We’re all familiar with the advice to eat five (or more) serves of fruit and veggies a day, but whereas a bowl of tomatoes, oranges, carrots and grapes can quickly conjour images of someone who’s healthy on the inside, it’s likely you don’t equate these foods with radiant, moisturised skin.
Not so the clever skincare experts over at Ella Baché, who not only know the power of fruits when it comes to skincare, but also understand the importance of maintaining the integrity of those raw ingredients in their products.
In 1936, Madame Baché, the founder of the popular skincare brand and a pioneer in her field, became the first to use a fruit acid based moisturiser having witnessed young Hungarian girls apply sliced tomatoes to their cheeks and foreheads. Fast-forward more than seventy years and we can now take advantage of the vitamins and antioxidants present in tomato extract without the need for an apron and kitchen knife.
Rather, all the best bits (think vitamins A, E and C as well as plenty of minerals and antioxidants) have been packed into an ultra fresh organic tomato pulp and used as the active ingredient in Fruit d’Eclat à la Tomate Bio – a highly effective, light textured moisturiser.
Recently certified as organic by the strict Ecocert team over in Europe, the voluptuous moisturiser combines organic tomato, grape, mulberry and carrot extracts into a cream that packs a fruity punch and leaves the skin naturally revitalised and brightened. Best of all, because of the organic certification you can rest assured none of the ingredients that make their way onto your skin have been grown with either fertiliser or pesticides. The range is also free of artificial colours and fragrances, so it’s a winner if you suffer from sensitive skin.
If, like me, you have the tendency to wake up with dark circles lurking around your eye area, you may also want to know about the Fruit d’Eclat Bio Serum Regard. This certified organic eye contour serum is applied to the eye region with the help of a cooling roll-on applicator, and instantly brightens the eye, reducing dark circles and puffiness. As with the moisturiser, it’s all about the organic ingredients: sweet clover tightens and regenerates the delicate skin around the eye, quickly fighting signs of fatigue.
If you’re not already convinced enough in the power of veggies to rush out and buy a punnet of tomatoes, here’s a run down of some of the health benefits of the vitamins, minerals and other ingredients you’ll find in the Ella Baché Fruit d’Eclat range:
Vitamin A The benefits to the skin of this vital vitamin are endless, as it improves elasticity, tone and texture, and improves the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Readily absorbed by the skin, Vitamin A stimulates the production of new skin cells and increases collagen production for fuller, firmer skin.
Vitamin B Vitamin B helps hold moisture and therefore keep the skin moisturised and free from irritation. Studies have also suggested that B vitamins are effective exfoliators, and remove dead surface skin cells than can make the skin texture appear dull.
Vitamin E
This vitamin has powerful moisturizing qualities, and is also a natural antioxidant so, much like Vitamins A and C, can provide further protection from the sun by shielding UVB rays.Vitamin C
Also a potent antioxidant, Vitamin C can help neutralise the damage caused by free radical molecules in the skin, protecting it from the harmful effects of sunlight’s UVA and UVB rays. Vitamin C also increases collagen production to reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
Lycopene Found in the skin of tomatoes, this age-fighting antioxidant improves cellular function to ward off wrinkles. In addition, research also shows that lycopene protects skin from environmental damage and improves overall texture. While lycopene is often linked to a diet rich in red fruits and vegetables, Fruit d’Eclat à la Tomate Bio offers an intense dose in topical form.
Sesame oil The fatty acids derived from sesame seeds not only help keep the skin smooth and soft thanks to their moisturising qualities, but also help repair the skin after UV damage.
Selenium This mighty mineral is found in a variety of foods and, when applied topically to the skin can provide additional defence against the ageing effects of the sun.
Product info: Fruit d’Eclat à la Tomate Bio, RRP $110, available now Fruit d’Eclat Bio Serum Regard, RRP $75 available Australia-wide.
