Do you get excited for strawberry season? In addition to showing up everywhere on menus and at food festivals, strawberries have been becoming more and more popular as a skin care ingredient. Long rumored to be a favorite DIY skin care ingredient of Marilyn Monroe's (for its ability to impart a rosy glow like no other), this little berry might just be the new "it" ingredient.
So what makes it such a great addition to your favorite products? "Strawberries, or Fragraria chiloensis extract, is a wonderful hydrator (due to the high amount of carbohydrate it contains) and skin protectant, due to the antioxidants," explains Dr. Jame Heskett. "They contain alpha lipoic acid which is a potent antioxidant that slows the aging of collagen elastin and the extracellular matrix," she adds. "Also, it has great vitamin C which is a potent antioxidant as well as being a key player in collagen synthesis."
We tend to associate oranges — not strawberries — with vitamin C and its many benefits. But in many ways, strawberries are a great alternative. For starters, they're less acidic, which means they tend to be more gentle: Traditional forms of "vitamin C are more acidic and therefore more exfoliating and less hydrating," explains Heskett. Strawberry extract, on the other hand? Well, it's the best of both worlds — exfoliating and hydrating (which makes it an excellent choice for anyone who suffers from occasional acne and wants to target fine lines). Keep reading to see some of our favorite strawberry-infused beauty products.
Volition is a clean and unique crowd-sourced beauty brand that encourages real people to collaborate with them and create their dream beauty products. Its Strawberry-C serum was dreamt up by innovator Varika Pinnam, who experimented with the berry in her at-home skin care routine. "We would just let it sit for 15-20 minutes and every time, I always noticed the improvement in my skin immediately after," she recalled to Today, "It would glow and look so much brighter!"
Made with strawberry fruit and seed extracts and paired with kakadu plum and hyaluronic acid, this serum brightens, evens skin tone and draws moisture to the skin. Apply a pea-sized amount day and night and notice an improvement in skin's texture and clarity — it even helps to fade acne scars!
Another clean beauty brand we love just released a cleansing balm that truly takes it all off. It contains a blend of fruit extracts (including strawberry, of course), as well as natural oils to soothe, brighten, and hydrate skin as it washes away dirt, sunscreen and makeup — even the most durable waterproof formulas. It also contains physical exfoliants like bamboo and charcoal powders to slough off dead skin cells. The buttery smooth formula rinses clean and leaves your face baby soft.
Here's a gentle cleanser that exfoliates and brightens: The rich, milky formula contains nourishing coconut oil and strawberry extract, which work together to promote cell turnover, unclogging pores and fight breakouts and hyperpigmentation. If you have sensitive skin and still suffer from breakouts or uneven texture, you'll love washing your face with this cleanser.
This pore-purifying sheet mask smells just like a strawberry mojito. It contains skin-soothing ingredients like cucumber and licorice root extracts, in addition to brightening strawberry and pearl powder. Mint extract helps to absorb excess oil, while sodium hyaluronate moisturizes skin, leaving it plump and refreshed. Try popping it into the fridge before using and enjoy a chilly, depuffing treat.
