For centuries the anti-aging and Skin healing benefits reaped from the topical application of Yogurt have been well known.
Cleopatra supposedly maintained her youthful looks by regularly bathing in gallons of the stuff. The ancient Egyptians are known to have been way ahead of their time and were pioneers of natural beauty and skin care. When it comes to the beauty benefits of yogurt, those guys knew their stuff!
Today, with a resurgence and ever-growing popularity for the implementation of natural products for skin care and hair care, the many beauty benefits of yogurt cannot be ignored.
Yogurt is exceptionally beneficial for improving the texture of the skin due to its healthy properties.
Yogurt is high in antioxidants, whey protein, probiotics, as well as nutrients including zinc, calcium, lactic acid, and riboflavin, all of which are known for their anti-aging, moisturizing, exfoliating and skin renewal properties.
So, to gain more understanding about just how beneficial yogurt is for your skin, let’s take a more detailed look at the abundance of beautifying properties which lie within this creamy natural goodness.
Antioxidants
Vitamin A (retinol and beta carotene) accelerates skin cell and tissue production within the skin, as well as elevates the production of collagen. This contributes to younger, healthier and clearer looking skin.
Vitamin A is also highly effective in combatting acne.
Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) is also known to assist with the increase of collagen, giving the appearance of plumper skin and reducing fine lines and wrinkles.
As well as this, the vitamin C present in yogurt is known to brighten the skin and even out the skin tone by hindering the production of melanin.
This makes vitamin C an excellent aid in diminishing dark marks and circles under the eyes, as well as reducing pigment damage caused by UVA exposure.
All in all, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and multifunctional anti-aging product.
Produced naturally in the skin through exposure to the sun’s UVB rays, vitamin D benefits the skin in several ways.
A combination of vitamin D produced via sunlight (D3) and plant-based vitamin D (D2) - present in products such as yogurt - can lead to further benefits that can be visibly noticeable within a short period.
When applying yogurt to the skin, the vitamin D content can assist with skin problems such as eczema, acne, and psoriasis.
With age, the skin loses its natural ability to synthesize vitamin D by up to 75 percent and thus, when applied topically, the antioxidant properties present in vitamin D can help to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, both signs of aging.
Calcium
The highest mineral content found in the body and present within the skin’s layers, the calcium in yogurt has been found to assist with the process of skin renewal.
Over time, this can result in clearer, more youthful looking skin.
The body’s ability to regenerate skin cells decreases over time, causing the skin to unnecessarily age. This can also happen as a result of calcium deficiency. However applying calcium-rich yogurt topically to the face can literally turn back the hands of time by reinstating the speedy process of skin cell regeneration and therefore minimise Signs Of Ageing, be they natural or premature.
Sebum - a combination of fats, protein, and wax - is secreted by the sebaceous glands and is responsible for lubricating the skin to keep it moisturized.
Calcium assists with the skin’s ability to produce sebum which is essential for maintaining the skin’s elasticity, texture, and appearance.
Lactic Acid
Yogurt contains lactic acid, a natural alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), which is known to get rid of dead skin cells by naturally exfoliating the skin and increasing the skin’s natural collagen, which in turn reduces wrinkles to reveal a more youthful complexion.
Therefore, applying yogurt topically can improve the elasticity and tone of the skin to reveal a more youthful appearance.
The lactic acid in yogurt is also an effective agent when used to combat acne.
Probiotics
Probiotics are healthy bacteria, and are essential for, amongst other things, enabling the body’s digestive system to function properly. However, the bacteria can also play a key part in improving a multitude of skin conditions when applied topically.
Yogurt naturally contains probiotics which, due to their anti-inflammatory properties, have been found to quickly reduce inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema, acne, and rosacea when applied to the skin.
Probiotics have also been found to contain anti-aging properties due to their ability to increase collagen growth within the layers of the skin.
Another benefit of topically applying probiotics to the skin is that it helps the skin to retain its natural moisture.
Riboflavin
Riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2, is naturally present in foods such as yogurt and has been found to have high antioxidant properties. Antioxidants fight the damage caused by free radicals, thus ensuring that the skin stays wrinkle free and younger looking for longer by actively slowing down the ageing process that would otherwise be accelerated by free radicals.
Every cell within the body needs riboflavin to function properly. Riboflavin is essential for maintaining healthy skin so including yogurt as part of your regular skin care regime makes perfect sense!
Whey Protein
Whey protein is the purest form of protein available and is a by-product of milk.
The whey protein found in yogurt is an amazing ingredient to implement into any skin care regime.
Packed full of anti-aging antioxidants, pimple-zapping, anti-microbial properties, as well as skin firming collagen, yogurt's whey protein content is one of the main reasons why yogurt is highly considered as an effective natural skin care product.
Whey protein helps to maintain the skin’s elasticity, which is beneficial for younger looking skin.
The antioxidants in whey protein - specifically glutathione – have been proven to slow the degeneration of skin cells and thereby assist with staving off fine lines and wrinkles.
Glutathione is also known to brighten the skin, leaving a clearer complexion.
The collagen present in whey protein helps to plump up the skin to give a more youthful appearance.
Zinc
Zinc, another nutrient present in yogurt, has been found to rectify several skin conditions, including eczema, psoriasis, signs of aging, sunburn, and acne. This is all due to the anti-inflammatory and astringent properties present in zinc.
Zinc has also been found to assist with collagen synthesis, further contributing to its anti-aging and skin healing properties.
So there you have it!
Here's a thorough breakdown of the goodness that lies within yogurt and the reasons as to why you just have to go out and stock up on an extra pot of the wonder stuff right away if you seriously want to improve the look of your skin.
Bear in mind that the type of yogurt you apply to the skin is vital. Avoid flavored yogurts with added sugars, sweeteners or anything else.
The only yogurt you want is natural, live cultured yogurt. Greek yogurt is good but make sure it is natural and preferably organic.
How does one use yogurt to improve the skin, I hear you ask?
The answer is as plain and simple as the yogurt you should use: just slather it on!
You can use it as a face wash or face masque after washing and leave on for as long as possible (at least ten minutes) to obtain the full benefits.
So the next time you feel like some yogurt, try sharing it with your skin for your body to receive all the advantages, both inside and out!
Below are a few all-natural facial yogurt recipes that can leave you with softer, silkier, smoother, clearer and younger looking skin in less than no time.
All-Natural Yogurt Skin Care Recipes
1) YOGURT HONEY & AVOCADO FACE MASQUE
Mix together 2 tbsp. of natural yogurt, half a mashed avocado and 2 tbsp. of honey and after cleansing the face and neck, apply liberally all over the face and neck area, avoiding the eyes.
Relax and leave on for as long as possible (at least ten minutes), before rinsing off with water to reveal a plumper, brighter complexion.
You can even leave this highly nourishing facemask on overnight as the longer it’s left on the skin, the more your skin will be nourished and moisturized by the emolliating properties of the all-natural ingredients.
To do this, apply a thin layer of the ingredients all over the face and neck area and –after sleeping perfectly still in the style of an Egyptian mummy all night – rinse the masque off thoroughly upon waking.
2) YOGURT FACIAL WASH
Apply a layer of natural yogurt onto the face and spend a few minutes massaging the yogurt into the skin using small circular movements. Leave on for a few minutes before rinsing off, to reveal a clearer, fresher complexion.
3) YOGURT, TURMERIC & EGG WHITE FACE MASQUE
In a bowl whisk the egg white till frothy.
Take 2 tbsp. natural yogurt and 1 tbsp. Turmeric and mix together. Fold the egg white into the turmeric and yogurt mixture and, after cleansing, apply the masque evenly on the face and neck area.
Leave on until the masque is dry before rinsing off.
