We know it best for the unique colour and flavour it brings to our plates. Yet pomegranate has far more to offer than a delicious taste! Here is a closer look at the surprising benefits of pomegranate — especially for the skin…
What exactly is a pomegranate?
This is a remarkable fruit, harvested from the pomegranate tree, a charming shrub native to Persia that has been cultivated for centuries across the Mediterranean basin. Round in shape, the pomegranate consists of a thick rind encasing numerous seeds wrapped in a red, fleshy, juicy coating known as the aril. These little seeds are the part we eat — by hand as a healthy snack or as a salad topping, or pressed into juice (which can then be used to make syrup, wine or vinegar). Its tangy, refreshing flavour is winning over more and more fans. It is celebrated for its nutritional qualities: rich in vitamins and low in calories, it is said to have numerous anti-cholesterol and anti-fatigue properties.
What is less well known is that pomegranate can also be used in cosmetics. Its benefits for the skin are truly remarkable…
Pomegranate: an extraordinary anti-ageing ingredient
Pomegranate is an exceptional antioxidant, surpassing blueberries, green tea and grapes. This superpower comes not so much from its vitamin A and C content as from its extraordinary concentration of polyphenols. The fruit contains record levels of catechins and anthocyanins — the pigments responsible for its vivid red colour.
What does this mean for the skin? It is quite straightforward: the skin is the body’s largest organ, covering almost its entire surface and acting as the first line of immune defence. As such, it is exposed to countless aggressors: solar UV rays, pollution, bacteria and microbes. These aggressors trigger an increase in free radicals within the body — unstable molecules that accelerate ageing and fuel inflammation. The body can neutralise them on its own, but a little help goes a long way. Pomegranate, whether eaten or applied topically, helps counteract some of this oxidative damage.
It can therefore be said that the fruit helps combat the visible signs of ageing:
- Premature wrinkles
- Loss of skin firmness
- Loss of volume, elasticity and radiance
Benefit no2: a firming action
But that is not all! Pomegranate contains phytosterols, bioactive compounds recognised for their ability to stimulate collagen synthesis. Collagen is one of the key proteins that make up the skin’s elastic fibres. Consuming or applying pomegranate extracts therefore helps the skin gain in firmness, tone and suppleness. This effect is further enhanced by the unsaturated fatty acids found in pomegranate seeds, including punicic acid. This omega-5 works on multiple levels for skin health: it strengthens cell membranes, reducing water loss (reinforcing the skin’s cellular cement), while also boosting collagen production. Once again, the firming effect is very much present.
Benefit no3: a booster for skin regeneration
The third superpower of pomegranate for the skin lies in its B vitamin content, excellent for the health of skin and hair appendages (hair, nails), as well as its mineral content. Notable among these are iron, essential for cellular oxygenation; copper, which boosts melanin production (the substance that gives skin and hair their colour); and magnesium, which has notable antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. As a result, pomegranate has a regenerating action on the skin: it helps reduce the appearance of blemishes and irritation and supports healthy healing and skin renewal.
Pomegranate: a key ingredient in slimming skincare?
Today, pomegranate is widely used in anti-ageing cosmetics, for the reasons outlined above. But why include it in slimming skincare? Simply because it is firming: it helps reshape the contours of the figure and give the skin a firmer, smoother appearance. Combined with other natural ingredients (such as “fat-burning” actives), it works wonders for slimming.
At Cellublue, we have long understood that pomegranate deserves a place in our slimming body care range. That is why our Caviar Minceur Zones Rebelles contains it!
This treatment helps reduce fatty tissue, assists in targeting localised fat accumulation and firms the skin, for a completely reshaped silhouette. The special touch of this caviar? Its firming (including pomegranate) and lipolytic actives are encapsulated in micro-beads that, upon contact with the skin and through the action of massage, diffuse into the deeper layers of the skin and target fatty deposits.
For even faster results, try our Pack Minceur Express, a routine designed to help you slim down day after day and achieve a figure you will be proud of.