Benefits and Uses Of Cranberry Juice For Skin and Health

What is Cranberry Juice?

Cranberry juice is juice that has been squeezed out of ripe cranberries. Whether you're eating cranberries, drinking cranberry juice, or applying cranberry juice topically, you should always seek out berries that are grown organically without any artificial pesticides or fertilizers.

These berries have a very sour taste, and this sharp taste is also apparent in undiluted and unmixed cranberry juice. In recent years, cranberry juice and cranberry extract supplements have been touted as natural cures for urinary tract infections (UTIs). However, scientific research has indicated that cranberry juice is actually next to useless for the prevention of UTIs.

On the other hand, cranberry juice is incredibly rich in vitamin C and a variety of other vitamins. Therefore, this vitamin-rich berry has definite benefits for your health whether or not it actually helps relieve the pain and discomfort of urinary tract infections.

In addition, cranberries contain phytonutrients, which are incredibly potent anti-inflammatory compounds. While the medical science community has not yet reached a conclusion on this hypothesis, it is an increasingly popular supposition that inflammation is the root cause of many if not all types of disease.

If it is, in fact, the case that inflammation, which is a type of bodily defensive mechanism that causes swelling, is the root cause of conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, then ingesting or topically applying anti-inflammatory compounds may be the best way to protect your overall health and well-being. This perspective on inflammation puts the phytonutrients present in cranberries in a whole new light.

Topical Benefits of Cranberry Juice

Up until very recently, the positive effects of cranberry juice were only known in the context of oral ingestion. However, it's recently come to light that this natural substance is also incredibly beneficial when it is applied topically. Cranberry juice is safe when dermally applied (as long as you are using organic, non-GMO juice), and it is also non-comedogenic, which means that it won't cause acne or clog your pores. Best of all, since this juice is plant-derived, it is 100 percent cruelty-free.

Here are some of the outstanding benefits of cranberry juice when it is applied to your skin:

1. Reduces the Effects of Aging

Since cranberry juice contains antioxidants like phytonutrients, polyphenols, and flavonoids, applying this natural substance topically helps your skin cells repair, regenerate, and reproduce in a healthy manner. Wrinkles, fine lines, and age spots are all caused by free radicals that unduly oxidize your aging skin, so applying topical treatments like cranberry juice that contain plenty of antioxidants can keep your skin looking young and supple for years to come.

2. Increases the Production of Collagen

Collagen is a fibroblast, which is a type of protein that is composed of various amino acids. This protein is vital to your health, and it is used throughout your body to keep your joints lubricated, your bones strong, and your tendons supple.

This vital substance is also found in your skin where it tightens your face to reduce unsightly features like wrinkles or dark circles under your eyes. Since cranberry juice is so rich in vitamin C, it aids in the production of collagen in your skin by reducing the presence of free radicals. Therefore, applying cranberry juice topically on a regular basis may make your skin look and feel firm and silky.

3. Fights Acne

Cranberry juice may also be an effective treatment for acne. It's been shown that vitamin C is a viable treatment for acne, and cranberry juice also contains vitamin A and other antioxidants that protect your skin from oxidative damage and allow your dermal cells to properly eliminate toxins.

Acne, which is an incredibly common disease, is caused when your pores become blocked with sebum or foreign material. In some cases, your pores can become clogged with various compounds that the body identifies as toxins, so boosting your body's ability to remove toxic material with the vitamin C in cranberry juice can greatly aid in your overall skin health. Plus, vitamin C fights infections in general, and it is less damaging to the body than prescription oral route vitamin A treatments.

4. Helps Exfoliate Skin

Since cranberry juice is packed with powerful antioxidants, it also serves as an excellent exfoliator. The skin cells in your face are in a constant process of dividing, growing, and dying, and dead cells have a habit of getting stuck in your dermal layers.

When dead skin cells aren't processed properly out of the body, they get in the way of new cell growth, and they can make your skin look and feel dry and dull. There are tons of over-the-counter exfoliants on the market, but they are often unduly harsh to your skin, and they may have other side-effects. Opting to apply cranberry juice topically from time to time is a safe and effective way to make sure that your skin stays bright, supple, and free of dead skin cells.

5. Normalizes Oily Skin

Cranberries are highly acidic, which means that they can help skin that's too oily attain a normative level of oiliness. The medical term for oily skin is seborrhea, and your skin can become oily for a number of reasons. Some people have a genetic disposition toward oily skin, and your skin naturally becomes more oily during puberty as your body secretes a hormone known as androgen.

By exfoliating your skin and unclogging your pores, topically applied cranberry juice combats the most common side-effect of oily skin, which is acne. The type of oil that's produced by your skin is called sebum, and when this oil gets caught in your pores, it creates a blockage that can turn into a blackhead, whitehead, or an outright nodular acne cyst. If your skin is unduly prone to producing oil, using a daily cranberry juice toner can get your sebum production back on track.

6. Defends Against UV Rays

When sunlight strikes your face for an extended period of time, it can start to damage your skin. Everyone likes the look of a fresh suntan, but this bronzed look can go too far when excess sunlight increases the oxidative activity in your skin. Increased oxidative activity adds to the number of free radicals in your system, and free radicals can cause your skin to age prematurely or even prompt the development of skin cancer.

The robust antioxidant profile in cranberry juice makes this simple and natural substance an effective defense against the sun's potentially harmful rays. Since it doesn't absorb UVA or UVB light, cranberry juice isn't an actual sunscreen, but it does reduce the sun-related activity of free radicals in your skin. To reap this particular benefit of cranberry juice, you can either apply this juice to your face before going outside or after an extended stint in the sun.

How to Use Cranberry Juice Topically

Now that you understand just how beneficial cranberry juice can be to your health, you probably can't wait to give this potent and natural skincare substance a try for yourself. While you can always simply apply pure cranberry juice to your face with a washcloth, certain experts with this substance have devised some finessed methods for applying this substance to your skin that may be even more effective.

Here are some of the ways that you can use cranberry juice to improve your overall skin health:

1. Cranberry and Witch Hazel Toner

Witch hazel is an effective toner on its own, but when it's combined with cranberry juice, an incredibly potent toning serum is born. To make a batch of this safe and effective toner, simply follow these steps:

• Mix four ounces of witch hazel and four ounces of rose water in a glass with a spoon.
• Add eight ounces of cranberry juice to the formula, and mix your toner thoroughly.
• Apply the finished solution directly to your face with a cotton ball or a washcloth.

2. Acne-Fighting Cranberry Face Mask

This method actually involves using whole cranberries, but the juice in these berries plays a vital role in the effectiveness of this face mask. To create a super-powered cranberry face mask for acne, follow these simple steps:

• Mash about a pound of cranberries in a bowl, or liquefy them in a blender or food processor.
• Mix your crushed cranberries with about two tablespoons of raw honey to create a paste. You can also add some orange peel or nutmeg to help solidify the solution.
• Apply this natural mask to your face, and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes. Then, wash it off with cool water.
• Repeat this mask as frequently as once per day to reduce inflammation and brighten your complexion.

3. Cranberry Juice Pore Treatment

Since we know that cranberry juice is such an effective treatment for unclogging your pores, we should be well versed on the methods available to apply this treatment effectively. When it comes to removing sebum from your pores, it's best to use cranberry juice in its pure form, and here are the basic steps you'll want to take when applying this antioxidant-rich juice for this purpose:

• Pour about four ounces of pure, organic cranberry juice into a shallow bowl.
• Dip a cotton ball into the juice, and apply the ball to your face.
• Move the ball across the entirety of your face, and dip it back into the juice whenever necessary.
• Leave the cranberry juice on your face for 5-10 minutes, then rinse it off with cool water.

4. Natural Hyperpigmentation Mask

If you suffer from hyperpigmented skin, it's easy to use cranberry juice to restore your skin to its natural tone. Follow these steps to create a natural and effective cranberry juice hyperpigmentation mask:

• In a bowl, mix about four ounces of cranberry juice with about one cup of organic, non-GMO graham flour.
• Once it's mixed thoroughly, apply the mask to your face and massage it in a circular motion for about 10 minutes. Make sure to apply the mask to each area of your face equally.
• Remove the mask from your face with cold water.

Cranberry Juice for Topical Use: The Bottom Line

Beyond any doubt, cranberry juice is a potent tool to have in your arsenal if you're looking for the best natural treatments to keep your skin youthful and free from blemishes. Unlike many over-the-counter skin treatments, fresh, organic cranberries don't have any dangerous ingredients or side-effects, and picking up some whole cranberries or pure cranberry juice is as easy as making a quick trip to your local supermarket.

When it comes to cranberry juice, there's no reason not to experiment with this incredible substance. It's very likely that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of cranberry juice will improve your skin health whether or not you're treating a specific condition, and the financial risk of trying cranberry juice topically is negligible. If this treatment doesn't work for you, you'll only be out the cost of a few cranberries or a bottle of juice while, on the other hand, many chemical skincare treatments cost an arm and a leg even if they end up being totally useless.

The next time you're at the store, why not pick up a bottle of cranberry juice and give it a shot? We think you'll be pleasantly surprised.