Plants are the world’s ultimate food.
There is an ongoing debate about whether plants are actually alive. However, there’s one thing that everyone can agree on: plants are the world’s best food source! In fact, your body cannot survive without them—plants contain all of the vitamins and nutrients you need to survive.
The list of nutrients your body needs to stay healthy is long, but here’s a sampling: proteins, vitamins A, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), C and E, iron, zinc, and calcium. You can find all of those nutrients in plants! Your diet may not have enough vitamin E for you—but don’t worry; guess what contains vitamin E? Plants!
You may still be worried about surviving without these essential vitamins and nutrients in your diet. But as mentioned above, this is where plants come in! All of these vitamins and minerals are found in plants—and they’re really easy to get them into your system too! Just plant some seeds or some seedlings around the house that you’ll love looking at every day. It will take hardly any time at all before you’re getting all of your daily nutrition.
A plant contains more than just a fruit, vegetable, or nut.
You’ve probably heard that eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you, but the simple fact of the matter is that plants contain more than just a fruit, vegetable, or nut. While it’s true that most plants contain these nutrient-dense foods in some form, they also offer something even better: complex carbohydrates. A complex carbohydrate is defined as “a saccharide polymer of three or more sugar units joined together by glycosidic bonds.” In plain (if boring) language this means that plants contain long chains of sugar molecules that your body can break down into fuel for all the important things it does.
This blog will teach you about the important role played by plant compounds in skin health.
Plant foods contain phytonutrients that can benefit your skin.
You’ve undoubtedly heard the adage that you are what you eat, but it might surprise you to learn that the same is true for plants. Phytonutrients, plant compounds that have a beneficial effect on health, are found in a wide range of fruits and vegetables. While they’re not necessary for human health, some studies have shown that phytonutrients can have beneficial effects on health: they can help prevent certain forms of cancer and inflammation, as well as provide antioxidant activity against free radicals. Let’s take a look at how phytonutrients benefit your skin when you eat them.
Phytosterols can reduce inflammation in the skin.
Do you know how your skin is different from your plants? It’s kind of hard to tell, but plants have sterols in their cell walls. Sterols are a type of lipid (fat) that is also present in animal cells, but not animal cell walls. They can be found in grains, nuts, seeds and vegetables. You’ve probably heard about cholesterol lowering foods—the good news is that the phytosterols in plants are similar to cholesterol and help reduce inflammation in the body. In addition to reducing inflammation in the body, which may help prevent acne and other skin conditions, some studies suggest that phytosterols might also reduce the risk of heart disease. And you don’t need much to improve your health: just two tablespoons of plant sterol-rich foods a day will give you all the benefits!
Phytosterols can be found in oils like corn oil and blackcurrant seed oil as well as nuts like almonds and hazelnuts. A handful of walnuts or pumpkin seeds each day can provide enough phytosterol intake for heart health effects while still providing an excellent source of protein and iron!
Plants may protect against ultraviolet radiation damage to skin.
If you live in a place with sunshine year-round, like Florida or Hawaii, you probably spend enough time outdoors to be worried about sun damage. What you may not know is that even if it’s cloudy or cold outside, there can still be harmful UV radiation lurking. The majority of UV radiation exposure comes from windows and windshields. So even if you’re just driving to work during the winter, your skin is at risk for damaging rays.
What does this have to do with plants? Plants are your body’s natural defense against UV damage. When UV radiation hits a plant leaf, it activates a compound called cysteine (don’t worry about the name) that reduces oxidative stress on skin cells and helps protect them against damage from free radicals caused by UV exposure .
Taking care of plants around your home may not seem like the most exciting way to spend a Saturday afternoon but take it from me: when I was diagnosed with melanoma earlier this year at age 27, I learned firsthand just how important it is to protect yourself against the sun.
Plants have antioxidants and free radical scavengers that may help prevent skin cancer.
You are not a plant. Have you ever wondered what the difference is? It might seem like a silly question, but it’s important to consider, especially if you want to protect your skin from free radicals and prevent skin cancer.
What are free radicals? Free radicals are atoms or molecules that have a single unpaired electron in their outer shell. Think of an atom as having a nucleus in the center with electrons spinning around it like planets orbiting the sun: each electron has its own orbit based on where it is located in relation to the nucleus. Unpaired electrons are those that lack this stability and tend to be more reactive and likely to latch onto other substances nearby—you! When they do this, they can cause some damage. What exactly kind of damage depends on which free radical you’re dealing with—it could be anything from breaking down DNA to causing inflammation to increasing sensitivity to UV rays, which leads us right into our next point…
Free radical scavengers prevent skin cancer by fighting against these destructive forces. The body makes antioxidants such as vitamin C and E that work similarly because they also have unpaired electrons circling around them—when they come up against free radicals, the two collide and neutralize one another (or at least try). Antioxidants may be further strengthened by Vitamin B6, Zinc, Manganese, Selenium, Beta-Carotene & New research shows Coenzyme Q10 . However, there are many different kinds of free radicals out there besides just oxygen (which produces superoxides), so taking in antioxidants from food sources is helpful but not enough! That’s why supplementing with additional free radical scavengers such as Lycopene or Zeaxanthin can help boost your defenses even more. We’ll go over those next…
Plant extracts such as green tea may lower your risk of skin cancer.
The benefits of green tea for the skin are backed by numerous scientific studies. The antioxidants in green tea help prevent free radical damage and lower the risk of skin cancer.
The antioxidant properties of plants may help protect against oxidative stress and reduce wrinkles and signs of aging.
Emma’s blog is one of the top 10 that made me want to scream, “YES, THIS!” while reading it. It didn’t matter what she was writing about—skin care, health, beauty—I was just happy she was writing anything at all. A lot of bloggers have big ideas and then don’t follow through with them. Not Emma! She takes on a topic and runs with it like a champ.
When I tell people about the time I spent in Niger studying local medicinal plants (spoiler alert: there is no dragon fruit tree in Niger), they are always interested in hearing more about the unique dynamics of traditional healing practices and our modern approach to medicine. Everyone loves learning new things—in fact, if you’re reading this, chances are you love learning new things! That’s why we subscribe to blogs like these: to increase our knowledge of things that interest us on a daily basis. If something touches on subjects we already care about, like skin or self-care or beauty tips, that’s even better! Thank you for not only making me want to scream my appreciation but also for doing so in an accessible way that I can share with others.#blogtober
Plants may be beneficial for treating psoriasis and other skin conditions.
Plants may be beneficial for treating psoriasis and other skin conditions.
There are a number of plants that are commonly used in holistic treatment of psoriasis:
Plant Physician: Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
Rosemary has been used for centuries to treat an array of human ailments. This herb contains a wide variety of volatile essential oils and so best applied topically for the most effective results. The active compounds in rosemary are believed to have some anti-inflammatory properties, which could reduce pain and inflammation from any condition.
Eating a variety of plants is good for the skin inside and out!
Your skin is different from your plants’ skin. Your plants probably don’t need to worry too much about wrinkles—they just need to look good enough to attract bees, which they can use as a delivery system for making more plants. Plants don’t have complex nervous systems, and so they’re not plagued by stress or the emotional toll of acne or aging. They also don’t have hair follicles, pores, sweat glands or oil glands. But what you do have in common with your houseplants is that you are both made up of lots and lots of cells.
What your skin needs most is hydration! Hydrated cells result in plump, firm and glowing skin—and there’s one easy way to ensure that your cells stay hydrated: drinking water! Staying hydrated helps maintain everything from blood circulation to cellular function; it’s basically the foundation of good health for both you and your plants. And when it comes to hydration, beverages aren’t the only option—eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables also counts.
The easiest way to get great-looking skin is by adding a little variety into your diet: eat a variety of plant foods from different sources (e.g., fruits, vegetables, nuts) in different forms (e.g., raw versus cooked) with different cooking methods (e.g., steamed versus fried). If all this sounds like too much work at first glance, just keep this mantra in mind: Whiter teeth mean whiter smiles means whiter plants means whiter teeth mean whiter smiles means etcetera until all you can think about are undercarriagesYour skin and your plants have a lot in common. They both have cells, and they both contain chloroplasts—special organelles that let them create their own food through the process of photosynthesis.
But plants and skin also have a lot of differences, which is why you can’t just use your favorite skin care products on your houseplants when they’re struggling to stay alive. Here are four ways that your skin is different from your plants:
1) Your skin doesn’t need water or nutrients as often as a plant does.
Plants need to be watered regularly, and even then, they may still struggle to grow or produce new flowers or fruits. If you’re using a skin care product on your plants, it’s not going to do anything to help them grow because it’s not delivering the right nutrients. Even if you use a moisturizer on them, it’s not going to do anything because the moisturizer isn’t actually giving them water—it’s just coating them with chemicals so they don’t lose water as quickly.
2) Your skin doesn’t need sunlight like a plant does.
Plants need sunlight in order to undergo photosynthesis so they can make their own food. Skin doesn’t make its own food;
Hi,
I’m [name], and I’ve been passionate about skin care since I was a kid. My mom had a huge garden that we tended to everyday, and she always made sure to apply plant-based products to our faces. That’s when it hit me: plants can totally help our skin. That’s why I wanted to share with you the ways in which your skin is different from your plants—and how your plants can help you achieve amazing skin.
Let’s get started:
It’s no secret that plants are the best thing you can have in your home. Not only are they beautiful and bring a natural vibe to any room, they also make you feel healthier and give you a sense of calm.
But did you know that plants are also great for your skin? If you’re unsure which plants to choose to get the most benefits, or if you’re wondering how your skin is different from, say, the leaves of a tree, read on! We’ve got all the answers for you here.
Plants are great. Obviously, they’re beautiful and they help you breathe, and they fill your space with life. But they’re also super beneficial to your skin!
If you’re a plant parent, you know that plants need sunlight, water, and nourishment—and so do you. But how are plants and skin different? And how do we make sure that we meet both of our needs?
Below are some tips on how to keep your skin healthy by working with the plants in your environment.
While your skin and your plants may appear similar on the surface, they are actually very different when it comes to their needs.
Your skin is always hungry. It craves many things: vitamins, minerals, water, and protective antioxidants. Without enough of these essentials, your skin can become dry, flaky, and downright wrinkly. Even worse, it can develop redness and be vulnerable to disease-causing microbes. That’s why we always recommend eating a diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables in addition to using a high-quality skincare product to nourish your skin from the outside in!
Your plants have needs too. But instead of craving vitamins and minerals, they need fossil fuels. Not fossil fuels that you can buy at a gas station—fossil fuels that are mined from deep within the earth’s crust by poorly paid workers who have no other employment options available to them. When you give your plants fossil fuels (also called “fertilizers”), they will grow strong and healthy!
You’ve heard it before: Your skin is your body’s largest organ. It’s the thing that protects you from all the bad stuff in your environment, and it’s also the first thing people see. So it makes sense to want to protect it, right?
But here’s a question you might not have considered: Are you taking care of your skin as best you can? And if so… are you using plants? Plants are good for your skin! Here’s why:
1. Plants are kind of like a mirror—our skin absorbs what we put on it, whether that’s good or bad. What happens when we put oil on our skin? It gets oily! Same goes for plants—if we put them on our skin, they make us healthier.
2. We can’t run away from our environments. Our bodies have to experience the world around us every day. But we CAN control what we put on our skin—and healthy plants might be exactly what we need to stave off environmental damage and keep ourselves looking fresh and clean.
3. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell what’s healthy and what isn’t by looking at it—even when it comes to plants! That’s why we need experts who understand how different kinds of
What’s the first thing you think about when someone asks you to name an organ? Your skin! It’s our largest organ, and it serves as a barrier between your body and the outside world.
But did you know that the word “organ” is Greek for “instrument”? And your skin can tell you a lot about what’s going on inside your body, just like a musical instrument can tell a person listening to it a lot about how it is being played by the musician.
And that means that your skin can tell you what kind of care it needs! This is where plants come in. I’m sure you’ve noticed that plants have some pretty different characteristics than human skin—but have you ever thought about what those differences might mean for how we take care of ourselves?
The first difference is the most obvious: plants are green. They contain chlorophyll, which allows them to make their own food from sunlight. But when was the last time you saw someone who was green? Unless they were wearing makeup, probably never!
Humans can’t make their own food from sunlight, so we need to eat plants (or other animals that eat plants) in order to get enough nutrients for our bodies. But even if we do eat lots of
