Coconut is the undisputed star of summer and tropical imagery. With its tasty white flesh covered with a thin dark brown layer, it’s actually just the seed of the Cocus Nucifera fruit.
Coconut comes from the tropical areas of the Indonesian Archipelago. It grows in clusters at the highest points of the coconut tree, which reaches an average height of 25 metres and can live for about 75 years.
The coconut is the fruit of the coconut palm, which belongs to the Arecaceae family. It is also known as the tree of life, since all its parts can be used: along with the pulp, it also provides water, milk, oil, the shell and the leaves.
The natives used coconut shells as bowls for eating and drinking. Sometimes they used them to carve masks, and this gave the nut the name “coco”. In fact, in Spanish “coco” means “ugly face”.
The first evidence of watermelon dates back to Ancient Egypt, 5000 years ago; scientists not only discovered watermelon seeds inside some tombs, but also found it depicted in hieroglyphics dating back to the second millennium BC.
It is believed that this Egyptian fruit then spread across the Mediterranean and Europe before reaching America, and that this migration was due to the slave trade.
Watermelon is rich in antioxidants, especially lycopene. This is a highly effective antioxidant that blocks the effect of free radicals, while also strengthening the immune system.
An important vitamin found in watermelon is beta carotene: an excellent ally that helps maintain young skin thanks to its hydration and cell regeneration.
Vitamin A and vitamin C also play a major role, being useful for stimulating collagen production.
The blueberry is a forest fruit of the Ericaceae family. Blueberries have been valued since ancient times for their countless nutritional properties. They are a powerful antioxidant, vasodilator and anti-inflammatory, plus a perennially delicious ingredient in the kitchen.
Blueberry is used in cosmetics particularly to treat the most sensitive and delicate skin. In fact, blueberry has a soothing effect both on red skin and on skin with impurities such as enlarged pores, marks and acne. It has many antioxidant properties that counteract skin ageing and improve the synthesis of collagen fibres. It is mainly used to soothe red, fragile and sensitive skin, protecting its balance and strengthening its natural defenses.
Blueberry’s active ingredients play a valuable role in slowing down skin ageing. Cosmetic products like scrubs, masks and face creams provide a toning, softening effect and make the skin more elastic.
With a delicate flavour and a buttery consistency, this delicious fruit has now entered the diets of Italians and Europeans, despite its distant origins. Avocado was actually first discovered during the explorations of Central America, in the areas now known as Mexico and Guatemala, where it was already part of the diet of the indigenous Aztecs and Mayans before the Spaniards arrived. Also called the alligator pear, avocado was described by the conquistadors as an “abundant fruit, with a pulp similar to butter and characterised by an excellent flavour”.
This precious fruit is truly appealing and delicious, versatile in the kitchen, but also a panacea for beauty. Avocados boast many cosmetic properties, given their wealth of oils and avocatins, which keep the skin elastic by protecting collagen.
Here are some of its basic properties:
Antioxidant: thanks to its concentration of carotenoids, avocado can fight free radicals. It also protects the skin from environmental damage (cold, sun), which makes it an excellent natural anti-ageing product.
Contains vitamin C: along with the antioxidant properties plus those of the carotenoids, vitamin C is essential for producing elastin and collagen – the elements that hold our skin’s structure together.
Contains vitaminE: another antioxidant that, unlike vitamin C which is used immediately, can be stored in the body. As well as delaying skin ageing, some studies have shown that vitamin E protects the skin from harmful solar radiation.
Emollient and moisturiser: the high content of oleic acids helps keep the skin’s epidermal layer hydrated, thereby making it softer. More specifically, omega-9 is involved in regenerating damaged skin cells.
For any lover of beauty care, there’s nothing better than a mask, a scrub and a face cream to combat dry skin and counteract ageing and the onset of wrinkles.
This fruit provides benefits for all skin types because it is soothing on sensitive skin, has antioxidant properties for mature skin and regulates sebum in oily skin.
