Kakadu Plum Skincare Benefits – Why is Kakadu Plum Good for Skin?
The popularity of superfoods has reached such a point that we are no longer just eating them, but incorporating them into our skincare routines! As it happens, a powerful fruit called the Kakadu Plum, also known as the Billy Goat Plum, grows deep in the north of Australia.
It grows without human intervention and is harvested in an extremely environmentally friendly way, which not only protects the habitat of this ancient plum. For thousands of years, Aboriginal Australians have used it for medicinal purposes, as it has anti-inflammatory properties, making it a great remedy for headaches, colds and flu. It also has antiseptic properties, which means that the plum has been added to balms that help with wounds.
For a fruit no bigger than a large olive, the Kakadu Plum contains more Vitamin C than you might think. With 3,000 mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams of fruit, it has 50% more than the concentrate of 100 oranges. Pretty powerful for such a small fruit, right? Our skin benefits greatly from Vitamin C, but that’s not the only benefit this powerful fruit has for your skin!
In the next section of this article, I want to cover all the benefits of this amazing fruit to help you better understand how this unknown ingredient can be the miracle your skin has been missing.
Anti-Aging Benefits of Kakadu Plum
As mentioned earlier, Kakadu Plum is rich in Vitamin C. This ingredient is known to stimulate collagen production in the skin, making your face look plumper, firmer, and more youthful. Collagen production also means that fine lines and wrinkles become less noticeable.
Skin tone also brightens, scars and hyperpigmentation from sun damage or residual acne scars become less noticeable, and pigmentation becomes brighter.
Is Kakadu Plum Rich in Antioxidants?
Kakadu Plum is rich in antioxidants, including Vitamin C! One of the most powerful ingredients is ellagic acid, which is a powerful antioxidant that you can also find in strawberries, walnuts, and almonds. It also has excellent antioxidant properties and is five times more powerful than blueberries.
Incorporating antioxidants into your daily skin care routine is very effective because antioxidants can neutralize unstable molecules called free radicals. When your skin has an excess of free radicals, it damages the skin barrier and causes oxidative stress. Antioxidants can bind to free radicals and protect skin cells from the toxic effects that lead to damage. This damage is caused by environmental factors, and by that I mean pollution and overexposure to the sun’s UV rays.
Kakadu Plum is Naturally Antimicrobial
Plums are naturally antimicrobial, which is one of the main reasons why they are widely used by the indigenous people of northern Australia. This fruit contains two components that make it such an effective product. The phytochemicals gallic acid and ellagic acid are both sought after for their antifungal and antibacterial properties.
Gallic acid – kills bacteria and restores the skin’s natural barrier
Ellagic acid – promotes the production of skin elasticity and suppleness
Therefore, Kakadu Plum Extract is ideal for all skin care products designed for blemish-prone skin, fighting blemish-causing bacteria and restoring balance to overall skin health and complexion.
Kakadu Plum Helps Reduce Redness
Kakadu Plum Oil Extract deeply soothes the skin and can reduce irritation and sensitivity that the skin may be experiencing.
Because the fruit contains the aforementioned gallic acid, it is a natural anti-inflammatory that can soothe inflammation as well as painful, irritated, and sensitive skin. Because it is a natural, plant-based ingredient, it is gentle and effective for many skin types. However, there are some risks to consider when using such a powerful extract.
If you have an extremely sensitive skin type, it is best to perform a small patch test before using a product containing kakadu plum. This will help you determine if your skin can tolerate the strength of the extract. If your skin is dry and sensitive and your patch test shows no reaction, the most effective way to reap the benefits is to apply hyaluronic acid over kakadu products to avoid potential stinging.
Kakadu Plum Helps Fight Skin Infections
Not only does the fruit itself have a positive effect on the skin, the inner bark of the kakadu plum tree can also be extracted and used to treat a number of skin conditions and infections.
Due to its antifungal and antiseptic properties, the bark extract is an excellent wound healer! The healing cream can be used to treat wounds, ulcers, boils, and more. This includes treating skin conditions such as psoriasis.
Kakadu Plum Hair Care
It seems this super fruit does more than you think. Kakadu Plum moisturizes the hair and maintains collagen levels at all times, which is very important for hair to stay healthy and grow.
By moisturizing your hair, you will find that your hair looks shiny, healthy and bouncy. Frizzy, dry curls become smooth and tangle-free, reducing breakage and ensuring hair stays thick and strong.
Amazingly, this incredible plum, smaller than a kiwi fruit and grown on the other side of the world, could be the answer to our skin’s prayers. With so many benefits and such a high concentration of skin-loving ingredients, it’s a wonder we didn’t discover them sooner. If you think about it, the harvesting and cultivation of this fruit is somehow very sustainable, which makes it even more valuable in a place with such a rich history and culture! There has been an increase in the popularity of A-Beauty (which means Australian Beauty, did you know?). The ethos and attitude behind A-Beauty is a simple and effortless approach to beauty and skincare, which is the exact opposite of the more popular K-Beauty, which involves a complicated 10-step skincare routine.
Natural, potent ingredients are a big factor in Kakadu Plum’s popularity in products, as it is most potent and active when in its purest, most natural state.
So here’s a little more information on this wonder, harvested from the bush without the Wichita larvae!
