October saw the return of many autumnal staples that we know and love—from Starbucks’ spiced lattes to Halloween (spooky szn!). If you were to scroll through the ‘autumn’ tag on Pinterest, you’d find yourself staring at pumpkin after pumpkin after (yup, you guessed it) pumpkin. Nothing quite dominates fall like the presence of the iconic winter squash.
As we breeze through the transition from summer to autumn, we have to rethink our seasonal diet and skincare routine. Join us as we delve into the wonders of the pumpkin in Japan and America. And say hello to thicker moisturizers, better hydration, and glowing skin this fall!
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Changing of the Seasons
With a new season comes a new routine. It’s essential that you look after your skin post-summer to avoid future sun damage. And if you haven’t done so already, it’s time for you to cleanse, hydrate, moisturize, exfoliate, and use SPF, dearie.
It’s practically dry skin galore every Scorpio Season; we’ll welcome back (cue the tears) thirsty, irritated, and sensitive skin into our lives. With summer leaving behind its unwanted footprints of pigmentation, dehydration, and inflammation (not to mention a fragile skin barrier), we have to be especially careful when treating and soothing our skin back to its glowing state.
Byrdie explains that many people will experience “oil over- or under-production” in autumn. As typical summer behavior consists of higher water intake and exercising, our skin has to adjust by seeking moisture from oil production instead. Thus, leading to frequent breakouts, irritation, and weird skin texture in fall. Long story short, switching to products that provide additional hydration is absolutely critical this season!
Pump(S)kin Season
Meet your best friend this season—the pumpkin. You may be aware of the health benefits of this sweet dish, but did you know of its alter ego as a savior of skincare?
In terms of diet, consuming pumpkin prevents skin disease(s), diabetes, and eye disease(s), regulates blood pressure, reduces cell damage and cancer, and improves immune function. And get this! The pumpkin seed itself is also high in protein, has pharmacological properties, and has antioxidant effects. Amazing, isn’t it?
Now for the most important part, its beauty benefits. Pumpkins are rich in Vitamins A (retinol), C, and E (your go-to acne-fighting vitamin), alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), beta-carotene (the pigment responsible for giving color to your favorite fruits), zinc, and contains high levels of antioxidants like lycopene (your trusty protector of free radical damage).
What exactly does this mean for you? Here’s a quick rundown; get ready.
Vitamin C counters sun damage and free radicals on your skin, prevents aging, wrinkles, and dark spots. Retinol and AHAs gently exfoliate dead skin cells and increase cell turnover. Vitamin E contains acne-fighting properties that help fight inflammation, reduce your pore size, control excess oil, and diminish the appearance of pimples, blackheads, and blemishes. Zinc, coined nature’s best healing agent, contains acne-preventing and skin-healing abilities. Beta-carotene keeps your skin glowing, rids it of dark spots, and reverses UV damage. All of this while nourishing your skin, increasing the absorption of nutrients, and providing antioxidant support to give you a youthful glow!
Kabocha in Japan
Whatcha’ think about Kabocha? If you don’t know already, Kabocha’s the Japanese equivalent of your modern-day pumpkin. Harvested in the late summer or early fall, this round squash dons a dark green rind. As a staple food in Japan, you may recognize it in your favorite tempura bento set, served battered and fried.
Not only is Kabocha tasty (imagine a cross between a pumpkin and sweet potato, yum!), it’s also a valuable ingredient in Japanese skincare and makeup products. Which is why it’s one of the special elements we've incorporated into our Glow-Getter Renewal Serum.
Looking to achieve skin with a natural glow? Our pumpkin-infused renewal serum activates the skin resurfacing and repairing process to do just that. Using a gentle but powerful blend of exfoliants, antioxidants, enzymes, and probiotics, the formulation kickstarts your skin renewal mechanism, smooths away roughness, refines pores, and restores dull skin to a vibrant and luminous state that’s to die for!
Pumpkin Spice in America
Pumpkin spice and everything nice—you must be well acquainted with this famous taste! We’re pretty sure most of us already associate autumn with Starbucks’ iconic pumpkin spice lattes (guilty!). Whether you hate it or love it, it’s since become a symbolic flavor this season. And not just for delicious beverages!
Fun fact; Nielson found that just in America alone, nearly half a billion dollars was spent on pumpkin-flavored products over the past year. Pumpkin spice itself has made its presence known for 3,500 years now. Made famous by Starbz (and VSCO girls, “sksksks oop”), there’s now a massive demand for pumpkin and pumpkin spice-flavored products in the market.
From sugar scrubs to deodorant to cleansing butter, there’s no doubt that the pumpkin spice revolution has influenced the beauty industry in fall. If you’re subscribed to mailing lists by Sephora or other beauty brands, you’re sure to find some pumpkin spice related products seeded to you. It’s simply an annual phenomenon that proves the power of pumpkin spice.
When it all comes down to it, we totally understand the pumpkin’s influence on skincare regimes and diets. It’s a powerful active ingredient that does more good than bad, and honestly, who doesn’t want healthy, luminous skin?
