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10 best fruit-based skincare products that are packed full of antioxidants
Whether it's anti-pollution fighters, extra hydration or hardy exfoliation, find your saviour here
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Your support makes all the difference.There was once a time when being on the pulse of fruity-face-fanfare used to be having a tub of apricot scrub at the sink while you pop Clairol benders in your hair.
But pretty much every one of your five a day shouldn’t just be kept for scoffing but for skincare too.
Fruits on the whole are packed with antioxidants, whether that be anti-pollution fighters or extra hydration to boosting luminosity and hardy exfoliation.
There’s quite the cocktail to be made, and some of the best brands on the market are clearly paying attention.
So we’ve scrambled through endless beauty buys to curate a juicy roundup of skincare must-haves.
Our list wanted to shed a little light on each of our superfruit friends currently on the market, coupled with how and why they work.
By the end of this, you might be trading the space in your fridge where your strawberries sit for a fruit salad of a different ilk. Make sure you tell your housemates incase they get mixed up.
You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers , but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
BYBI strawberry seed booster, 15ml: £12, Feel Unique
We can’t get enough of BYBI. Its ethos is just streets ahead of any other brand; taking sustainability to a whole new level. This strawberry seed oil is actually made from cold pressed seeds that would ordinarily go to waste from the juicing industry. So we’re off to a flying start already.
Strawberries are high in carbohydrates and rich fatty acids which makes them the perfect moisture booster. This oil is a simple yet effective way to introduce some extra hydration to the skin without overwhelming it.
It’s light in texture and absorbs surprisingly quickly. You can add it to your moisturiser or apply neat to parts of the face that might be needing a little extra care. We also tried mixing this with make-up to give it an extra flourish and it worked beautifully. So if you don’t mind your face smelling like a strawberry daiquiri while looking top notch, this is for you.
Glow Recipe blueberry bounce cleanser, 160ml: £31, Cult Beauty
With blueberries off the coast of South Korea, Glow Recipe has blended them into this beautifully lathering gel cleanser. The fruit is great in particular when it comes to conditioning and comforting the skin. There are also very gentle AHAs in here to softly exfoliate. So much so that you could whip this up and leave it on the skin for 10 minutes as mask for an extra deep cleanse.
The scent is glorious, not overpowering; you can sense just the right amount of the key ingredient coming through. This is a terrific way to start or end your day. Skin is left soft and dutifully cleansed. Violet from Willy Wonka would have our wholehearted permission to use as much as she liked.
Too Faced pineapple glow mask, 48g: £32, Boots
Pineapple has a rich concentration of AHAs which means it’s the queen of exfoliants; great for acne-prone skin or dark spots. This new mask from Too Faced is a gel concoction packed with lactic and glycolic acids to boost you back to life.
Spread a thin layer over cleansed skin and rinse off after 15 minutes for a softer canvas. This works particularly well pre-make-up application. As it’s a gel, it feels slightly more lightweight than a cream mask and rinses off more easily. It also has a welcome cooling effect when applied. It’s a great first product if you’re new to AHAs as it’s not too harsh and will give you a fun but functional introduction to chemical exfoliants.
Applying once a week is more than enough, if you can keep yourself from wanting to pop it on just for the scent itself.
Origins drink up 10 minute hydrating mask with apricot and Swiss glacier water, 75ml: £22, Origins
The aforementioned old favourite swings back into action here via this Origins mask. Apricot is a wonder for dry or irritated complexions because of its fatty acids and vitamin A, keeping the skin’s surface soft and supple.
A generous amount is necessary and after 15 minutes, simply wipe off but do not rinse. It leaves you feeling super soft and definitively more hydrated than before. If you’re prone to breakouts, we suggest rinsing this off as the apricot oil can be potentially comedogenic.
Other than that, this is a great pick-me-up and will definitely come in handy in the winter months. It’s super easy and a treat to apply with a nostalgic whiff about it.
Juice Beauty green apple age defy serum, 30ml: £60, Naturisimo
As the saying goes: an apple a day... keeps your skin from going wild. Everyone’s favourite staple shifts gears when applied topically. The humble apple is full of antioxidants that help fight toxins and they’re also slightly acidic which helps balance skin and aid acne-prone folks. The cracking team at Juice Beauty came up with this triple-threat serum, with apple at its core (excuse the pun).
It’s an organic infusion of acids, vitamin C and CoQ10, helping with discolouration and bringing a sense of calm back to the skin. This is a great addition to your morning routine as it’s going to get deep into the skin to exfoliate and brighten without stripping it as it houses an equal balance of hydrating properties. There’s an entire green apple range from Juice Beauty to help you sparkle from head to toe. We’ll take a big bite thank you.
Herbivore moon fruit superfruit night treatment, 50ml: £48, Space NK
Herbivore is about more than just keeping your face in check. About 40 per cent of its workforce is a part of the LGBT+ community with several of the products from the range contributing profits to charity. The brand donates $1 every time it sells one of its prism exfoliating glow potion’s and has raised more $20,000 (£16,000) for charities chosen by its staff since the product launch.
Raspberry seed oil is the leader of the pack when it comes to anti-inflammation, with fatty acids and antioxidants aplenty. It’s also particularly good for sensitive skin that needs nourishing and this evening moisturiser from Herbivore houses a heady amount of it.
Moon fruit is a terrific moisturiser if you want to be swathed in comfort. It has a rich texture that absorbs nicely and the vibrant violet colour melts into the skin without residue. There’s also a bunch of our beloved humectants in here for added moisture benefits and a dose of hyaluronic acid to help you wake up feeling fresh.
Kiehls creamy eye treatment with avocado, 14ml: £26, Feel Unique
Take a day off from spending a tenner on avo on sourdough and pop it under your eyes instead. Avocados are chocked full of healthy fats, helping you stay hydrated and moisturised. This avocado oil infused treatment from Kiehl’s is the perfect antidote for dry under eyes. This isn’t going to turn back the clock per se, but it is going to give you a much more supple and hydrated skin texture. If you’re sensitive to richer products, try using this as a mask instead and wiping off after ten minutes. It’s as if you’ve given your parched eye bags a big old glass of water.
Sol De Janeiro Brazilian bum bum cream, 240ml: £44, Cult Beauty
Guarana has one of the most potent forms of caffeine on the planet, which when applied to the skin is great for improving circulation and keeping it toned. Brazilians are renowned for bestowing us some of the world’s most famous beauties. So if you fancy unleashing your inner Gisele, this is a good place to start.
The name of this one gives the USP away, but bum bum cream will keep your posterior in perfect nick with acai and coconut oil moisturising any other limbs along the way. The smell is divine; slightly nutty but literally good enough to eat. It’ll also give you a little summery shimmer. It provides a little tingle in the most welcome way, waking up your bum, tum and anywhere else you may have applied regardless of whether your have a samba to strut to or not.
Susanne Kaufmann glow mask, 50ml: £59, Liberty
Papaya has lightening and brightening properties along with enzymes that help dissolve dead skin cells and inactive proteins. With generations of passed down wisdom under her hat, Susanne Kaufmann’s glow mask also houses ginger and coffee extracts to give lacklustre skin the boot. The papaya powder in here is the hero ingredient which will peel away dull skin and help minimise pores for a less grumpy feeling face. It’s a great addition to your collection if you’re after instant results and need a clean break. The perfect pre-event product.
Irene Forte prickly pear face cream, 50ml: £119, Irene Forte
Prickly pear, or cactus fruit, is probably one of the newer fruits to stake its claim in the skincare game. In particular, prickly pear houses the largest amount of the antioxidant betalains which protect skin from ageing from damaging free-radicals. There’s also amino acids to help stimulate collagen production.
Handcrafted in Italy from Forte’s own organic farm, this cream is a little on the expensive side but the lushly hydrating ingredients and the chic recycled glass pot is to die for. The subtle scent is also a major plus. This is a perfect alternative to more clinical anti-ageing alternatives with a clean and organic ingredients list.
The verdict: Fruit-based skincare
BYBI gets the top spot for its simple, effective, budget friendly and sustainable produce. Herbivore get an honourable mention not just for a great product but also their commitment to making the world a nicer place. Sol De Janeiro’s bum bum cream has to have a shout out plainly for the uniquely intoxicating scent. Never has a product dedicated to the derriere smelt so sweet.