the body to send defense cells, fluid and increased blood to the area of injury. This response can cause heat, swelling, and pain.
When inflammation lingers and becomes chronic or widespread, it can affect our health – and our skin.
Turmeric has proven anti-inflammatory properties, so it can help get this process under control if it has gone off the rails. By inhibiting several of the chemicals involved in the inflammatory process, turmeric can combat the effects of inflammation when it shows up on your skin.
Both topically and internally, turmeric might just be one of the best natural products to help keep your skin healthy and glowing.
Turmeric’s anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties benefit hair and scalp conditions as well. Dandruff, and itchy, irritated scalp, and hair loss can all be reduced by turmeric’s anti-inflammatory effects.
3. UV Protective
One of the big culprits of skin aging is Ultraviolet (UV) rays. We all know we’re supposed to wear sunscreen when we plan to be out in the sun to protect against skin cancer. But UV rays can cause other problems for our skin, too.
UV rays cause oxidative stress. With prolonged exposure, that oxidative stress breaks down our healthy skin cells and leads to inflammation, degeneration and, in more serious cases, carcinoma. That’s why it’s so important to fend off oxidation and inflammation if you want to slow the effects of aging.
Turmeric prevents UV radiation induced apoptosis (cellular death) and inhibit oxidative activity.
It is used as an ingredient in natural sunscreens and is likely to be featured more and more in topical preparations.
4. Increases Elasticity and Hydration of Skin
The most telltale signs of aging skin are wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging skin. Loss of elasticity and hydration, along with inflammation, are the culprits. Oxidative stress and the resulting inflammation it causes are behind many of these common signs of aging.
As we get older, oxidation causes our bodies to produce less collagen. Also, the number of fibroblasts – the cells that create connective tissue – decrease. UV radiation exposure can accelerate this process. Prolonged exposure to sunlight without proper UV protection can increase dryness of the skin, change pigmentation, lessen elasticity, and create wrinkles.
Turmeric benefits these common signs of skin aging by scavenging free radicals (the culprits behind oxidation), reducing inflammation, and protecting the skin from UV radiation.
Research shows that turmeric can also increase collagen production and increase skin elasticity and hydration. This may also be due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, but one thing is for sure:
Turmeric can help keep your skin looking healthy and young!
5. Gives You that ‘Glow’
We all know that healthy skin has a definitive glow to it. It’s tough to define, but you’ll notice it those days when you’ve got plenty of sleep, you’re in a good mood and your coworker asks you what you’re doing different lately….
A lot of this has to do with your overall health. A healthy diet, exercise, and reducing stress can all benefit your skin by reducing inflammation levels and increasing healthy circulation.
Adding turmeric to your diet only increases your chances of getting that ‘glow.’
In India, they use turmeric to increase glow and luster of the skin. Brides and grooms cover their skin with turmeric to give it a healthy glow and to purify and protect it. Taken both internally and used topically, turmeric benefits skin health and appearance. Some people like to use it in the traditional turmeric milk preparation.
Turmeric, the Wonder Root
Turmeric benefits for skin and hair health are undeniable.
By reducing oxidation, inflammation, and UV radiation damage – turmeric can help reduce the symptoms of many skin disorders like psoriasis, eczema, and acne. These same properties make turmeric a great combatant of the effects of aging. Fine lines, wrinkles and sagging skin are no match for this amazing little root!
Turmeric increases skin hydration and elasticity, and even helps give skin a healthy glow. This is why turmeric (curcumin) is a definite “must have” in your daily beauty & health routine.
There are various ways to get turmeric into your diet and routine, but for proper potency and strength – many choose to take it in capsule form. Tranquility Labs’ own Turmeric Curcumin 1000 combines raw turmeric powder, curcumin, and BioPerine® to bring you the most high-quality, bioavailable turmeric supplement on the market.
Do you use turmeric curcumin? If so, how do you consume it? Please feel free to share your thoughts with the community below!