What Are The Benefits Of Goji Berries In Skincare Products?

Implementing natural ingredients into skincare is quickly becoming essential for clean beauty, and people are loving it. People are beginning to prioritize health and wellness in several aspects of their lives, including what they are putting on their skin and even how the products they use may impact the planet. "Skincare is trending in an interesting direction that combines the trust of doctors with an enthusiasm for plant-based medicine," board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Julius Few tells The Everygirl. "People want to see natural products that aren't full of synthetically derived ingredients, but also want to know that these ingredients have been demonstrated and proven in a clinical setting."

Algae, avocado oil, charcoal, jojoba oil, and bakuchiol are just some of the examples of natural ingredients being added to skin care products. The list continues to grow as many new plant-based ingredients join the list. The goji berry, for example, joins the ranks as a powerful fruit you want to have in your skincare products. This fruit is considered a superfood and is native to China near the Himalayan mountains, per L'Oréal Paris. As a superfood, it brings incredible benefits to boost your health, and therefore, those same properties are great for your skin as well.

Goji berries contain great antioxidant properties derived from a variety of its nutrients. "Its antioxidant ability comes from its natural content of vitamin C, polysaccharides, flavonoids such as quercetin, carotenoids such as blue light-protective zeaxanthin and beta-carotene," director of Skincare Research at Paula's Choice Bryan Barron tells Byrdie. 

These antioxidants can then help protect the skin from free radicals, which are responsible for various types of skin damage, often from environmental factors, per OZNaturals. It removes oxidative stress that leads to this free radical damage. Additionally, the fruit's antioxidants can help rejuvenate and repair UV damage on the skin. They are great for restoring and improving your skin's overall health as they help with a variety of other skin needs, such as anti-aging, healing, hyperpigmentation, and more. After all, it is these antioxidant properties in goji berries that give it a deserving title of "superfood" for all the incredible benefits it offers inside and outside of the body.

Many of its antioxidant nutrients also help goji berries work as an anti-inflammatory ingredient. "These work together with another ingredient in goji known as betaine, which can reduce the formation of inflammatory chemicals in skin," director of Skincare Research at Paula's Choice Bryan Barron tells Byrdie. According to Evolve Organic Beauty, goji berry contains beta-sitosterol, the anti-inflammatory that can help treat skin conditions like acne or other types of puffy red skin by promoting healthy blood circulation.

In fact, in ancient China, goji berries were used for tumor growth prevention, balancing blood sugar, lowering cholesterol, and reducing autoimmune disorders because of their anti-inflammatory properties. In addition to their anti-inflammatory properties, goji berries contain incredible antibacterial properties, which help cleanse the skin and prevent further breakouts. Polysaccharides and zinc found in goji berries greatly help reduce inflammation in the skin. Zinc, in particular, helps regulate oil production, which then helps decrease symptoms of acne, psoriasis, eczema, and rosacea (via MŪN).

According to Lifestyle Asia, goji berries contain fatty acids like linoleic, palmitic, and oleic acids, which help boost hydration in your skin. If you are looking for ways to protect your skin's moisture barrier, look for goji berries on the ingredients list of a product. Many of its amino acids, which help smooth your skin, and polysaccharides, an antioxidant, also help boost hydration. Betaine, an amino acid found in goji berries, can also have higher water-binding abilities than glycerin which is often used in moisturizers or other lotions as a humectant, per Terrakai Skin.

Hydrated skin is happy skin and paves the way to improve skin firmness, fine lines and wrinkles, and overall appearance boosting optimal skin health. Without proper hydration, your skin is at risk of becoming dry, looking tired, and becoming more susceptible to damage. In addition to protecting the skin barrier, goji berry's amino acids also help with improving skin glow.

If you are struggling with hyperpigmentation or dark age spots, your skin may be overproducing melanin in these areas. They are often common on your face, arms, hands, and shoulders due to UV ray exposure being more prominent in these parts of your body. Hyperpigmentation or dark spots can appear brown, tan, and sometimes black in color, per OZNaturals. Goji berries contain various amino acids and other nutrients that can help even out your skin tone or hyperpigmentation issues. They are also helpful in treating any UV damage affecting your skin tone.

High amounts of vitamin C found in goji berries help reduce the appearance of age spots, and a present vitamin A stimulates new blood cell growth, which contributes to skin tone improvement as well, per Avya. Carotenoids in the fruit, such as beta-carotene, cryptoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, and xanthophyll, all help boost and maintain a healthy skin glow and radiance.

As you age, you may start to notice more appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. While it is a completely natural part of life, some people prefer to tackle the issue with anti-aging treatments and products. Because of its many benefits, the goji berry is sometimes referred to as the anti-aging fruit. Its high amounts of antioxidants like vitamin C and selenium protect the skin against fine lines, wrinkles, and other signs of aging on the skin. Goji berries also contain high amounts of fatty acids, which are a part of the lipid barrier that serves to protect your skin's surface. Therefore, this helps maintain your skin's moisture and elasticity, per Avya.

Additionally, vitamins A and C in goji berries also help promote more collagen production, according to Terrakai Skin. Vitamin A encourages fibroblasts to synthesize and form more structured protein, while vitamin C contributes to collagen synthesis as well. Goji berries will help boost collagen, elasticity, and skin firmness for a more youthful appearance.