Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo

The Skincare Benefits of Pumpkin Spice

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at San Francisco chapter.

If you are one of the many members of the pumpkin spice-loving family and find yourself needing more than just a seasonal latte to satisfy you, you’ll love the news I have for you.

Pumpkin surprisingly works wonders for your skin! It contains alpha hydroxy acids, which is an organic acid that can be found in a ton of common skincare products for its exfoliating effects. This means that you can use it as an ingredient in your very own face/body scrub. Combine it with the ultimate scrub component (sugar), and what you’ve got is an inexpensive, fall-themed exfoliant… which doubles as an air freshener!

 

Materials:

  • Canned or pureed pumpkin

  • Pumpkin spice (if you don’t want to go out and buy a container just for this project, you can substitute it using cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger)

  • Granulated sugar

  • Coconut oil – This works as an amazing moisturizer on it’s own, too.

  • Vanilla extract – Optional, but certainly helps with creating that lovely smell.

 

Methods:

  1. Because this recipe is for a sugar scrub, all the measurements should be personalized; your end result should be the consistency that works best for your skin. Simply mix in the ingredients until you’re satisfied. I find that I like mine best when it’s only slightly gritty, i.e. not too much sugar, and a hefty amount of coconut oil for moisturization. I also opt out for the vanilla extract, because my skin tends to be sensitive to scented items.

 

You can use this scrub from head to toe: use it in the mornings on your lips before applying that vampy fall lipstick, and on your legs in the shower before you shave. The ingredients help exfoliate, calm redness, and moisturize. You can also use it every time you wash your hands, for the smoothest and best smelling skin. And as always, remember to first test out the scrub on a small portion of your skin, to be sure there isn’t a negative reaction. Have fun!

 

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar
Valerie Duarte

San Francisco

An 18-year-old journalism student at SFSU. Los Angeles native. Very indecisive. Likes to have her cake and matcha lattes, too.