7 Pumpkin Spice Beauty Recipes With Major Benefits

See the woman in the photo, lovingly caressing that pumpkin? That might as well be me. Of course, it's not, but I feel like that stock photo model and I are kindred spirits — as I'm sure many of you can relate, pumpkins hold a very special place in my autumn-adoring heart. I'm obsessed with it in all of it's forms: Baking in a muffin tray, carved on my porch, glowing in a candle, and now, smeared all over myself. Because they're multitalented gourds, pumpkins have some fantastic beauty benefits for your hair and skin.

Pumpkins are full of vitamins A, C and E, which are all known for beauty benefits that pack a punch. Vitamin A has awesome anti-aging properties, Vitamin C is great for evening out spots and skin tone, and Vitamin E has moisturizing benefits to fight dry cold-weather skin or hair, according to Prevention. Plus, "Pumpkin is packed with fruit enzymes and alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), which increase cell turnover, to brighten and smooth the skin," says the International Dermal Institute.

And it's not just pumpkin that boasts some serious beauty cred: the ingredients in pumpkin spice (cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg) should have a place in your fall routine, too. Cinnamon has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties that can help fight acne, according to Progressive Health. Ginger can be used to tone skin, increase circulation, and detoxify, says Byrdie. Like pumpkin, the vitamin A and vitamin C in allspice make it a good choice for skin, says Style Craze, and nutmeg has natural astringent properties that'll help heal acne. Sold yet?

No matter what benefit catches your eye, there's a lot to love about a pumpkin spice-inspired addition to your fall routine. Here are seven ways to make the most of the seasonal beauty treat.

Pumpkin Mask For Acne-Prone Skin

The whole milk in this mask serves as a skin soother, and the honey is a great antibacterial ingredient.

Pumpkin Body Scrub Cubes

In addition to the pumpkin fragrance oil in this recipe, use a cold-pressed pumpkin oil to reap more of the beauty benefits.

Pumpkin Spice Lip Balm

The hardest part about using this recipe? Trying not to lick it all off. If you don't have a leftover EOS container, feel free to use a small jar instead.

Organic Pumpkin Hair Mask

She makes a good point — what better way to use up leftover pumpkin than as a beauty product? This mask is moisturizing for your strands and your scalp.

Pumpkin Facial Scrub

The pumpkin in this exfoliating recipe prevents it from being too harsh or drying.

Pumpkin Mask For Dull Skin

Perfect when you're dying for a warm-weather glow on cold-weather days — the clay and pumpkin combined produce radiant results.

Pumpkin Pie Body Scrub

The scent of this concoction makes it a body scrub that's totally worth the mess.

Nothing here catching your eye? Feel free to play around with the ingredients yourself — you can't go wrong with the incredible beauty benefits of pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg, so feel free to turn your kitchen into a testing lab. No matter what, you'll smell amazing afterwards.

Image: Halfpoint/Fotolia