Pomegranate (Punica granatum)
Pomegranates have been symbols of prosperity, fertility and abundance since antiquity. Leonardo da Vinci painted them. They appear in Greek mythology and as decorations in King Solomon’s Temple. Queen Hatshepsut even buried her butler with one.
Pomegranates make a yellow dye that has been used for Persian carpets and Moroccan leather. And today you’ll see them at Greek weddings and housewarmings.
These revered fruits now appear in skincare products because they have more antioxidant power than both red wine and green tea. So read on to find out why they’re uber awesome in skin care…
Pomegranate oil
The word pomegranate is derived from the Latin words “pomum” (apple) and “granatus” (seeded). Granada was named after their Spanish word for pomegranate, “granada.”
Pomegranate seeds are pressed to release a precious oil that is valuable for skincare.
It contains important fatty acids such as linoleic acid, gallic acid and elagic acid as well as rare punicic acid, punicalagins (PNG), and phytosterols ( beta -sitosterol, campesterol and stifmasterol.)
These are all needed for skin that is dry or sensitive during the change of life. This is why I included pomegranate in Heart of Eternity night cream to help my menopausal skin cope with the changes in hormones.
Is pomegranate oil good for your face?
Yes! Pomegranate seed oil has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Pomegranate calms irritation and redness, restoring the skin and helping to heal wounds. It also stimulates “keratinocytes” in your skin to reverse skin damage, revive skin and reveal a more youthful appearance. It also improves your collagen production.
Pomegranate has also been shown to help sunburned and ultraviolet damaged skin.
So if your skin has been feeling dry, irritated, or sensitive then look for Pomegranate in your night cream. Your skin will feel velvety and smooth with consistent use. Even those with eczema and psoriasis can benefit because pomegranate works at a deep level to rejuvenate damaged tissue and improve skin elasticity. Consider pairing it with Prickly Pear Seed Oil.
So in the battle against early or extra wrinkles, make sure you include pomegranate seed oil!
Pomegranate and menopause
Studies have shown that pomegranate seed oil scavenges free-radicals, which means its a protective oil during the ageing process.
Of course you can also benefit from drinking pomegranate juice which is rich in Zinc (great for skin) ,vitamin C (great for immunity and skin), vitamin B (helps you sleep better and cope with stress) , Iron, Calcium, Phosphorus and Potassium. Or if you prefer… Nigella makes a wicked pink ice cream with pomegranate juice.
Because Pomegranate has anti inflammatory properties, you’ll find your skin feels calmer and more comfortable after using Heart of Eternity . Pomegranate seed is able to nourish and moisturize both your epidermis and the dermis, improving elasticity, reducing wrinkles and preventing aging.
And if you’re worried that menopause means loosing all that’s feminine about yourself, listen to this powerful interview with natural perfumer, Julie Nelson. You’ll feel so much more optimistic and positive afterwards.
If you have low blood pressure
As pomegranate seems to decrease blood pressure, take care when taking alongside danshen, ginger, Panax ginseng, turmeric, valerian, and others.
What does pomegranate seed oil smell like?
I find that it smells salty, nutty. A strong scent, although not as potent as neem or bakuchiol!
Is pomegranate seed oil good for skin?
Yes! Pomegranate’s anti oxidant properties are not only beneficial to our health when we eat the fruit or drink the juice, but also when used in skin care products like face creams, balms and face masks. Studies have shown that the high amount of punicic acid and PNG have beneficial biological effects such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, anticancer and more.
I use pomegranate seed oil in Heart of Eternity night cream
And you can buy pomegranate juice at your local health food store – I like to mix it with sparkling water and a dash of fresh lemon juice and pinch of salt. You can add a dollop of maple syrup for sweetness. The gorgeous red colour is so uplifting.
References:
Md. Boroushaki T, Mollazadeh H and Afshari AR: Pomegranate Seed Oil: A Comprehensive Review on Its Therapeutic Effects. Int J Pharm Sci Res 2016; 7(2): 430-42.doi: 10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.7(2).430-42
CLINICAL EFFECTS AND MECHANISMS OF CLnAs
Antitumor and anticancer -Induce apoptosis through lipid peroxidation and protein kinase C pathway,
Act as selective estrogen receptor modulators and inhibit estrogen receptors α and β
Anti-diabetic – Improve insulin sensitivity, Suppress NF-κB and TNF-α activation and up regulate PPAR α and γ-responsive genes Reductions in hepatic and plasma TG levels Increase the levels of PPAR-γ and α mRNA, Suppress the delta-9 desaturation
Antioxidant – Enhance the levels of the antioxidant enzymes, Reduce lipid peroxidation, oxidative stress Free radical addition to one of the conjugated double bonds of CLnAs
Anti-inflammatory- Inhibit TNFα-induced priming of ROS production and MPO, Up regulate colonic PPAR-δ expression, Increase the levels of IL-17 and IFN-γ, Modulates mucosal immune responses, Reducing the expression of TNF-α and IL-6
Anti- osteoporosis – Down-regulation of expression RANK-RANKL downstream signaling targets and osteoclast differentiation markers in osteoclast-like cells, increasing alkaline phosphatase activity, mineralization of matrix and transcriptional levels of major osteoblast lineage markers involving the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways
Anti- pancreatitis- Anti- inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms of PSO caused reduction in amylase and lipase activity in serum, pancreatic MPO activity, edema, leukocyte infiltration and vacuolization.
Hepatoprotective-Decrease in MDA, DNA fragmentation, caspase- 3 and GSR activities, elevation in levels of GSH, SOD, GST and t-GPx activities. Consequently reduction in oxidative stress and apoptosis.
Improving in insulin secretion -increasing serum insulin and glutathione peroxidase activity Anti-atherogenic – Decrease in TAG and the TAG:HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio,
Neuroprotective – Neutralize ROS or enhance the expression of antioxidant gene, decrease in lactate/pyruvate ratio, extracellular nitric oxide, and lactase dehydrogenase generation Reduction in lipid oxidation and neuronal loss
Anti-menopausal symptoms- Reduction in the number of hot flashes per day, Reduction in sum score of the Menopause Rating Scale II parameters in the treated group after 12 weeks but not significant in comparison to control group
Cosmetic- Stimulate keratinocyte proliferation, mild thickening of epidermis, stimulating keratinocyte proliferation, stimulating type I procollagen synthesis, inhibiting matrix metalloproteinase-1
Aliphatic organic acids – Citric acid, Malic acid, Tartaric acid
MOST IMPORTANT PHARMACOLOGIC COMPOUNDS OF PUNICA GRANATUM L.
Simple sugars – Glucose, Fructose, Sucrose
Hydroxybenzoic acids – Gallic acid, Ellagic acid, 3,3_-Di-O-methylellagic acid
Flavan-3-ols – Flavan-3-ol, Catechin, Epicatechin Flavonol glycosides Kaempferol 3-O-glycoside, Kaempferol3-O-rhamnoglycoside
Anthocyanidins – Delphinidin, Cyanidin
Ellagitannins – Punicalin, Punicalagin, Corilagin
Amino acids – Proline, Valine, Methionine
Conjugated fatty acids – Punicic acid
Non-conjugated fatty acids – Linoleic acid, Oleic acid, Palmitic acid
Sterols – Daucosterol, Camesterol
Sex steroids – Estradiol, Testosterone
Phenyl aliphaticglycosides – Icariside D1
Source: https://ijpsr.com/bft-article/pomegranate-seed-oil-a-comprehensive-review-on-its-therapeutic-effects
