Papaya Benefits For Skin: Nutritional Profile, Recipes & How To Use

Nutritional Profile Of Papaya

Abundant in nutrients, papaya is a superfood that is undoubtedly a must-have in your diet. The nutritional profile of papaya is as follows: [1]

Top 12 Benefits Of Papaya For Skin

Native to Mexico and Central America, papaya’s benefits for the skin are plenty. Let’s take a look at the top twelve reasons papaya can transform your skin!

1. Rich In Essential Vitamins:

Papaya fruit is rich in vitamins A, B, and C, essential vitamins for healthy skin. In addition, enzymes such as papain and chymopapain found in papaya lend it potent antibiotic properties that make it a powerful healing ingredient.

2. Enzymatic Exfoliation:

Papaya is a gentle yet highly effective natural exfoliator due to the presence of papain enzyme. A proteolytic, papain breaks down protein bonds and eliminates dead cells from the skin’s surface. It leads to more even-toned, radiant and smoother textured skin.

3. Deep Hydration And Moisturisation:

Papaya fruit has about 87% water. [2] This makes it an excellent source of hydration along with its rich vitamin profile. Being rich in vitamin A, C and E, papaya can provide the much-needed moisturisation removing dryness and flakiness.

4. Fights Acne And Breakouts:

Papaya can reduce acne-induced inflammation and accelerate the skin’s regenerative process. As a natural source of beta-carotene, a type of vitamin A, papaya can help fight free radical damage and aid in acne treatment and healing. [3]

5. Anti-ageing Properties:

An interesting research found that consumption of papaya leads to enhanced cognitive skills, muscular strength, and psychological state. [4] It was further found that papaya pulp, being abundant in vitamin C and other antioxidants, reduced oxidative stress and contributed to the slowing down cellular ageing. Furthermore, applying papaya to the skin can lead to reduced appearance of wrinkles as it aids collagen synthesis, improving the skin’s elasticity.

6. Evens Out Skin Tone:

As mentioned earlier, the exfoliating properties of papaya and the presence of vitamins A, C and E make it a potent brightening agent.  The benefits of applying papaya to the face can range from reducing dark spots, acne marks, and discolouration to smoothing the overall complexion.

7. Soothes Irritation And Redness:

Papaya, due to the presence of the enzymes papain and chymopapain, helps to relieve inflammation, itching, and redness. It also promotes tissue repair and facilitate skin healing.

8. Enhances Natural Glow:

Rich in vitamin C, papaya fruit can lead to a naturally luminous complexion. Its antioxidant effect is brilliant for a skin detox, which makes it a potent organic skin-brightening agent.

9. Protects Against Sun Damage:

Vitamin C and lycopene enzyme present in papaya have been shown to protect the skin against free radical damage. Its high antioxidant content can help safeguard your skin from sun damage and wrinkles, slowing down the signs of ageing.

10. Healing Properties:

Among the many uses of papaya fruit for the face, its ability to stimulate cell regeneration and promote healing stands out as one of its main properties. The vitamins and nutrients present in papaya boost collagen production, help with skin rejuvenation and enhance general skin health.

11. Natural Skin Tightening:

Papaya’s enzymatic composition also helps to naturally tighten the skin and give it a youthful glow.

12. Suitable For All Skin Types:

Papaya is a gentle ingredient suitable for all skin types.

Different Forms Of Papaya You Can Include In Your Routine

You can gain a lot of benefits of papaya fruit for skin by using it in different forms in your daily skincare routine. The pulpy fruit can be adapted into drinks, masks, or even just eaten raw. Here are several ways that you can incorporate papaya into your daily routine:

• Whole Papaya Fruit: Papaya fruit can be used in multiple ways for health benefits. You can eat the fruit, mash it and apply its pulp to the skin or cook it as a delicious recipe. Benefits of eating papaya for the skin include reduced acne and inflammation, improved elasticity, skin tone and a brighter complexion. If you wish to apply papaya pulp topically, you can mix it with honey, turmeric, lemon juice or any organic ingredient as you need to make a nourishing and natural face mask.
• Fresh Juice: Consuming fresh papaya juice, which is loaded with antioxidant properties, is the best way to utilise all the nutrients in papaya. It’s high vitamin A, C and potassium content can help fight dullness, dryness, and signs of ageing, leading to a healthy, bright and refreshed appearance.
• Papaya Paste: You can easily get an organic paste of raw or ripe papaya from stores or prepare it at home. You can mix it with several other ingredients such as curd, lemon juice, and honey, to create moisturising and brightening face packs.
• Powdered Papaya: Papaya is powdered and used to prepare many organic skincare products. You can use papaya dust as a natural scrub, toner, or ingredient in your homemade face packs.
• Papaya Soap: Due to its brightening, exfoliating, and mistrusting properties, papaya is also a popular ingredient in soap bars. Soaps with papaya fruit extracts are rich in vitamins C and E and can improve collagen synthesis and minimise uneven skin tone.
• Papaya Seeds: Consuming papaya seeds can be beneficial to the skin. They are high in polyphenols and flavanols, which are powerful antioxidants. Hence, they protect the skin from oxidative stress and prevent fine lines and wrinkles.
• Leaves: You can eat or apply papaya leaves to the skin for a smoother and younger-looking complexion. The enzyme papain found in papaya has protein-dissolving properties, leading to thorough exfoliation of the skin’s surface.
• Raw Papaya: Unripe or raw papaya has a high content of papain, which has anti-ageing, anti-inflammatory and exfoliating benefits. However, owing to the large amount of papaya latex in raw papaya, it is best to do a patch test to rule out any allergies or severe reactions to the skin.

DIY Papaya Skincare Recipes

Now that we know of the multiple benefits of papaya for skin let’s examine how you can incorporate this miracle fruit into your skincare routine.

(Be cautious as it can cause side effects. Consult a dermatologist before your start.)

Skin Brightening Pack:

You can prepare a brightening face pack using ripe papaya and a few simple ingredients off your kitchen shelf. For the preparation of this pack, you will need the following:

Ingredients:

• ½ cup ripe papaya
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon honey

Instructions:

• Thoroughly mix the raw papaya pulp, honey and lemon in a bowl.
• Wash your face and pat dry. Apply an even coat of the mask to clean the face, avoiding the sensitive eye area.
• Let it sit for 15-20 minutes and rinse with lukewarm water. Follow with rose mist, and mild moisturiser.

Hydrating Face Mask:

People with dry, flaky skin can use papaya and it works as a natural hydration therapy. For a hydrating papaya face mask, you need:

Ingredients:

• ½ cup mashed papaya
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1-2 drops lavender essential oil (optional)

Instructions:

• On a clean face, gently apply the mask and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Avoid the delicate eye area.
• Wash gently and pat dry.
• Apply a mild moisturiser to lock in the moisture!

Exfoliating Scrub:

Papaya can be suitable for sensitive skin as it exfoliates without harsh abrasions that physical exfoliants might cause. You can make this papaya facial scrub using papaya puree and oatmeal. After using this exfoliating scrub, your skin will feel smoother and more revitalised. To prepare, you’ll need:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons mashed papaya
• 1 tablespoon of oatmeal
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon of rose water

Instructions:

• Wash your face and let it remain damp.
• Lightly massage the mixture into your damp face in a circular motion. Let it remain for 20 minutes.
• Rinse with lukewarm water and follow up with a moisturiser.

Takeaway

From supporting gut health to providing essential antioxidant benefits, papaya helps to combat environmental stress, photo-ageing and decline in skin vitality. Incorporating papaya into your skincare regimen can boost collagen production, minimise hyperpigmentation and enhance overall skin brightness. A great exfoliant, papaya is safe even on the most delicate skin types. However, performing a patch test before application is essential to prevent adverse reactions.

If you are seeking solutions to more advanced skin concerns we recommend that you book a consultation with an experienced dermatologist.