Pumpkin Overload?
When I was young we used to cut our hands to shreds trying to hollow out a swede for Halloween, Today the pumpkin seems to have firmly overtaken the swede as the vegetable of choice for the jacko’lantern. (unsurprisingly – it is much easier to carve!)
There are so many pumpkins around this Halloween; It made me wonder what British people do with all the pumpkin flesh left over. Do we make it into pumpkin pies and soups like our American counterparts? Or is it just thrown away? Well, according to the Independent,
“18,000 tons of perfectly edible squash is tipped straight into the bin every Halloween – weighing the same as 1,500 double decker buses.”
So what can you do with your pumpkin if you’re not big on pumpkin soup? Well, did you know that pumpkin is also a wonderful skin-care ingredient?
I thought I’d do my bit for the environment and show you how to incorporate your left-over pumpkin into your beauty regime.
Pumpkin is a wonderful skin-care ingredient as it’s rich in antioxidents, enzymes and vitamins – all of which will benefit your skin in a multitude of ways; the essential fatty acids are anti-aging: the fruit enzymes help to get rid of dry flaky skin, Vitamin A and Sodium hyaluronate hydrate, plump and soften, while Vitamin C boosts collagen productions.
Pumpkin is also full of copper which can help to fade brown spots and pigmentation. The antioxidents protect the skin against environmental toxins, preventing wrinkles and other damage.
Not only is pumpkin packed with disease- and wrinkle-fighting ingredients, but it also smells lovely and is safe for most skin types
To make a Pumpkin Facemask try the following:
Two teaspoons of pumpkin puree,
one teaspoon honey,
half a teaspoon of olive oil
one tablespoon of plain yoghurt.
Mix ingredients together, apply the mixture to your face for 10 minutes and then rinse with warm water. The antioxidants from the pumpkin and humectant properties from the honey will you give you a fresh, moisturized face.
Eat the seeds
Don’t throw the seeds away. They are rich In monounsaturated fats, magnesium and zinc.so eating them will help cell metabolism of your skin, as well as helping to maintain collagen and protect against cell damage. Zinc is a great healer so the seeds are also good for relieving inflammation.
Sprinkle the seeds with olive oil and a bit of salt and bake them in the oven for a healthy snack.
