It’s Fall y’all and pumpkin is not just for pie!! It’s that time of year the leaves start to change with the crisp, cool air, a cup of warm apple cider calls my name, pumpkins galore, and I start to re-think skin care in preparation for the colder weather.
I am not an Aesthetician, but as a Dietitian I love to tinker in the kitchen and utilize wholefoods when I can to nourish my skin topically! Feeding your skin from the inside out through daily, heathy foods is what I always recommend to keep skin healthy, but I also love to use food recipes for topical use. Since summer has past and fall is here, I thought it would be so fun to feature a whole food pumpkin scrub to get that Fall glow!! Not only can it be cost savings to use the whole foods we have on hand but it is truly ALL natural!! No fillers, no preservatives, no big words we don’t recognize on the back of a bottle, just all natural simple food to nourish that beautiful skin!! After all…..our skin is the largest organ we have so I say lets keep it healthy as we can!
One of my favorite skin foods to use topically is pumpkin, simply because of all the benefits it has to offer – which makes this time of year perfect to break out some pumpkin scrub! Pumpkin is a shining star when it comes to skin health! Pumpkin contains high levels of 3 age fighting antioxidants along with other healthy nutrients. The 3 shining anti-aging skin stars in pumpkin that can feed your skin healthy are vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin A! Vitamin C protects the skin from free radical damage and aids in collagen production; Vitamin E promotes healing and prevents premature aging; and Vitamin A (a retnoid) is one of the best age fighters for the skin that you will find in many bottled creams and anti-aging skin potions.
In this pumpkin spice face scrub I have also incorporated oatmeal, a very gentle, all natural skin exfoliator to help rid the skin of all those dead summer skin cells. The greek yogurt in this recipe offers natural hydration properties and the honey offers anti-bacterial properties. The spices in the scrub, nutmeg and clove, are optional – they give the face scrub a yummy Fall smell but they also offer topical skin health benefit. Nutmeg can have anti-inflammatory effects, helping in acne and eczema treatment. Clove is a powerful antioxidant, antibacterial, and antiseptic spice which can help keep those pores clear and also prevent skin acne. If you are missing either of these spices in your pantry, cinnamon is another great spice substitute!
So are you ready for that natural Fall glow!???! Here is this fun, simple, ALL natural face scrub that will leave your skin feeling re-freshed, smooth, and ready for the chilly season ahead. Enjoy!!
Pumpkin Spice Face Scrub
- 3 Tbsp canned or fresh pureed pumpkin ( I used fresh pumpkin)
- 1 Tbsp Honey
- 2 Tbsp. Plain greek yogurt
- 4 Tbsp ground oats
- ¼ tsp. Ground clove
- ¼ tsp Ground nutmeg
Instructions: Grind oats (I used my Nutribullet but a food processor should work fine) until oats are ground in powder-like form. In a bowl. mix the pumpkin, yogurt, honey, spices and add ground oats. Blend well and apply to face in a gentle circle motion. I used my Clarisonic as well for extra exfoliation. Let set for 2-3 minutes and gently wash off with warm wash rag. Voila…..enjoy your radiant Fall skin!
Cheers to glowing skin!
