There are so many products to help you hide those pesky dark spots from foundations to heavy duty concealers. But there’s also the counterpart: Have you ever seen flaky or dry spots? Other areas may be harder to be seen but when you run your hand over your skin, it feels rough or bumpy? Or maybe you find some areas are shinier and olier than others? Although applying foundation amplifies the uneven texture instead of hiding it, it’s something you can take care of it. Even better, it doesn’t need extensive work from you to solve it.
Even if porcelain-perfect, powerless skin is downright impossible (you can’t magick away your pores and they’re important in keeping your skin moisturised), you can get pretty close to – if you know what’s causing the texture.
Usually, uneven skin texture happens when excess dead skin cells accumulate on the surface of your skin. Then, when you run your hand of some patches of your skin, it can fell rough or bumpy and when you look at your skin, it appears dull.
What causes your skin to become rough or textured?
When you wake up with a single zit in the morning – no problem. A pimple patch and a dab of concealer on top can hide it. But if you got patches of rough skin, it can have many causes.
Ageing
One of the reasons is our age. The older we get, the slower our skin cells renew. In other words, as we age, the shedding of dead skin cells slows down and this can lead to uneven skin that’s also not luminous.
Ageing also plays a role in how much collagen we produce. Collagen is the protein that is responsible for the regeneration, repair, and firmness of our skin. As we get older, our bodies produce less collagen.
Dryness
A key element for skin cell turnover is hydration. When your skin is dehydrated, it has a harder time getting rid of the dead cells. And so, dead skin cells can build up on your skin.
Spots
Having a history of blemishes is also a very common cause of uneven skin. Spots can form when a pore gets blocked with gunk – you know, too much natural oil, dead skin cells, remaining makeup, and other debris.
Even if you only need to occasionally slap on a pimple patch, spots can leave you unwanted souvenirs in the form of acne scars.
The sun
You surely are already aware that the sun is not your friend. Being in the sun can mess with your skin tone and you get freckles and dark spots. It also has effects on your skin texture.
Being exposed to UVA radiation gives you uneven skin tone while being exposed to UVA can cause the premature death of living skin cells. This in turn gives rise to uneven skin texture.
Link between your diet and your skin
As we all know, what we eat can be seen on our skin. Our bodies take what we eat and make it into new skin cells. Eating a balanced – rainbow diet with colourful veggies and fruits can help all kinds of skin concerns – including skin texture. Eating proteins, fibres, and healthy oils all contribute to smooth, luminous skin.
The environment
It’s not only the sun that can give you a hard time. The weather, season, cigarette smoke, and pollution can cause stress to your skin.
Pineapple to the rescue
Now that you know the causes of skin texture, you may want to
- Exfoliate regularly
- Add a vitamin C and or other antioxidants
- Apply SPF religiously
- Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise
- Eat a wholesome diet
- Sweat it out with regular exercise
Queue in pineapples: They’re packed with goodies that can help you with improving textured skin.
What is a pineapple
The pineapple with the botanical name Ananas comosus is a tropical plant with an edible fruit. Many think of pizza topped with ananas slices, fruit salad, or Pina colada.
Although many people associate it with Hawaii, it’s native to South America. Christopher Columbus is credited with bringing the fruit to Europe. He called it piña de Indes, meaning “pine of the Indians”, for its cone shape.
The content
Like other fruits, pineapple boasts an impressive list of vitamins, antioxidants, and other nutrients including
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)
- Vitamin B9 (Folate)
- Vitamin C
- Manganese
What can it do for your skin
Pineapple packs a triple punch with vitamin C, a mixture of enzymes called bromelain, and a mix of natural alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs). It can do everything for your skin, from a gentle exfoliator to an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.
Improve skin texture
Pineapple contains a mixture of enzymes called bromelain – it actually is present in all parts of the pineapple plant, in the stem, fruit, crown, core, and leaves. Bromelain helps break down protein. So, it acts as an exfoliating agent and helps speed up dissolving the glue holding together the dead skin cells on the outermost layer of your skin. Think of bromelain when you see “enzyme peel” on the label of pineapple-infused products.
The fruit is so revered for smoothening and brightening because it also has a combination of AHAs and BHAs. Both are both chemical exfoliator that help to smooth the skin’s surface by removing the accumulated dead skin. Since the fruit has a high water content, it hydrates your skin which enhances exfoliation so that you can get the so coveted glass skin appearance.
Improve skin tone
Chances are, if you’re a bit interested in skin care, you know the many benefits of vitamin C. It can banish lacklustre skin and reduce dark marks.
Boost collagen formation
The vitamin C has another vital benefit. It’s a key element for your skin to produce collagen. Hence it not only helps tighten your skin and improve its elasticity but also help improve skin texture.
Reduce redness and bacteria
Bromelain is not only known for its ability to dissolve protein, it also aids in reducing inflammation as it has antibacterial and antibacterial properties.
Clear up spots
Exfoliating with not only chemical exfoliators but also with enzymes translates into fewer blemishes and breakouts. Bromelain is not only great in reducing inflammation but together with AHAs and BHAs, it exfoliates your skin and unclogs pores.
Danger zone
Doesn’t it sound like there’s too much exfoliation activity going on with AHAs, BHAs, and bromelain in the mix? And don’t forget vitamin C too. Pineapple really is a powerhouse. So it’s sensible, especially with pineapple-infused products patch-test and start slowly. These products also tend to be quite drying, so you may want to combine them with something hydrating like a hyaluronic serum.
Eating or applying
Both have their benefits. Eating pineapples (in moderation, of course), contributes to a balanced diet. It can help
- Reduce the appearance of wrinkles
- Reduce the appearance of dark spots
- Reduce signs of ageing
- Improve your immune system
When you apply it, it will work right there on the spot. So, it’s not either or, but both. Even better, if you buy a fresh pineapple. You can eat it, and use the peel for your skin care.
How to pick a pineapple
You’ll know if a pineapple is ripe when you smell the base of the fruit. If it smells sweet, pick that one. You can also look at the colour. If you look at the stem-end of the pineapple and it’s yellow, then the fruit is ripe.
Wrapping up
Most people can reap benefits from pineapple-infused products or DYI pineapple packs. But if you want to address sun damaged, dull, and acne-prone skin, you may get the most out of it. Just, don’t expect to see immediate results.
Let me know in the comments if you want DYI ideas for pineapple face packs.
