The Benefits Of Using Ginger In Your Skincare Routine

You might think of ginger as an acquired taste, like onions. Or you might think of it as noticeable by its absence, like in any number of Chinese, Indian, and Japanese dishes. As necessary as ginger is to savory dishes, it's also a spicy helpmate to sweet, fruity dishes, like banana bread, apple pie, and apple-cinnamon pancakes, Food Network says. 

Like many people, you may believe in ginger's medicinal properties and so consult with your general practitioner to take a proper, regular dosage of ginger root. Healthline explains that some research supports ginger's ability to ease the discomfort of indigestion and reduce nausea, particularly when it presents as morning sickness. Ginger is also thought to minimize the length and/or intensity of colds and flu and may reduce LDL (or bad) cholesterol levels.

These are such attention-getting benefits that they're nearly in danger of crowding out some of the newer benefits — namely those surrounding skincare. If you're determined to see how easy and downright fun it can be to incorporate ginger as a skincare agent, you'll be sure to give it its due.

If the term "anti-aging" strikes you as disingenuous, then maybe using ginger will mark an extension of your skincare routine — one that results in a healthy, fresh-faced look that keeps people guessing about how much maintenance is involved. It could be negligible, it could be a great deal, or it could lie somewhere in the middle. But the results are undeniable.

Since you know that aging is inevitable, focus on slowing the effects, like the development of fine lines (which appear first) and wrinkles (which form second), per Revinia. You can achieve this by rubbing a small slice of raw ginger on your skin as often as three times a day, according to Taste of Home. 

As marvelous as it would be to bid farewell to blemishes along with adolescence, the fact is that blemishes can surface at any age, whether you're in your 20s, 30s, 40s, or above. Breakouts are more likely to occur if your skin is exposed to bacteria, such as if your phone is covered in germs and you're frequently pressing it against your face (via Healthline). 

It may seem like an unending cycle, unless you harness the antioxidants in ginger. Mix a ginger face mask with 1 tablespoon of ginger juice, 2 tablespoons of rose water, and ½ tablespoon of honey, per Greatist. Press a warm, wet towel over your face to open your pores before spreading the mixture on your blemishes. Let the mixture sit for at least 20 minutes before removing it with warm water and patting your face dry. Then, reap the benefits!

Maybe your skincare goal is broad — say, "I want healthier-looking skin — with smaller pores or less oil (via Taste of Home). In this case, you may wish to adopt a more experimental approach, especially if you're already massaging your skin with ginger slices and are closely monitoring the effects.

Try a different ginger tactic every week, and keep a notebook to write down the results of, say, drinking ginger tea, taking a ginger tincture, or mixing your own ginger juice. Start by putting all these ingredients in a blender and hitting "blend": 4 cups of water, 1 cup of ginger, 1 juiced lemon, and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup (via Healthier Steps). Then, enjoy!

If you've incurred a hypopigmented scar from a burn, wound, or surgical procedure, you may be worried that you're "branded" for life. The scars do indeed tend to be permanent, although they can fade. Some people are willing to undergo laser treatment or phototherapy to get rid of them entirely, the Dermatology Times explains. 

Before resorting to a drastic tactic, you may wish to cut up some slices of fresh ginger and dab them on the scarred area, per Stylecraze. You may see a big improvement, but you must be vigilant about the process and apply ginger every day, without fail.

You may think you're a latecomer to the wonders of toner. But you may be showing up right on time. You can spare yourself a trip to the store, avoid facing down multiple choices, and make your own ginger toner at your leisure. That's going to beat trying to separate the store brand that purports to do the same thing better than the rest: remove any lingering traces of dirt and oil that remain on your skin after washing (via Neutrogena). Once your skin is clean and tight, your skin should look brighter and healthier.

Greatist explains that you can make your own ginger toner by combining 1 cup of fresh ginger juice and 1 tablespoon of Manuka honey, which has antibacterial and wound repair qualities, per the National Cancer Institute. Apply the toner to your skin and let it sit for 30 minutes before rinsing it off with warm water.

No matter what you have in mind for ginger, you're smart to take the application slow and easy, exposing a small patch of skin to ginger to see how it reacts. Even then, it's doubly smart to give your skin a day off in between treatments, at least until you're sure how your skin will respond.

You may have sensitive skin, or your skin may be sensitive only to ginger. Either way, you may be a prime candidate for a light ginger spray that you apply and leave on after you remove your makeup for the day, Facing Acne says. To make the spray, add 2 tablespoons of fresh, chopped parsley to 2 cups of boiling water. Then let the mix sit and cool for about an hour. Use a colander to isolate the ginger juice. Then boil the juice with 2 tablespoons of minced ginger before simmering it for about 20 minutes. Empty this concoction into a spray bottle and keep it nearby. It may become your not-so-secret weapon in your ongoing quest to flaunt clear, beautiful skin.