Note: Scroll to the bottom for a DIY Cayenne Face Mask recipe.
I must admit. I like spicy food. If you're familiar with the Apple Rose Beauty story you know that it was named after two women caught in the web of human trafficking who I met in Thailand. I loved meeting Apple and Rose but another reason I fell in love with Thailand was their abundance of spicy, flavorful foods. In many places where spicy food is common, like the Caribbean and South America, the key ingredient is the spice, Cayenne. However, did you know that Cayenne doesn't just add flavor to foods, but it also has healing properties? In fact, in the U.S. Cayenne played an important role in Native American medicine for many years.
Put cayenne to the test for your acne and acne scars. You can try a generous sample of our organic skin care's cayenne cleanser in our basic skincare kit. You will also receive a $10 coupon that you can use on a future purchase!
Prince of Spices
Cayenne is one of those secret herbs known as “the price of spices” that has been used for centuries and is now backed by science to address numerous medical issues. It has been used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicines to help treat circulatory problems and increase appetite. There is even research, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, that shows that the active ingredient in Cayenne, capsaicin, can effectively treat serious skin issues like psoriasis. Capsaicin is also commonly used for the treatment of aches and pains of the muscles and joints.
But psoriasis is not the only skin ailment that Cayenne is known to treat. It is also used to treat acne and acne scars.
Keep reading to see why it works and how you can try a diy recipe yourself. Also check out the amazing reviews on our cayenne infused Nourish Naturally Cayenne + Coconut Cleanser!
Why does it work for Acne?
According to medical news today not only does Cayenne contain the amazing capsaicin active ingredient, but it is also rich in vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin E, potassium, manganese and antioxidants called flavanoids. All of these vitamins and antioxidants have numerous benefits to the skin such as vitamin C increasing collagen production and reducing acne discoloration and vitamin B6 soothing redness and fading dark spots. Capsaicin is also a counter-irritant in that it brings blood to the surface and allows the toxins to be taken away. It is anti-inflammatory and therefore soothing. It's richness in vitamins and antioxidants and its soothing anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-allergen and anti-irritant properties make Cayenne perfect for tackling acne and acne scars. And that's not all, capsaicin is also a great natural preservative, perfect for increasing the shelf-life of natural skin care products, making them effective in fighting acne longer.
Cayenne is a key ingredient in: Apple Rose Beauty's Cayenne + Coconut Cleanser – a wonderful organic facial cleanser for fighting acne and acne scars. Check out the details on this amazing cleanser.
If you're on the more adventurous DIY side, try the natural cayenne face-mask recipe below.
DIY Cayenne Mask
This natural recipe from A Girl's Gotta Spa website contains Cayenne and is balanced with avocado to help fight acne breakouts. Be careful with how much cayenne you use!
½ Riped Avocado
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (if you have sensitive skin, use 1/2 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon of raw cocoa powder
Directions: Mix raw cocoa powder and cayenne pepper then blend avocado into mix until the texture is smooth.
Use it to: Increase blood flow and circulation and fight off breakouts. It is enriched with vitamins A and C, beta-carotene and antioxidants.
So there you have it. The list of medical uses of Cayenne goes on and on and reads like a who's who list of ailments. Who knew? It is used to heal ulcers, boost the immune system, aid digestion, treat nausea, scrofula, shingles, rheumatism, arthritis, pleurisy, Raynauds disease, bunions, pleuritis and pericarditis. It is used as a tonic for the heart, kidneys, lungs, pancreas, spleen and stomach, and has been indicated for preventing heart disease. It can be used as a general stimulant to build up resistance at the beginning of a cold, tonsillitis, laryngitis, hoarseness and for swollen lymph glands. Recently, Cayenne has even been used successfully to treat patients with cluster headaches, a particularly painful type of headache. Wow is there anything this spice can't do?
Add some Cayenne to your diet and skin care routine and let us know how it works for you! Or have you used Cayenne before to help with medical issues? We would love to hear about your experience.
