By Amy Williams, Licensed Massage Therapist and Esthetician at Vitality Unlimited Spa
Fall has arrived when you start seeing pumpkin products everywhere. As festive as the use of this ingredient may be, there is another reason for its increasing popularity: Pumpkin is loaded with vitamins and minerals that are beneficial for overall health and can also provide many beauty benefits.
Why Are Pumpkins Great for Skincare?
Pumpkin is made up of alpha hydroxy acids (like glycolic acid and lactic acid), which are fruit acids that slough dead skin cells, increase cell turnover, and help keep our skin glowing. Pumpkin also contains beta-carotene, a Vitamin A-derivative that decreases wrinkles, helps diminish brown spots, and can help reverse UV damage. Zinc is also plentiful in pumpkin. Known as “nature’s best healing agent,” Zinc helps prevent acne and heal damaged skin.
Pumpkin is also loaded with Vitamin C, which boosts your immune system helping your body fight off colds, the flu, and infections. It also helps protect your skin from sun damage and scavenges free radicals, reducing the signs of aging, wrinkles, and brown spots.
How Are Estheticians Using Pumpkin?
Pumpkin facials and pumpkin peels are very common ways to utilize the power of pumpkins. Vitality Unlimited Spa offers a Pumpkin Spice Cider Facial that comes with a Pumpkin Enzyme Peel. Pumpkin enzymes are alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) that encourage exfoliation. This pumpkin peel provides everything from mild exfoliation to strong peeling – depending on the peel program chosen for your skin type.
The Pumpkin Peel Enzyme Powder, which is freeze-dried, holds potent enzyme benefits. It is activated with a Pumpkin Peel Liquid Activator containing glycolic acid, pumpkin wine, and oil. This peel helps with re-texturing the skin, creating a smoother and healthier appearance, adding firmness to the skin, reducing the size of pores, and diminishing acne.
After the peel, our Esthetician adds Red Wine Blueberry Pumpkin Cream as a moisturizer. This soft-textured cream is formulated with shea butter, pumpkin seed oil, and red wine antioxidants. The shea butter contains high amounts of Vitamin E that will nourish, protect, and moisturize the skin. The pumpkin seed oil is rich in antioxidants, Vitamins A and E, and beta-carotene which helps increase cell renewal. Resveratrol, or the red-wine antioxidant, boosts collagen production.
Relax, refresh and renew for Fall by scheduling an appointment today. Give us a call at 314.968.1808, visit us at vitalityunlimitedspa.com or stop by the spa at 29 West Moody Avenue.