What are the benefits of turmeric for your skin?

Turmeric comes from the ginger family and is native to the Indian subcontinent. It has several health benefits due to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of its active ingredient, curcumin.

The spice is often used as a dietary supplement and can help provide relief for various health conditions, such as digestive disorders, arthritis, and allergies.

It is also widely used for its skin care benefits. Turmeric is said to promote healthy and glowing skin. Many people add turmeric to their skin care routine in the form of face masks or add it to their diet by cooking with the spice or drinking tea that includes it.

Turmeric can have several benefits for your skin, such as:

Encourages glowing skin

While turmeric has multiple benefits, it is commonly used for its anecdotal ability to provide skin with a glow. While there haven’t been any studies to confirm this, many people claim that turmeric helps brighten their skin and boost its radiance.

You can add turmeric to homemade face masks to help your skin achieve a natural glow. Consider mixing it with Greek yogurt and honey then applying it over a specific skin area, such as your face.

It’s important to know that herbal remedies work differently for everyone and may result in side effects. Starting with a small area and completing a patch test can help you understand whether your skin may be sensitive to turmeric.

Reduces acne

Acne is a skin condition that can cause lesions on the skin, also known as pimples. This can occur for several reasons, such as clogged hair follicles or excessive oil production on the skin. Your chances of developing acne may increase as your hormone levels change. This is why many people often experience more breakouts during menstruation.

Several natural remedies, including turmeric, may help reduce acne. Because the spice has antibacterial properties, it may help protect against acne-causing bacteria when applied directly to the skin.

A 2016 review notes that turmeric could help significantly improve the severity of skin conditions, such as acne, psoriasis, and alopecia, through supplements and topical treatments.

Other treatments for acne

If you find that herbal remedies are not helping your acne, consider speaking with a healthcare professional. They can suggest a treatment plan to help, which may include medication.

Medication for acne is available in the form of over-the-counter (OTC) creams as well as prescription creams and medications. Examples of medications that can help with acne include antibiotics such as tetracycline (doxycycline) and erythromycin (Erythrocin).

If you have severe acne, a healthcare professional such as a dermatologist may recommend taking the drug isotretinoin (Zenatane). It can be helpful in instances where antibiotics haven’t worked.

It can target the key causes of acne, including:

• inflammation of the skin
• clogged pores
• bacteria
• excess oil

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Lightens hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation can occur due to the production of excess melanin and can cause patches of your skin to become darker than the surrounding area.

It can sometimes occur after acne has disappeared from the skin but leaves behind a mark. This can cause your skin tone to look uneven, and it can worsen during sun exposure.

Turmeric may help lighten hyperpigmentation. A 2018 study found that when a cream containing turmeric extract was applied directly to the skin, hyperpigmentation improved by 14% after 4 weeks. Yet further research is still needed to understand the effectiveness of turmeric for hyperpigmentation.

It’s important to know that hyperpigmentation can sometimes be a symptom of a health condition, such as melasma. If you are concerned about any pigmentation spots on your body, consider speaking with a doctor.

Improves psoriasis

Turmeric may help with several dermatological conditions, such as psoriasis, due to its active ingredient, curcumin.

A 2015 study found that people who received an oral curcumin supplement in addition to topical steroids experienced a greater reduction in psoriasis symptoms than people who received topical steroids alone.

Further research is still needed to understand the effectiveness of turmeric for psoriasis.

While topical treatments can be beneficial when applied to target areas of the skin, you can also easily incorporate fresh turmeric into your diet. Fresh turmeric contains less curcumin than supplements, so it may have a decreased effect, but it can still be beneficial.

You can try adding powdered turmeric to warm milk or steeping the spice for 3–4 minutes in some tea. You can also add fresh turmeric to curries and stews.

Summary

Turmeric is a spice native to the Indian subcontinent that has several health benefits due to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties derived from its active ingredient, curcumin.

Many people use turmeric in skin care to help provide a natural glow to the skin. It also has several other benefits and may help reduce hyperpigmentation and acne.

Turmeric can be added to your diet in the form of curries or tea or to your skin care routine in the form of topical creams and masks to help target specific areas.

It’s important to know that using natural remedies in skin care can work differently for everyone and may result in side effects. Completing a patch test and starting with a small area can help you understand whether your skin may be sensitive to turmeric.

Download the free Optum Perks Discount Card to save up to 80% on some prescription medications.