People Are Using Quinoa For Skincare And It’s Not As Weird As It Sounds

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We know that quinoa is a superfood, but the idea of incorporating the healthy grain — which is packed with essential amino acids, fiber, vitamins and minerals — into our skincare routine is new on the radar.

Newsweek reports that quinoa contains high levels of vitamin E that neutralize the oxidant effect of free radicals from sun and pollution exposure. Free radicals, in this case, are molecules that damage collagen. Quinoa may be able to help restore damaged skin by stimulating new collagen synthesis.

You can use quinoa as an exfoliant in a homemade scrub or look for it as an ingredient in beauty products. Quinoa has the perfect texture for exfoliating your skin to remove any dead skin cells that may be clogging your pores. Prevention reports that quinoa is gaining popularity as a physical exfoliator because it’s rough enough to exfoliate, but not too rough to the point where it irritates your skin.

A post shared by Farida (@nutrizonia) on Jun 6, 2017 at 5:08am PDT

Here’s a recipe for a DIY quinoa mask that uses uncooked quinoa, water, organic yogurt and honey.  Use the scrub all over your face and body and then rinse with warm water. This doesn’t have to be an expensive beauty habit. Try an exfoliating mask once a week and see if you notice a difference in your skin.

There’s no question that eating quinoa and using it as a beauty product are different. That said, there’s no denying it’s nutritional value. The Whole Grains Council quotes researcher Philip White as saying, “While no single food can supply all the essential life sustaining nutrients, quinoa comes as close as any other in the plant or animal kingdom.”

There are about 120 different varieties of quinoa out there, but the most commonly cultivated are white, red and black quinoa. You can use any of these varieties for a face mask.

Clearly, there is no end in site to the quinoa craze.