by Dr Marli Botha
Guavas are a very common type of fruit but are often neglected because of their fairly unappealing appearance, its hardness, and the presence of seeds. The guava fruit can however be considered as a superfood and is known for all its health benefits, even its leaves consist of several medicinal properties, like antioxidants, tannins, carotenoids, polyphenols, and flavonoid.
Here are 4 more HEALTH & BEAUTY TIPS on GUAVAS:
- Guava helps regain the skin’s radiance and freshness. Reap the benefits by preparing a DIY scrub at home: All you have to do is mash some guava flesh with an egg yolk and apply it on your face. Rinse off after 20 minutes with warm water. When used once or twice a week, this scrub will remove dead cells from your skin and lighten your complexion. Guavas are also a great source of Vitamin K, which helps get rid of skin discoloration, dark circles, redness and acne irritation.
- Guavas rank high in astringent properties, guava leaves and unripe guavas even more so. Guava helps tone up and tighten the facial muscles, so apply the following decoction of the leaves to your skin: Take 6 fresh guava leaves and wash thoroughly. Boil the leaves in about 1 litre of water. After about 10 minutes of boiling, pour the water through a filter to remove any pieces of leaf. Apply to your skin.
- An oil is extracted from guava seeds which is widely used in cosmetics, as well as for cooking purposes. Guava oil is rich in vitamins A, C, beta-carotene, copper, zinc and selenium, and also contains linoleic acid.
- Guava leaves are very useful for people with acne and black spots. Guava leaves are said to contain chemicals with an antiseptic property. All you need to do is mash or grind some guava leaves and apply it on your acne and dark spots. Repeat for 3 to 5 days consequtively.
It is important to mention that no food is meant to be a cure-all for any condition, though there are certainly health and skin benefits contained within them. The one thing you should always do before using a new skin care product, is to do a patch test to look for allergies and sensitivities.
