Tomatoes are one of those natural beauty gems

Tomatoes are one of those natural beauty gems that not too many people know about. Did you know there are lots of ways to promote healthy, beautiful skin and hair with a fresh tomato? No? Well there are! Here are some of the ways you can use tomatoes in your daily beauty regimen. Just a quick tip – try to use fresh, organically grown tomatoes for best results.

Sunburn

According to Prevention magazine, a study was done that shown that those who consumed five tablespoons of tomato paste each and every day for three consecutive months were more protected against sunburn. How much? A whopping 25 percent more! Why? Tomatoes have a high concentration of the antioxidant called lycopene, which is what’s to be credited for the amazing increase in sunburn protection. We all know what sun damage does to the skin, both beauty and health-wise. Already got a little too much sun? LookBeauty.com says to mix together 2 tablespoons of tomato puree, 2 tablespoons of cucumber puree and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to create a soothing topical, tomato sunburn treatment.

Skin Care & Acne

Tomatoes are popping with antioxidants, vitamin A and vitamin C – which are all good for your skin. Your pores can get clogged with sebum and the vitamin A will help reduce that sebum. Using tomatoes for your regular skin care can also help reduce the size of your pores. While rubbing tomatoes on your face may not sound like much fun, I think you’ll agree that it’s worth it if it means you get healthier glowing skin. Here are a few ways you can do this…

• Cut a tomato in half and rub the inside of the tomato on your face. Don’t wash your face immediately. Let it sit there a couple of minutes before washing it off.
• Mix one tablespoon of fresh tomato juice and a couple drops of lime juice. Use a cotton ball to gently apply to your face and wash it off after a few minutes.
• Take a ripe tomato and pulp the soft tissues. Mix it up with a couple tablespoons of yogurt and you have a simple and natural face mask. You could also mix up the pulped tomato with some cucumber juice. Either way, let the mask soak in for a few minutes then rinse off with warm water.

Hair

Need a pick-me-up for dull hair? Tomatoes can naturally bring back that beautiful shine that you miss. It’s an amazing, natural conditioner that can come straight from your kitchen. Simply apply over-ripe tomato slices to your hair.

Have you been in the kitchen all day long cutting onions? Just come back from a night out with the girls where obviously no one has heard how bad smoking is for you? Get those foul odors out of your hair with tomatoes! Yep. Take some tomato paste and rub it into your scalp. Let it sit for about 15 minutes, wash it out and you should be good to go. Also, don’t dilute the tomato paste. You can simply boil tomatoes and remove the skin then mash the insides all together in a mushy tomato paste. The same goes for dandruff and even chlorine-green hair. The acidity in the tomatoes help restore the Ph levels in your hair, which helps your hair regain its natural color. You may even be able to see the green rinsing right off the ends of your hair!