Tomatoes for Beauty: Why & How to Use Them

Daily consumption of tomato – a juicy delight – is beneficial not only for your health but for your overall beauty needs as well. Because the tomato is a very versatile ingredient when it comes to cooking, it is considered as a staple in almost every household.

Some of the health benefits of tomatoes include improving the eyesight, boosting stomach health, reducing blood pressure, preventing urinary tract infections, and even helping protect against cancer, among other things.^[1][2]

This immensely popular powerhouse of nutritional benefits is the solution to almost all skin issues. It improves the texture of your skin, which enhances your natural beauty.

Nutritional Value of Tomatoes

Tomatoes are laden with a number of beauty-enhancing properties. They contain a high level of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that offers amazing benefits for the skin. Lycopene protects the skin from ultraviolet (UV) rays, thereby delaying skin aging. It also offers protection against skin cancer.^[3]

Tomatoes contain vitamin A and C as well as a bevy of other antioxidants.^[4]

Nutritional value of 100 grams of red ripe tomatoes:

Water	g	94.52
Energy	kcal	18
Protein	g	0.88
Total lipid	g	0.20
Carbohydrate	g	3.89
Fiber	g	1.2
Sugars	g	2.63
Calcium, Ca	mg	10
Iron, Fe	mg	0.27
Magnesium, Mg	mg	11
Phosphorus, P	mg	24
Potassium, K	mg	237
Sodium, Na	mg	5
Zinc, Zn	mg	0.17
Manganese, Mn	mg	0.114
Vitamin C –	mg	13.7
Niacin	mg	0.594
Folate	mcg	15
Choline	mg	6.7
Vitamin A	mcg	42
Lycopene	mcg	2573
Lutein + zeaxanthin	mcg	123
Vitamin K	mcg	7.9

It can do wonders for your skin and hair when included in your beauty routine.

Precautions to be Kept in Mind

• Tomatoes are safe to be consumed in the amounts found in foods.
• It is even considered safe to use a specific tomato extract (Lyc-O-Mato) for as long as eight weeks.
• The tomato leaf is generally considered to be UNSAFE, as excessive intake can lead to poisoning. Some noticeable giveaways of toxic consumption include vomiting, extreme irritation around the mouth, severe throat irritation, diarrhea, headache, lightheadedness, mild spasms. Bear in mind that the condition can worsen and turn fatal as well.

Know How Tomatoes are Beneficial for Your Skin

Here are some beauty benefits of tomatoes.

1. Helps Reduce Acne

Tomatoes contain salicylic acid, a beta hydroxyl acid, which can be effective in treating acne. It helps clear up the acne by reaching deep within the skin pores.^[5]

The astringent nature of tomato helps reduce excess oil from your skin, thereby reducing acne breakouts.

1. Mash a ripe tomato and spread its pulp on the affected area.
2. Leave it on your skin for 20 to 30 minutes before rinsing it off with lukewarm water.
3. Repeat 2 or 3 times a day.

2. Treats a Suntan

Tomatoes can also be used to treat suntan. The high lycopene content in tomatoes helps cool the skin, neutralize the skin surface, and protect it from the effects of harmful sunrays. Aside from external application, regular dietary intake of tomatoes is also beneficial.

According to a 2011 study that was published in the British Journal of Dermatology, tomato paste containing lycopene can help protect against the acute and (potentially) longer-term aspects of photodamage.^[6]

• Put 2 large tomatoes and ½ cup of yogurt in a blender. Blend the ingredients together to form a smooth paste. Apply the paste all over the sunburned area. Wait for 10 to 15 minutes before taking a shower with cool water. Repeat once daily.
• Alternatively, you may mix 2 tablespoons of tomato juice with 4 tablespoons of buttermilk. Apply the mixture on your skin and then wash it off after 30 minutes. Use this remedy once daily.

3. Brightens the Skin

Skin problems such as pigmentation and dark spots can end up making your skin looking dull and unhealthy. Tomatoes are an easy-to-use remedy that can help make your skin radiant and bright. It has been found that the glutathione present in tomatoes is helpful in treating a number of skin problems, both topically and orally.^[7]

Thanks to their antioxidant, exfoliating, and brightening properties, tomatoes can effectively help reduce dark spots caused by sun exposure.

1. Mix 2 teaspoons of tomato pulp with 1 teaspoon of oatmeal and 1 teaspoon of yogurt.
2. Gently rub the paste on the affected area and leave it on for 20 minutes.
3. Rinse it off with cool water.
4. Repeat the remedy once or twice a week.

4. Lightens the Skin Tone

Tomatoes are considered a natural bleaching agent and can be very helpful in lightening the skin tone.

The vitamin C content found in tomatoes aids in collagen production and protects cells from free-radical damage. This is important for a glowing and beautiful skin.^[8]

• Prepare a face mask using 3 tablespoons of tomato juice, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Apply this mask on your face. Let it sit for 15 minutes, and then wash it off with cool water.
• Alternatively, mix together 2 tablespoons of tomato juice and 2 tablespoons of raw honey. Apply the mixture on your face. Wait for 10 minutes, and then rinse your face with cool water.

5. Delays Skin Aging

The antioxidant properties of tomatoes help reduce free-radical damage in the body and keep your skin looking young and healthy.^[8]

You must also include tomatoes in your diet. Being a rich source of lycopene, they help your skin absorb more oxygen, which helps delay the signs of aging and makes the skin less prone to wrinkles.

1. Put the pulp of 1 tomato and 1 ripe avocado in a blender and blend the ingredients into a smooth paste.
2. Apply the mixture on your face.
3. Leave it on for at least 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Rinse it off with lukewarm water and gently pat your face dry with a soft towel.
5. Use this antiaging face mask once a week.

Also, have a glass of tomato juice every day in order to nourish your skin from within.

6. Helps Control Dandruff

Tomatoes can also be good for your hair and scalp! The salicylic acid content in tomatoes is a natural clarifying agent and helps reduce dandruff; it also adds volume to your hair.^[9] In addition, tomatoes help balance the pH level in your hair, which is important for healthy hair and scalp.

• Blend 2 tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, and 2 teaspoons of aloe vera gel into a fine paste. Apply this paste on your scalp. Wear a shower cap for 30 minutes, and then wash your hair as usual. Use this hair mask once a week.
• Another option is to mix the paste of 1 tomato with 2 tablespoons of castor oil. Apply it on your scalp. Leave it on for 30 to 45 minutes, and then wash your hair with mild shampoo. Use this hair treatment once a week.

7. Controls Excess Oil Secretion

Tomatoes can help manage oily skin. Tomatoes contain natural oil-reducing and astringent properties that help remove the excess oil from your skin.

Aside from eliminating excess oil, tomatoes are also effective in combating acne and reducing the appearance of blemishes.

• Cut a tomato in half and rub the tomato halves on your skin. Let it sit on your skin for at least 15 minutes. Rinse it off with cool water and pat your skin dry with a soft towel. Use this remedy once daily.
• Thoroughly mix the juice of 2 tomatoes and 3–4 tablespoons of cucumber juice. Apply this mixture on your face and rub it on your skin in circular motions. Wait for 10 minutes, and then rinse it off with cool water. Use this remedy once daily before going to bed.

Resources:

1. Raiola A, Rigano MM, Calafiore R, Frusciante L, Barone A. Enhancing the Health-Promoting Effects of Tomato Fruit for Biofortified Food. Mediators of Inflammation. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3972926/. Published 2014.
2. Agarwal S, Rao AV. Tomato lycopene and its role in human health and chronic diseases. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC80172/. Published September 19, 2000.
3. Tabassum N, Hamdani M. Plants used to treat skin diseases. Pharmacognosy Reviews. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3931201/. Published 2014.
4. Full Report (All Nutrients): 11529, Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average . USDA Food Composition Databases. https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3223. Published April 2018.
5. Zander E, Weisman S. Treatment of acne vulgaris with salicylic acid pads. Clinical therapeutics. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1535287. Published 1992.
6. Rizwan M, Rodriguez-Blanco I, Harbottle A, Birch-Machin MA, Watson RE, Rhodes LE. Tomato paste rich in lycopene protects against cutaneous photodamage in humans in vivo: a randomized controlled trial. The British journal of dermatology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20854436/. Published January 2011.
7. Sonthalia S, Daulatabad D, Sarkar R. Glutathione as a skin whitening agent: Facts, myths … IJDVL. http://www.ijdvl.com/article.asp?issn=0378-6323;year=2016;volume=82;issue=3;spage=262;epage=272;aulast=Sonthalia. Published 2016.
8. Pullar JM, Carr AC, Vissers MCM. The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health. Nutrients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579659/. Published August 2017.
9. Ranganathan S, Mukhopadhyay T. DANDRUFF: THE MOST COMMERCIALLY EXPLOITED SKIN DISEASE. Indian Journal of Dermatology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2887514/. Published 2010.