Bathroom cupboards are stocked full of products, lotions, and potions galore – but did you know that your kitchen cupboard is also filled with beautifying ingredients? Those fragrant, colorful spices you sprinkle into stir-fries or use to create curries offer so much more than a treat for your taste buds; they boast amazing beauty benefits too. From treating skin ailments and soothing dryness to slowing down the aging process and clearing complexions, your spice rack really does rival the latest miracle beauty cream.
Click through the gallery below to learn how to spice up your skincare routine with Savoir Flair’s top five face-perfecting ingredients.
Black Pepper
Want to beat blackheads? Then get buffing with black pepper. Used to season and intensify dishes, it should be an addition to your bathroom cabinet as well as your kitchen shelves. Rich in essential nutrients, including manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamins C and K, it also has antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s an excellent natural exfoliator thanks to the heat it generates; pores are easily opened and daily grime and dirt is loosened and buffed away.
One antioxidant present in black pepper is Polyphenol, which helps fight against the harmful effects of free radicals whilst wrestling wrinkles and aiding skin pigmentation. It helps reduce acne and can give you healthy hair thanks to essential oils that nourish and moisturize the scalp whilst restricting dandruff, leaving you looking your best from tip to toe.
Product Recommendation
Struggle to get out of bed in the morning? Splash on this Shiffa wash next time you step into the shower and you’ll be wide awake in no time. With stimulating black pepper, refreshing peppermint, and toning basil, it cleanses and purifies, boosts circulation, and energizes like a shot of espresso. Excellent.
Shiffa ‘Basil, Mint, and Black Pepper Body Wash’, AED 170/SAR 174, Sephora, The Dubai Mall
Turmeric
Turmeric isn’t just the secret to the perfect curry; it’s also the key to perfect skin. This orange powder is a natural anti-inflammatory loaded with antioxidants and has been used for thousands of years as a key tool in Ayurveda, the ancient medical tradition of India, to treat a multitude of conditions. A natural antiseptic, it relieves inflammation and can be used to treat new and infected wounds.
A natural emollient, antibacterial, and antiseptic, it helps reduce signs of aging, fights blemishes, reduces pigmentation, and evens and brightens the complexion. It also helps heal and prevent dry skin, keeping it supple whilst increasing elasticity. It’s the secret to Thandie Newton’s natural glow, as she called turmeric her “secret weapon” and revealed she mixes the spice into her products to add a beautifying boost.
Product Recommendation
Spice up your beauty routine with Santa Maria Novella’s ‘Turmeric Cream’. Packed with potent antioxidants and moisturizing hyaluronic acid, it sinks seamlessly into skin to protect, tone, and nourish.
BUY NOW: Santa Maria Novella ‘Turmeric Cream’, AED 630/SAR 643, Net-a-Porter
Ginger
Ginger contains around 40 antioxidant compounds that help slow down the aging process, battle free radicals, and protect cells from damage. Its antimicrobial properties help prevent infection and treat existing skin ailments, and it also contains vitamin C to boost immunity and help prevent aging in skin and hair, making it a go-to spice to get gorgeous!
Not only does ginger help with skin inflammation, but it also reduces acne, helping our bodies banish blemishes whilst acting as an antiseptic to treat infections and abrasions. Research shows that ginger extract boosts collagen production (the protein responsible for keeping skin looking firm and young) and also improves skin structure. So for clear complexions and spot-free skin, go grab some ginger.
Product Recommendation
Fusing essential oils of ginger, rosemary, sage, and juniper, this warming oil does exactly what it says on the label. It boosts circulation, relaxes muscles, and softens skin to leave you feeling like you’re wrapped up in a big, spicy blanket.
Neal’s Yard Remedies ‘Ginger & Juniper Warming Oil’, AED 115/SAR 117, The Dubai Mall
Cinnamon
Want plumped-up skin, fewer fine lines, and a bright, clear complexion? Then look no further than cinnamon. It has more antioxidant value than half a cup of blueberries, which is why it’s used to meet numerous health and beauty needs. Cinnamaldehyde – a chemical found in cinnamon – can help fight bacterial and fungal infections, and it increases collagen levels and skin elasticity, slowing down the aging process whilst leaving skin looking younger and fresher.
Cinnamon stimulates blood circulation, helping bring blood and nutrients to the skin’s surface. This plumps up cells and reduces the appearance of fine lines while helping to dry out spots thanks to increased oxygen levels. It’s also amazing at satiating sugar cravings. If you find yourself reaching for that packet of biscuits in the afternoon, try sprinkling cinnamon into your cup of tea or on your snack; it helps stop sweet cravings and evens out blood sugar levels.
Product Recommendation
Super gentle and formulated with a 100 percent vegetable base, this cinnamon and orange soap is enriched with nourishing Shea butter to leave skin clean and soft with a light scent of cinnamon spice.
L’Occitane ‘Cinnamon Orange Extra-Gentle Soap’, AED 29/SAR 30, Dubai Marina Mall
Cardamom
Cardamom is one of the most expensive spices, second only to saffron in cost. When the seeds are crushed, they’re distilled to produce an essential oil, which is then added to lotions and potions to produce a warm, spicy smell, and to provide therapeutic effects. Cardamom oil is an antiseptic, an anti-inflammatory, a diuretic, and a stimulant, and it works wonders at relieving pain, improving mental clarity, and warming the body (it’s often used in massage oils for this very reason).
Rich in minerals and vitamins, including A, B, C, and riboflavins, it works wonders with detoxification. Thanks to its antioxidants, it helps the body resist cellular aging whilst fighting off free radicals. What’s more, the essential oils in cardamom are volatile, meaning they inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungus, instead leaving skin clear and healthy. For healthy, luscious locks, this is the spice to turn to, as it helps strengthen the hair shaft whist adding shine and luster for a magnificent mane.
Product Recommendation
A dream for dry skin, this treatment oil is made of 100 percent pure plant extracts and combines cardamom with lavender and sandalwood to decongest, comfort, and soothe stressed skin. It also helps hydrate and prevent the formation of fine lines. Fabulous.
Clarins ‘Santal Face Treatment Oil’, AED 213/ SAR 217, The Dubai Mall
