Key ingredients in greens powders that might benefit your skin
Posted on January 25, 2022 Written by: 100% PURE ®
We’ve all heard it before: most of us don’t get enough greens in our diets.
And while we should all be consuming lots of fresh veggies each day, there are products out there that can make a healthy lifestyle a little more convenient. In this case, we’re talking about green powders.
Greens powders are dietary supplements that people usually blend into smoothies for an extra boost of phytonutrients. A good greens powder or green juice can do wonders for energy levels, digestion, and more.
But what do green powders do for our skin? And do we just eat them, or can we use them in DIY skin remedies?
In this article, we’re taking a look at these superfood blends and how they can support our skin’s health.
First, what exactly would you find in a greens powder?
For many of us, leafy greens may come to mind first. And it’s true, you’ll often see leafy greens in their ingredient lists. However, that’s not the only gem you can find in a green powder.
Leafy greens typically include kale, spinach, romaine, and arugula. While all of these are super beneficial in a diet, they’re not the only healthy greens out there. For instance, certain types of algae make great examples, which we’ll cover in a second. Other ingredients may include grasses like wheatgrass, barley, oat grass, and alfalfa. You’ll often find these ingredients in green juice.
In addition to healthy green vegetables, many greens powders also include probiotics, high-antioxidant fruits, herbs, mushrooms, and extra fiber sources like rice bran.
Let’s delve into some of the ingredients that make green powders green.
Kale
Kale is arguably one of the best-known leafy greens, and its popularity is entirely warranted. This lush member of the cabbage family is rich in antioxidants, vitamin K, enzymes, and chlorophyll.
Wheatgrass
Wheatgrass is nothing new in the health world and in green juice, but it’s come a long way since those old-timey juice presses.
Wheatgrass is the juvenile grass that turns into wheat. It’s easy to grow indoors and contains many nutrients. Some goodies include amino acids, vitamins E, K, and B, liver enzymes, magnesium, calcium, and potassium.
Spirulina
Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae. It’s one of the most powerful superfoods around.
This aquatic wonder is loaded with vitamins A, C, E, K, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, selenium, and potassium. This algae also possesses antibacterial benefits. It may even help purge dead skin cells.
Chlorella
While spirulina is a type of blue-green algae, chlorella is a type of green algae. It can help slow the aging process with its impressive antioxidant count, especially vitamins A and C and chlorophyll.
January 26th is National Green Juice Day! We think it’s the perfect time to whip up a healthy green juice of our own. For those of you who are averse to beverages that are too bitter (we understand!), we think you’ll like the sweet, fruity side of this one! Plus, this one has a delicious, creamy texture while still being vegan.
Kale Banana Raspberry Smoothie (Makes 4 Servings)
2 cups almond milk or oat milk
2 cups fresh organic kale
1 cup fresh organic spinach
3 organic bananas, peeled and sliced
3 cups frozen organic raspberries
Blend in the blender for 30 seconds or until smooth and creamy. Enjoy!
Earlier, we mentioned some of the vitamins found in these super green ingredients. While we may hear these ingredients and think, “yep, those sound healthy”, it’s not the same as recognizing their benefits for our skin.
While you’re sipping your green juice, let’s take a closer look at how these ingredients can improve our skin!
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is one of the most well-researched ingredients in skin care. In the skin care space, they’re often referred to as retinoids. Retinoids help quicken the skin renewal process. That makes them great for both acne and anti-aging.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a popular ingredient in skin care. It’s well-known for brightening skin and encouraging a healthy glow. It’s also known to help promote collagen production. That leads to bouncier, more elastic skin.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is known to help nourish and protect the skin with its powerful antioxidant properties. It may even help diminish scar tissue and fade fine lines & wrinkles.
Chlorophyll
We know chlorophyll as the pigment that makes plants green and helps them photosynthesize. However, it’s also been growing in popularity as a skin care product.
In addition to its anti-inflammatory properties, one pilot study even found that subjects with acne and large pores benefited from topical chlorophyll. Another study even showed that chlorophyll could help reduce photodamage.
Lutein
Lutein is an antioxidant found in kale. It helps fight free radicals. According to this study from Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, lutein possesses the ability to brighten dull skin and even out skin tone.
About ten years ago, much of the natural skin care world was about DIY beauty recipes, from putting pieces of potatoes on your eyes to applying lemon juice to your skin.
Fast forward to today, and clean beauty has innovated with new technology. These days, it’s much easier to find an expertly made formula that your skin will love.
But sometimes, we might have the urge to dip our toes back into the good ol’ days of DIY skin remedies. Do greens powders make a viable choice?
In short, it depends on the powder. Many greens powder blends include additives and artificial sweeteners, which aren’t so great for the skin.
If you’re interested in using a greens powder on your skin, it’s best to stick with the ones that only contain freeze-dried powdered greens like the ones above. Always do a patch test beforehand.
- Tags: January-2022
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The information in this article is for educational use, and not intended to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should not be used as such.