5 Little Known Secrets using Turmeric to Spice Up Your Skin!

It seems mad that the same spice that stains your hands when cooking could possibly help your skin?

With so much attention being drawn to turmeric, it’s likely you’ve heard something about its wonderful health benefits

Or you’re Doctor has advised you to start taking curcumin tablets for inflammation.

As can be the case, it is easy to be confused by advertising and mass messaging about what turmeric actually is.

How to take it and what it may do for you.

With a lot of brands flooding the market and jumping on the turmeric ‘bandwagon’ we thought we’d explain what turmeric is and why it can be amazing for your skin.

What is turmeric?

Turmeric scientifically named Curcuma Longa (as it is part of the Ginger family) is a beautiful bright yellow spice most commonly grown in parts of Asia.

The turmeric plant although stunning provides limited health benefits with the root that grows below the soil being the primary part harvested due its diverse functionality.

With a rich history stemming from both Ayurveda and Chinese medicines, turmeric has long been celebrated (for as many as 5000 years) for its bountiful health benefits and traditional medicinal properties. 

What are the main health benefits and claims associated with consuming turmeric?

What is known and proven to date and what you can trust is that turmeric;

• can aid digestion,
• help support healthy liver function,
• act as a strong antioxidant,
• stimulate contractions of the gallbladder,
• help aid the symptomatic relief of dysmenorrhea (TCM) and
• help relieve mild rheumatic joint pain (Ayuervedic).

A limited amount of studies have shown promising results in aiding the management of ailments such as chronic inflammation, cancer prevention, treatment of depression, immune regulation, pain relief, skin disease, bone disease and various others creating a focus point for research to come. 

Research on the benefits of turmeric and curcumin have been conducted in two scenarios,

When turmeric is digested and when applied topically. 

Both methods have shown positive results in relation to skin health.

As an anti-inflammatory, turmeric can reduce redness, swelling and scaring, and help to treat conditions such as psoriasis.

As an antioxidant, turmeric can impact the skin cells and in turn tighten the appearance of skin, reversing sun damage and slowing the aging process. 

Turmeric is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial so can be used as a natural face cleanser.  

When applied topically to the skin it will help to inhibit the growth of blemish causing bacteria and protect the skin against infection.

The curcumin in turmeric has been shown to lighten skin by inhibiting the pigment melanin.

From this evidence, it would be fair to conclude that turmeric can therefore be used to treat dark circles, spots or uneven pigmentation.

Another less documented effect of turmeric on skin is the potential to slow the growth of unwanted facial hair with regular use, and even improving the appearance of stretch marks.

Plus it is a great philosophy to put on your skin what you are happy to eat, so turmeric definitely ticks the box there!