by Contributing Beauty Editor, Anna Maria Giambanco DiPietro
“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
While many of us embrace the transition into Autumn, the dry, windy days can wreak havoc on our looks. Coupled with long, hot showers, they pack a not-so-good one-two punch, often leaving dehydrated, depleted, dull skin in their wake. Not to worry, we’ve been busy poking around for helpful, hydrating beauty products and rejuvenating DIY skincare recipes. This go around, we turn our attention to all things apple—and not as in the pie.
Commonly known as Apple Extract, Pyrus Malus is a powerful active ingredient found in many health and beauty products. From cleansers and scrubs to serums and lotions, manufacturers use this antioxidant-rich powerhouse to enrich their lines. Thankfully, we can reap the skin-smoothing, anti-aging benefits of these green, red, pink, and yellow beauties by ingesting and applying them topically. We all know the adage that mentions an apple a day, but is there something to this old-fashioned expression? Could adding a daily apple to our lives offer up real benefits?
Apples help to hydrate, soften, gently exfoliate, and even out skin tone. They’re naturally rich in vitamins C, B-6, E, and K, plus they contain thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, and phytonutrients that protect us from free radicals. If all of that weren’t enough, apples are anti-inflammatory and loaded with dietary fiber—pretty astonishing, and knowing this certainly gives me pause when strolling farmers' markets or the local grocer’s produce aisle.
So now that we have an understanding that apples are kind of like the rockstars of our fruit bowls, take a look at a few products that feature their magic, then scroll down for a few easy, fun, DIY skincare recipes, plus a bonus mocktail recipe from our Coco Eco test kitchen.
We hope you’ll have some self-care fun checking them out, and please do let us know what you think. In the interim, we wish you good health, glowing skin, and happiness as we raise our glasses of cran-apple spritzer to you, from afar!
USD $22
Help your complexion shine brighter than ever with the Blackhead Clearing Fizz Mask from Dermalogica, featuring apple extract. This fizzing face mask is infused with sulfur to clean pores and blackheads, keeping your skin youthful and healthy.
USD $245
Transform reactive skin with this 3-step routine engineered with super powerful and super gentle technology, to revitalize stressed skin and fortify the skin barrier.
USD $59
Legendary botanical extracts meet innovative science to create the Invigorating Renewing Elixir. With over 30 active ingredients, your skin will be nestled in overnight rejuvenation and lasting protection. Featuring key preventative aging ingredients, like Organic Apple Cellular Water and Bakuchiol, this night mask will give your skin serum-strength nourishment all night. Welcome to the future of ageless skin.
USD $35
Great for those with acne, fine lines and wrinkles, pigmentation, redness, irritation, eczema, psoriasis, seborrhea, rosacea, hidradenitis, tinea versicolor, cradle cap and more.
Coco Eco Cran-Apple Spritzer
2 oz Unsweetened Cranberry Juice
2 oz Unsweetened Apple Juice
2 oz Sparkling Water
Sliced Apple
Dash of Pumpkin Spice
Rosemary Sprig (Optional)
Pour the liquid ingredients into a tumbler filled with ice, then add a slice of apple. Top with a dash of pumpkin spice and a sprig of rosemary, if any is on hand. Set aside extra apple slices for the DIY recipe noted below.
Quick Apple Trick for Puffy Eyes
To reduce puffy, tired, swollen eyes, try this quick, old-school DIY trick.
Place a cold, thin slice of apple just beneath each of your eyes and lie down for 10-15 minutes. Bonus points for going unplugged from all technology and just resting for a bit. You can eat the rest of the apple afterward for a nourishing, healthful snack.
Easy DIY Apple Toner:
Combine 2 tablespoons of filtered water with 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar and apply to clean, dry skin with clean cotton pads.
