Yes, the grape gave us wine, and yes, it also makes a mean jelly – really, the grape could’ve just stopped there, rested on its laurels and we would have all been thankful for its continued existence. But the grape has another, albeit less mainstream, quality to offer: it is one of the ultimate beauty secrets, offering up its antioxidants, Vitamins C and E, and phytosterol.
Perhaps you’ve heard of the “French Paradox”, which left some researchers scratching their heads as to why the French, who consume a diet high in fats and carbohydrates, lived so long on average. The answer likely lies in their use of grapes. But you don’t have to drink a bottle of wine (though it wouldn’t hurt!) in order to get the rejuvenating benefits of French grapes, as there are brands out there – most notably Caudalie, which you can find at b-glowing.com/caudalie – that offer grape-based skin products. Or, if you’re a DIYer at heart, you could always smash up some grape pulp and apply it to your face or hair, though the results might not be quite as effective.
With ageless beauty in mind, let’s look at 4 reasons (among many) that grapes are nature’s ultimate beauty secret.
Age-reversing power
Grapes are stuffed with antioxidants, those benevolent molecules that prevent harmful oxidation from damaging our cells. This is particularly important when you consider aging, as aging, in skin terms, is the slow, deteriorative process of oxygen free radicals damaging our cells and causing wrinkles or spots. There are, of course, exacerbating factors such as smoking or overexposure to the sun that speed up aging, but grapes have been shown to slow down its effects.
Protection against harmful UV rays
In grapes, there are proanthocyanidins and resveratrol, which, in addition to being big, fancy words are also powerful antioxidants that protect against harmful UV radiation. This makes it an effective sunburn remedy, as well as sunburn prevention; and, as mentioned above, sunburn prevention feeds directly into anti-aging.
Loaded with Vitamins C and E
This power duo keeps you looking young and supple-skinned. Vitamin C is integral to the formation of collagen, the fibrous protein that keeps your skin strong and flexible, and therefore keeps your skin looking young and taut. Vitamin E, aside from acting as a moisture retainer for the skin, also exfoliates it, removing debris as well as dead skin cells.
Works wonders on hair
The grape’s beauty potential isn’t just skin deep; it also works wonders on your hair! The linoleic acid present in grapes conditions hair and unblocks the scalp’s pores, strengthening your follicles along the way. This not only leaves you with strong, shiny, voluminous hair, but it also counters the potential for hair loss.
The French Paradox might be one of the more peculiar phenomena in an age-related study, but there’s a clear hero working behind the scenes – grapes have been used in health related contexts for millennia, and continue to wield their awesome antioxidant power today. No beauty routine should be considered complete without at least a little bit of grape – open a grape skin cream or mash your own grapes, and start looking and feeling your best. There’s a reason the saying goes “aged like a fine wine”, and now you know why!
