Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth. Trees and flowers are blossoming, birds have returned from their winter homes, and animals are busy foraging for food. Spring is also a time when nature offers ingredients for us to use to refresh and awaken skin. One such amazing offering comes from the papaya. We generally see papaya in stores during spring, and they tend to be green and unripe. Though the papaya may not be ready to eat yet, its unripe flesh is an excellent ingredient to use in refreshing skincare formulations!
Why Unripe Papaya?
Papaya flesh contains a proteolytic enzyme called papain, and unripe papaya contains the highest amount of papain. This enzyme is what makes papaya such an amazing ingredient in skincare, especially in a masque. Because you leave the masque on your skin (usually 5-15 minutes) the enzyme has time to perform its magic. Papain acts as a powerful exfoliant and moisturizer helping skin feel velvety soft, refreshed, and glowing.
Essential offers two very popular masks with papaya; Papaya and Pineapple Masque and Simple Papaya and Pineapple Masque.
If you’d like to try a fresh recipe, here’s one we love!
Strawberry Papaya Mask
Ingredients:
1/2 of an unripe papaya – use the flesh
1/4 Cup fresh, ripe strawberries
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tsp lemon juice
- Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl
- mash together with a potato masher
- Apply to face and decolletage (or any other area like legs and arms, feet and hands)
- Leave on for 5-15 minutes
- Rinse and follow with toner, and facial moisturizer
- Store leftover mask in refrigerator and if unused, discard after 3 days
- Note of Caution – If you have allergies to latex or papaya, you may have a negative reaction to this mask. Please test this mask on a small area of skin before applying to any other area.
