You probably already know all the ways that chlorophyll is basically magic. I mean, plant blood that allows herbage to soak up the sun and transform it into food? Heck yeah, that sounds like something Professor Sprout would teach in Harry Potter.
Though there hasn’t been enough fuss about the green stuff’s quasi-magical properties, word is getting out about how it can naturally help with all kinds of ailments, from odor control to cancer prevention. What you may not know is how great it is as a part of your skin care regimen. Washing, cleansing, moisturizing, or drinking, chlorophyll has got your covering covered.
Still not inspired to slather it on or gulp it down?
6 Chlorophyll Benefits for Skin
Wound Healer
Mother Earth knows that her people are simple and clumsy carbon-based life forms, so she’s given us the goodness of chlorophyll to help with all our cuts and scrapes. Great with burns, nicks, and inflammation, chlorophyll helps prevent scarring and infections by killing germs.
Which is no surprise considering this stuff’s got natural anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and wound-healing properties. It not only helps destroy pesky germs that can lead to infection – its alkaline formulation is particularly good at fighting Candida albicans, or a kind of yeast that frequently gets into our booboos.
Blemish Banisher
Because of its amazing germ killing action (technically it’s creating an environment that is inhospitable to the growth of bacteria) it’s also great for helping fight breakouts. Pimples are little sacks of oil, dead skin, and bacteria.
By making acne bacteria know that it’s unwelcome and by cutting down on inflammation, chlorophyll can help stop breakouts or make them clear up faster. A number of anti-blemish products and anti-bacterial soaps and cleansers have chlorophyll in them, so if you’re searching for a natural zit-fighter check for the power of chlorophyll.
Another way chlorophyll helps combat blemishes is thanks to its natural detox prowess – you see, has been shown to have a cleansing effect on the blood, which is not surprising considering chlorophyll is one of the most important natural chelates.
So don’t just put it on your face – drink your share of chlorophyll (with green juices, smoothies, and wheatgrass shots) to help detox your body of blemish-causing toxins.
Healthy Body, Health Skin
You know how chlorophyll’s called plant blood? Well, it’s pretty spot on – chlorophyll has a molecular structure that’s almost identical to hemoglobin (you know, those red blood cells that transport oxygen to your blood) except for the center atom. In hemoglobin, the center atom is iron but in chlorophyll, it’s magnesium.
This is great news for your skin (and overall body) since magnesium is something our bodies absolutely need – more than 300 enzymes in our body requires magnesium to work – but many of us are deficient in it.
Not only does magnesium do wonderful things in our bodies like regulate blood pressure and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease – it’s also though to be critical for our overall cardiovascular, digestive, and nervous systems as well as for proper functioning of muscles, kidneys, liver, and hormone-secreting glands.
But it’s not just your body – magnesium is very vital to your skin as well. How so? Let us count the way. It helps to get oxygen to all your cells and tissues (including those in your skin). It’s necessary for the metabolism of vitamin C, a crucial skin vitamin.
The enzymes that regulate things like DNA replication and repair need magnesium to do their job. And low magnesium levels have been linked to increased histamine production (hello, red and itchy skin!) as well as lower levels of fatty acids (reduced elasticity and dry, inflamed skin).
By giving your body what it needs, you’re setting the stage for it to give you what you want: healthy, glowing skin.
Wrinkle Repressor
Some of us naturally age like movie stars with a team of dermatological and cosmetic professionals. If you’re not Angela Bassett or Monica Bellucci, you might want to look into adding chlorophyll to your beauty routine. Sun damage and oxidization are the main causes of wrinkles. Chlorophyll is chock-a-block with skin-protecting antioxidants, and natural sunscreen.
Even when pressed from the plants from whence they came, chlorophyll maintains the ability to absorb light, thereby protecting you from harmful UV rays. In fact, an Australian study with over 1,000 subjects found that those who ate at least 3 servings of dark leafy greens on a regular basis reduced their risk of skin cancer by up to 55%. No wonder chlorophyll is frequently added to moisturizers to give light protection.
Note: Chlorophyll is best for its skin protective qualities – not as an actual replacement for sunscreen. Though it’s great for your skin, it’s not enough to keep you protected during your South American holiday so slather up on natural sunscreen before braving the great outdoors!
Odor Banisher
What’s sexier than healthy skin? Healthy skin that smells good.
Chlorophyll’s got natural odor-absorbing abilities that don’t stop with your skin – because chlorophyll fights odor from the inside out, it’s been shown to freshen breath (even dog breath), de-odorize stinky pits and feet, and even reduce urinary and fecal odors. Which makes chlorophyll not only a crazy great skin food, but also one of the best all natural deodorant alternatives there is.
Vitamin Greatest Hits
Vitamin A, C, E and K are your red-hot jams for wrinkle reduction, brown spots and smoothing the rough patches. And guess what? Whether you drink or apply directly, chlorophyll is the ticket, filled with all three.
Want to know a bit more? Wrinkles, brown spots and dry patches beware: Vitamin A is coming for you. Moisturizers with chlorophyll that contain a good dose of vitamin antioxidants are total killers—free radical killers, that is. They also help tighten your skin and reduce sun damage.
Including a chlorophyll-containing serum will get you looking fresher in no time flat. And finally if you want to keep your bright-eyes but are starting to look a little more like Clint Eastwood the vitamin K in chlorophyll is a must. It can’t give you surgical results, but it can put the breaks on dark under-eyes and the fine lines that subtly age. The skin around your eyes is sensitive! Why use a bunch of chemicals when you can use natural witchcraft?
Chlorophyll comes in a number of forms such as caplets, tablet, powders and extracts. Though all these have their charms, always opt for fresh squeezed (or frozen fresh) and serums if you’re after quick results.
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