The benefits of pomegranate juice have been getting a lot of press in recent years, and the extract in power form of this juice has been finding its way into many new skin care products. Less well known, but perhaps even more significant, are the benefits of pomegranate seed oil, a key ingredient in
Omega 5 skin treatment products.
Similar to pomegranate juice and extract, the oil from the seeds of the pomegranate provides a powerful anti-oxidant benefit, fighting free radicals that damage and age the skin. But pomegranate oil is also a potent source of punicic acid, an Omega 5 conjugated fatty acid, beneficial phytoestrogen and a rare plant based source of CLA.
A new study from the University of Michigan Medical School, published in the February 2006 Journal of Ethnopharmacology, shows that pomegranate seed oil stimulates keratinocyte proliferation, promoting regeneration of the epidermis. This study joins a growing body of research supporting the benefits of pomegranate seed oil as a skin treatment, including a 2003 South Dakota State University study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food that showed that a topical application of pomegranate seed oil significantly decreased the incidence of skin cancer in mice that had been exposed to cancer causing chemicals.
The “From Nature with love” web site summaries the benefit of the Omega 5 oil as follows:
“Pomegranate seed oil is gaining increased recognition by cosmeceutical manufacturers and the spa and aromatherapy industries due to its remarkable ability to nourish, moisturize and improve skin elasticity. Pomegranate seed oil is high in lipids including pucinic acid. Pomegranate seed oil can be effective in treating dry skin, eczema, psoriasis and sunburned skin. It is a good choice for inclusion in formulations for maturing skin. Its high polyphenol content makes it a strong anti-oxidant and adds to its stable shelf life. Pomegranate seed oil contains conjugated fatty acids which gives it strong anti-inflammatory properties and makes it a highly beneficial addition to formulations intended to reduce swelling and ease musclular aches and pains. Studies have shown that pomegranate oil is effective at killing cancer cells when applied topically.”
Extracts and Ingredients Ltd, in its “murrtec” website specifies a long list of benefits of the Omega 5 oil to the skin, see:
http://www.morretec.com/Pomegranate_Brochure.pdfLe Magazine in 2005 added that: “a variety of recent studies have demonstrated that pomegranate, in various forms, can be included as part of a healthy lifestyle with no risk of toxic reactions. A Cuban study, for example, found that two doses of pomegranate extract (0.4 and 1.2 mg per kilogram of body weight, respectively) given to rats produced no toxic effects in terms of food intake, weight gain, or behavioral or biochemical factors.
Another study took these results further, examining still higher doses of pomegranate extract administered orally to rats for 37 days. No significant differences in toxicity were found in the treated rats in any of the blood parameters analyzed, a finding corroborated by analyses of both the liver and kidney.
Until recently, adding the benefits of pomegranate to the diet has presented something of a challenge. The fruit itself is messy and rather difficult to prepare due to its large number of seeds.”
Encapsulated or powdered forms of pomegranate extract are becoming much more widely available, making it easier to control the daily dosage.
I have a personal preference for the Omega 5 oil as opposed to the extract due to the many superior benefits of the oil.
The
leading company selling pomegranate seed oil skin care products is based in Marin County, California. For suggestions on how to handle your skin with Omega oils, see:
http://www.smartskincare.com/skincarebasics/ For beautiful Marin County real estate data, see:
http://marinrealestateblog.com/
A great review of the Pomega5 line can be found at:
http://naturallydahling.com/wordpress/. This blogger tried the products and highly recommended then, yet the price might be prohibitive for teenagers.
And for men who shave:
There are various skin care products flooding the markets all over the world today. Such skin care products have basically two categories known as organic skin care and chemical based skin care products. Both have different structures but are meant for the similar purposes. It is essential know something about both of these products before initiating or opting for its use.The products of organic skin care are especially those products that help in treating the aging skin problems caused by the progressing age in the human beings that include cracked skin, dry skin, blemishes, as well as wrinkles occurring on the skin. These products are also believed to be effective in treating breakouts, acne, sun damage, sun burn and psoriasis on the skin. When concerned with any organic skin care products, one could easily try the soft nourishing cream applied after shaving which helps getting rid of from the itching tendency and blemishes resulting after shaving the beard. Such organic creams have the organic vegetable oils, certain organic herbal extracts along with the clean water as its active ingredients.The organic herbal extracts comprise of
pomegranate seed oil, white or green tea, Rose Hips oils, South African Rooibos, calendula, soy oil and many more such extracts. The skin organic products are also said to have several anti-oxidants and anti-aging vitamins that provide its user the younger looking of skin besides unblemished skin. The products having the minimal quantum of synthetic ingredients provide optimal advantages to the skin in the longer run. Even organic shaving gels, shaving soaps and moisturizers are of great help for making the skin gleaming and healthy. One of the best things about such organic products are totally natural having absolutely no additives, chemical based or any synthetic aromatics added to them. The organic shaving appeases quite well by providing with smell of lime oil and clay sage that prevents the skin from getting dried. Chemical based skin care products on the other hand are also known as the chemical shaving products. The chemical based hair removing creams also called the depilatory creams which are openly available in the market are mostly made by using chemicals meant for eliminating unwanted hair from the different body parts like legs, underarms or beard etc. Such creams widely contain alkaline chemicals that are meant for dissolving protein structure present in the hair. This process helps separating hair from the skin and could be easily removed. The frequent or regular use of such chemicals could end up in several skin complications particularly in the people with sensitive or irritating skin conditions. Amongst the most common side effects of such chemicals include skin irritations and acne. Only those people who have healthy skin texture which could resist such chemical implications are of course benefited with these products.Also it is said that the chemical based products provides closer and smoother shave removing the unwanted hair for an extended period of time. When such products are applied on the beard just once, it is effective for the rest of the entire week. Chemical products are ruthless to apply and thus be not easily suggested since they can develop serious skin complications.
Stay healthy