‘Strawberries, cherries and angels kissing springs’, I break into this song quite often when I drive around Lahore this time of the year. Being a foodie one of the biggest reasons to love this season are the fruit shops, and the fruit of beauty, Strawberries.
Whenever I pick up a strawberry I feel like a princess, perhaps because while growing up I only saw chocolate covered strawberries in Disney movies.
Associated with romance, this queen of fruits not only has various health benefits it is also a quick beauty fix for great skin and hair. So rather than just eating a strawberry, it can be quite fruitful to literally wear one and look like a real princess!!
Improves Complexion:
- You can squeeze the fruit to extract its juice and place it in a small cup.
- Apply the juice all over your face with a cotton ball and rinse off with lukewarm water after 10 to 15 minutes to get a blemish free glowing complexion.
Skin Toner:
- Grind them to extract the juice. Mix two teaspoons of this juice with 50 ml of rose water and refrigerate it.
- You can use it instead of your regular skin toner to achieve wrinkle free, blemish free and younger looking skin. This juice can be stored up to 10 days.
Anti-ageing Properties:
- Vitamin C and other antioxidants present in strawberries prevent damage caused by free radicals to the skin and body.
- You can prepare an anti-ageing face pack by mixing a teaspoon of honey and 2 teaspoons of milk cream with mashed strawberries.
- Apply this pack all over your face and neck and leave for 20 minutes. Wash off with clean water and pat dry.
Diminishes Under-eye Puffiness
- Cut a strawberry into thin slices. Lay down and put the strawberry slices under your eyes and relax for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Wash your face with cold water and moisturize it gently
Promotes Silky and Shiny Hair:
- Mash 7 to 8 ripe strawberries and add 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise. Mix it with the strawberry mash to make a smooth paste. Apply it over your hair and scalp and cover it with shower cap for at least 15 to 20 minutes.
- Rinse your hair and shampoo as usual. This will act as a natural conditioner to give you instant natural shiny hair.
Moisturizes your Hair:
- Strawberries protect the cell membranes of the scalp due to its potent antioxidant effects. They prevent the formation of hydrophobic layer on the scalp surface
- Applying a mixture of mashed strawberries and egg yolk on your scalp is a great way to moisturize your hair.
Fights Dandruff:
- Strawberry paste can be mixed with tea tree oil or thyme oil and applied in roots to get rid of dandruff.
So next time you grab a carton of strawberries to top up your ice cream, make sure to save a few for these beauty fixes.
*To use all year round you can wash, remove stem and zip lock in air tight packs and freeze up to 6 months. Molded or damaged strawberries can contaminate others. Everyone responds differently to skin care, be cautious if trying out for the first time always!!
