With the powerful rays of the sun threatening to ruin my tattoos, raspberry seed oil has become a daily ingredient in my moisturizers out of pure necessity. In addition, using a raspberry face mask and serum are now permanent parts of my weekly routine. It was only a matter of time before I peered curiously at a box of the fruit and vowed to make some seriously delicious natural beauty products with raspberries. Obviously, I am no stranger to wearing my food, but the benefits of red raspberries turned out to be so versatile and extensive that I wondered why I hadn't had raspberries on my face all my life.
The raspberry leaf has been used as a healing agent for centuries. I first took note of these benefits during my sister's pregnancy, which proved to be way more difficult that any of us imagined. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, a study in 1999 revealed that consuming raspberry leaves during pregnancy can shorten the mother's time in labor, help you avoid premature or late births, and just generally make for a speedier recovery. Obviously, finding out about this study resulted in a 200 word text message where I channeled my short-lived days on a debate team to convince my sister to use raspberry leaves. I realized that if this leaf had the nutrients and vitamins to heal and the seed was a natural protectant from the sun, I was long overdue for a raspberry DIY beauty project. I also realized that my new DIY recipes would most likely have leftover raspberries to fill my sudden craving to snack.
Raspberries are arguably one of the most popular antioxidants, which is why raspberry extract can be found in many beauty products, including cleansers to moisturizers. Antioxidants are nature's way of letting us drink from the fountain of youth; they are known to diminish wrinkles and create youthful, healthy skin. Antioxidants aren't the only thing that raspberry has to offer our skincare, according to sources at New Skin Diet, raspberries are rich in vitamin C, which reduces age spots. As a daily, topical vitamin C user, I definitely agree that it has improved discoloration and lifted scars from acne noticeably within a week. Which is pretty amazing for a natural remedy, am I right?
According to sources at StyleCraze, raspberries are antibacterial and anti-inflammatory making for an ideal natural ingredient for oily, acne-prone skin. With plenty of vitamins A, B, C, and E, these berries certainly don't discriminate — using raspberries topically can prevent skin damage, tighten loose, sagging skin, and as I mentioned before, lighten those pesky dark spots from acne, age, or the sun. It's pretty much a skincare warrior that you should be eating and wearing on the reg. According to sources at Livestrong, raspberries also have carotenoids which is a plant pigment that is well-known for toning and improving complexions. These little berries can help in evening out pigmentation issues and give you a natural glowing effect (trust me on this one, I use natural carotenoid berries in my moisturizer; it's the BUSINESS at toning) According to sources at You Beauty, simply increasing the carotenoid-packed fruits and veggies you eat can give you a healthy glow and applying it topically has been said to be an excellent natural tanner. So let's whip up some natural beauty products, shall we?
Anti-Aging Face Mask
This face mask has my skin silky smooth despite all the sun I seem to be exposed to. You'll need the following items to have an anti-aging mask that will have your skin craving raspberries all summer long:
- 6 raspberries
- 1 tablespoon of oatmeal
- 1/2 tablespoon of raw honey.
- A blender
First, blend your raspberries together, making a thick juice. Next, add oatmeal and raw honey and then blend all your ingredients together. Apply on a wet, makeup free face and neck, then rinse off after five minutes. This mask is amazing for acne-prone skin, hyper-pigmentation, and tightening loose skin. It's best used in the a.m. and can be used three to four times a week.
Raspberry Anti-Aging Serum
Pure Sea Buckthorn, $14, Amazon; Moisturizing Baobab Oil, $13, Amazon
If it's toning you crave, this serum is going to be your hero. I used a tablespoon of fresh, blended raspberries, one tablespoon of fresh rose water, one teaspoon of baobab oil, and about eight drops of sea buckthorn oil. After I manually blended my ingredients together, I added a teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice and transferred my new serum into a dark, sealable container. This serum will keep you glowing all day long and improve your complexion overall — use this serum before bedtime and rinse off with your favorite natural cleanser in the mornings.
Image: Kristin Collins Jackson; Giphy
