Think about what passion fruit and dragon fruit bring to a salad—the pretty fruits with a pop of color give the entire bowl a boost. In a way, it’s not so different from skincare spiked with these fruits, too, since they both bring a myriad of perks.
“Passion fruit is thought to be hydrating without feeling greasy and contains various extracts, including piceatannol, which has been shown to help boost antioxidant activity, block melanin synthesis, as well as induce collagen production,” says Marisa Garshick, MD FAAD, board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in New York City. “Passion fruit also contains fatty acids including linoleic acid and oleic acid to help support the skin barrier and hydrate the skin. Dragon fruit, which is rich in water, can help to hydrate the skin, leaving it feeling soft and moisturized, while also helping to calm inflammation and fight free radical damage.”
Impressively, those aren’t their only perks. Passion fruit is chock full of vitamin C to help fight free radical damage, as well as vitamin A to help improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Meanwhile, dragon fruit contains vitamin B3, aka niacinamide, which soothes skin and helps reduce redness and inflammation.
“It also contains vitamin C, which serves as an antioxidant to help protect the skin against free radical and UV damage and improve skin tone, leaving the skin looking brighter and more refreshed,” Dr. Garshick says.
“Overall, we speak to them being antioxidant powerhouses,” says Laura Cline, Director of Education at Youth To The People. “They’re added to our products for that reason.” The power couple can be found in Youth To The People’s Yerba Mate Resurfacing Energy Facial, a two-minute dual-action microdermabrasion facial that taps the power of active enzymes from papaya and pineapple to break down dead skin cells, with sustainable micro-exfoliants bamboo and diatomaceous earth to polish skin. An energy blast to the skin comes courtesy of caffeinated extracts yerba mate and guayusa. Dragon and passion fruits go to work, scavenging for free radicals here too.
“For our new 15% Vitamin C + Clean Caffeine Energy Serum, we’ve partnered our 15% triple-C complex with caffeine, which helps with microcirculation and these antioxidant-rich powerhouses passion and dragon fruits—naturally having vitamin C— help to give skin a fresh glow,” Cline says.
Products with passion fruit or dragon fruit can be used on the skin daily. To maximize their perks, look for passion fruit and dragon fruit in serums or moisturizers, since they’ll help hydrate the skin while also providing youth-preserving assistance.
“Because they have hydrating benefits, they can also be found in face masks to deliver an instantly hydrated effect,” Dr. Garshick says. And let’s not forget the power of vitamin C; passion fruit and dragon fruit will literally help you look on the bright side!
Written by Celia Shatzman for Youth To The People
