Leave it to nature to give us some of the best products for our skin care woes. For example, sun damage is something many of us fight throughout our life. It’s not good for our skin and something we should all try to avoid. A new study from the University of Alabama’s Department of Dermatology found some pretty cool results when it comes to sun damage and grapes.
Of course grapes are not a substitute for sun protection measures such as using sunscreen, wearing protective clothing or seeking shade during peak sun hours. It’s more interesting information.
Grapes Reduce Inflammation
The research from the study found that grapes had a 74.8% increase in natural protection of the skin when 19 people ingested a powder for freeze-dried grapes.
Study lead Dr. Allen Oak concluded that the:
“results indicate that oral consumption of grapes has systemic beneficial effects in healthy adults…These benefits include inhibition of inflammation and repair of DNA damage.”
Good news, if for some reason you don’t like eating this delicious fruit from nature – there are also benefits to applying grape to your skin according to the study. Dr. Oak’s research also concluded that the topical application of an extract made from grape seed also reduced sunburn cell formation.
Why Grapes Are So Great
So what gives? What’s so special about grapes? Well, grapes include polyphenols which the study found reduces acute UV radiation damage in healthy adults. Polyphenols also decreased proteins in the body that promote inflammation.
Wow, that’s a pretty amazing find.
We have even more on the subject in our “Ingredient Truths: Calm Your Skin With Grape Extract” article.
Grapes & Block Island Organics
Of course we’ve been big fans of grapes for some time and it’s a featured ingredient in our Organic Purifying Facial Cleanser. So it’s been exciting for us to read about this study – especially since we’re a sun care focused skin care company!
Again I want to remind everyone that grapes aren’t a replacement for using sunscreen. As Dr. Oak emphasizes:
“This does not mean that grapes should be used in lieu of sunscreen, but they may offer additional protection which we are eager to continue learning more about.”
Finally, to find out about all of our ingredients and why we chose the ones we do for your health and wellness check out Our Ingredients page and our Ingredient Truths series.
