The fruit of romance, as it’s often called, has been cultivated for more than 4,000 years and was considered a great delicacy of China’s Imperial Court. This unique fruit with a lovely rose savor is not only lush and tasty as you would think. In fact, it’s packed with healthy nutrients, and it’s full of benefits for your health, skin, and hair — when eaten and applied topically. Hence, no wonder it’s popular all over the world, even if it can only be grown in tropical and subtropical areas.
Lychee fruit’s nutritional properties
Amazingly rich in vitamin C, copper, phosphorous, B complex vitamins, fiber, zinc, magnesium, and calcium, lychee fruit is heaven for good health and glowing skin. Its high content of vit C not only boosts the antioxidant defense but it helps stimulate collagen production, plumping wrinkles and fine lines.
Worths mentioning, lychee fruit contains the right amount of fiber, known to suppress appetite and increase metabolism — for this reason, it can help you lose weight. Here’s the nutrition per 100 g:
66 calories | Sodium 2 mg | Iron 0,4 mg |
No cholesterol or saturated fats | Potassium 180 mg | Magnesium 20,00 mg |
71.5 mg vitamin C (119% of RDI) | Calcium 10.0 mg | Coper 0,15 mg |
Fibers 1,2g | Phosphor 35,0 mg | Zinc 0,18 mg |
Lychee fruit benefits
This fruit contains a high content of antioxidants that protect skin from free radicals, offsetting UV damage and oxidative stress as well as preventing aging signs. As it mainly contains water, lychee fruit also helps moisturize the skin from the inside out. Not only that, but lychee fruit delivers manganese, magnesium, copper, iron, and folate, required by human metabolism to form red blood cells that carry oxygen in the body. These minerals also help to maintain blood pressure levels.
Facial mask with lychee fruit
Apart from having numerous skin benefits when eaten, lychee fruit can be used as a fresh mask.
Here is an idea of how you can do an anti-aging facial, loaded with fiber, vitamin C, and a powerhouse of antioxidants, using lychee fruit:
Take the fruit of one lychee and a spoon of banana fruit and blend them. Let the mix cool in the freezer for 10 minutes, then apply it to your face and neck. Rinse with cold water after 20 minutes. You’ll be amazed at how much it’ll make your skin glow. Do this once a week.
Lychee face serum DIY
Well, since lychee is SO juicy, of course, you can even make a serum with it! Juice up a lychee fruit and add a few drops of rosemary essential oil for oily skin and acne or lavender essential oil for aging or dry skin. Spray the mix all over your face and store the leftover in the fridge.