Moringa is a type of plant that has been used for thousand years due to its anti-aging, moisturizing and antioxidant properties. But do you know what are all the benefits that it can bring to your skin?
Make clear that we will only talk about the benefits of moringa applied to the skin and not ingested as a food.
What is moringa
Moringa Oleifera is a type of tree from northern India that due to its properties have been used in skin ointments even in ancient Egypt.
It has antioxidant properties and a high nutritional value, which makes it the ideal natural ingredient to deal with some wrinkles and prevent the developing of these.
It also has a high content of amino acids that help soothe the skin and a high content of oleic oil which make it ideal to prevent loss of hydration and to provide comfort to the skin.
Moringa benefits
It reduces wrinkles
A study1 Ali A, Akhtar N, Chowdhary F. Enhancement of human skin facial revitalization by moringa leaf extract cream. Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2014;31(2):71–76. doi:10.5114/pdia.2014.40945 that used a 3% extract of moringa leaving it applied to the skin concluded that moringa extract has properties that revitalize the skin increasing its volume and decreasing its wrinkles.
Its phenolic compounds offer a great protection against the deterioration of collagen and elastin in the skin produced by certain enzymes.
Furthermore, its oil is rich in vitamins A, C and E, all of them known as three great antioxidants that help achieve an optimal state of the skin.
It acts as an antioxidant
Moringa has a great antioxidant power2 Nadeem M, Imran M. Promising features of Moringa oleifera oil: recent updates and perspectives. Lipids Health Dis. 2016;15(1):212. Published 2016 Dec 8. doi:10.1186/s12944-016-0379-0 in its extract and in its oil.
So any product that contains it will have better benefits in regard to the inhibition of free radicals, providing a soft touch to the skin and preventing part of the damage caused by these free radicals.
In addition, its extract is starting to be used in some sunscreens to prevent damage induced by sunlight due to its content of quercetin and ferulic acid.
It calms down skin
Moringa extract rarely irritates skin, making it a good ally for those with sensitive skin.
It also has anti-inflammatory effects due to its antioxidant properties.
It could decrease skin volume
Its application is able to decrease up to an 8% of skin volume after 3 months of application according to a study1Ali A, Akhtar N, Chowdhary F. Enhancement of human skin facial revitalization by moringa leaf extract cream. Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2014;31(2):71–76. doi:10.5114/pdia.2014.40945 .
This property would be good for those people whose skin volume is high and want to reduce it.
Moringa decreases skin oil production
Moringa extract applied to the skin has the capacity to decrease the levels of 5-alpha reductase due to its antioxidants and phenolic compounds.
The study concluded that after applying a cream containing moringa after 12 weeks, sebum production was decreased up to a 20% due to the inhibition of 5 alpha reductase.
It prevents skin from getting dehydrated
It is able to retain some water in the skin, something essential to keep its hydration.
Furthermore, since it is an oil with a high content of oleic acid, it is ideal to seal the skin hydration.
Moringa oil can clean the skin
Its oil has a high content of oleic acid and can be used as a cleaning agent2Nadeem M, Imran M. Promising features of Moringa oleifera oil: recent updates and perspectives. Lipids Health Dis. 2016;15(1):212. Published 2016 Dec 8. doi:10.1186/s12944-016-0379-0 since it is able to remove some dirt from the skin without drying it.
It is ideal for those with dry skin that need to remove some extra dirt before using a normal cleaner.
