Weird and wonderful ways you can use strawberries in your beauty regime

A sweet idea

By Ali Pantony and Bianca London, Glamour

They make deliciously healthy snacks but did you know that strawberries have a place in your beauty regime, too?

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The juicy red fruits are packed with essential nutrients, such as vitamins C, A and K, calcium, magnesium, folic acid and potassium. Still with us? Good, because they're also antioxidant powerhouses and are super anti-inflammatory. Who knew? 

We've listed six ways you can incorporate strawberries into your beauty regime - just, please, try and resist eating them straight off your face.

1. Whiter teeth

Strawberries have a high concentration of vitamin C, which helps to remove plaque which causes teeth to turn yellow. They also contain malic acid – found in some at-home teeth whitening kits – which, along with the citric acid in strawberries, can weaken the enamel in high doses, but also works to naturally clean teeth for a sparklier finish.

2. Brighter complexion

As they're such a rich source of vitamin C, strawberries are very effective at boosting radiance and brightening lacklustre skin. They also offer a dose of alpha-hydroxy acid, which has been shown to help reverse signs of ageing. 

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3. Reduce acne

There's also another skin-saving wonder ingredient: salicylic acid. Found in pretty much every acne-treating product on the market, it helps to unclog pores leading to cleaner, and ultimately clearer, skin.

4. De-puff eyes

If you suffer with tired, puffy eyes in the morning, try slicing a cooled strawberry and placing them on your eyelids for a minute or two. They have astringent properties, which means they help the skin to contract. No more hangover eyes giving you away at work!

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5. Promote hair growth

If you're looking for solutions to stop your hair falling out, or are simply trying to grow your hair, add a punnet of strawberries to your morning porridge or fruit salad. The fruit is rich in silica, which has been shown to prevent baldness and help the hair to grow, and that good old vitamin C can act as an antioxidant on the hair (much like in skincare), preventing breakage.

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6. Smoother lips

Thanks to the vitamin C and salicylic acid, which remove dead skin cells, strawberries are excellent natural exfoliators for our skin. They are very effective when used on the thin, delicate skin on our lips (especially at this time of year, when cracked lips are so common). Simply mash one strawberry and gently rub into the lips, leave for a few minutes, and rinse.

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