Pomegranate: Can It Protect Your Skin?

Cosmetics manufacturers are always looking for newer, better, more effective ingredients that can be used to improve the skin. It’s not a simple process. Many ingredients claim to provide benefits, yet only a few are supported by scientific studies. While it doesn’t mean that ingredients lacking clinical studies are necessarily ineffective, it does mean that we should perhaps think twice about rushing to the cosmetics counter to part with our hard earned money. Pomegranate is one such ingredient, resting at a crossroads.

Today, I’ll explain the things we do know about pomegranate in relation to how it affects your skin.

Research And The Effects Of Pomegranates

Pomegranates have been found to deliver a variety of health benefits due to its antioxidant action. They are rich in ellagic acid, which can help to prevent damage related to free radicals. As well, pomegranate seed oil contains punicic acid, an anti inflammatory ingredient that can aid cell regeneration and proliferation. Pomegranate oil is also a rich source of linoleic acid, which has moisturizing .

Studies have shown that pomegranate can expedite the wound healing process. It may also help to repair sun damaged skin. It’s thought that these actions are related to pomegranate’s ability to extend the life of fibroblasts, cells which are responsible for the production of collagen and elastin. Collagen and elastin are part of the skin’s supporting network, which give skin its strength, support and elasticity.

Although most studies involving the use of pomegranate involved oral and not topical application, a recent study from the University of Michigan Medical School, published in the February 2006 Journal of Ethnopharmacology, shows that pomegranate seed oil helps stimulate skin cell regeneration. This study joins a growing body of research supporting the benefits of pomegranate seed oil as a skin treatment, including a 2003 South Dakota State University study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food.

Pomegranate Enhanced Skin Care

As you might imagine, there’s no shortage of skin care products that include pomegranate extract as a key selling point. Whether you decide to purchase one or not is your call. The evidence does show some skin benefits including antioxidant and cell regeneration so your skin will derive some benefit. If you are interested in exploring the benefits of pomegranate then you may want to consider Burt’s Bees Naturally Ageless Skin Care line which contains pomegranate oil and a range of other skin beneficial botanical ingredients.