Gac fruit (also known as Momordica cochinchinensis), is a melon fruit native to Southeast Asia and parts of Northern Australia. It’s harvested for two months each year (December and January) and is often used in places like Vietnam on special occasions—and it’s been used for centuries traditionally to help improve skin hydration and the appearance of lines.
Gac Seed Known Skin Benefits
Within gac fruits lie a potent skincare ingredient: their tiny but mighty seeds. Gac seeds are high in skin-loving vitamins and antioxidants such as beta-carotene, lycopene, and essential fatty acids (omegas 3 + 6) according to Erin Gillin, Youth To The People’s Senior Manager of Product Development + Brand Compliance. In fact, gac fruit has tenfold the lycopene of other lycopene-rich fruits and vegetables. Depending on the concentration and formulation, “lycopene is known to improve skin moisturization, as well as smooth texture and fine lines,” says Gillin. “The fatty acids, also a great source of hydration, help support skin barrier function.”
Additionally, the beta-carotene found in gac seeds is “a powerful antioxidant that helps fight free radicals,” Gillin says.
Where Can I Find Gac Seed in Skincare?
Formulated with gac seed, the newPeptides + C Energy Eye Concentrate from Youth To The People also contains a trio of peptides, vitamin C, caffeine from yerba mate, and optically-diffusing synthetic mica. This serum helps to hydrate, visibly smooth, and leave eyes looking revived with immediate use, as well as visibly reduce dark circles + puffiness, improve radiance, and smooth the look of fine lines with continued use based on an 89-person clinical study after eight weeks.
