Pumpkin: The Skintastic Squash

by Jennifer Sikora, DermatologistOnCall.com

It’s pumpkin season and the question arises: how does the skin fare with so much pumpkin on the scene?

Pumpkin contains a number of properties that benefit skin, such as:

• Increasing cell turnover – pumpkin is packed with enzymes and alpha hydroxyl acids that will brighten and smooth skin
• Boosting collagen production – Vitamin A and vitamin C are both found in pumpkin, which will help soften/soothe skin, as well as prevent signs of aging
• Maintaining barrier function of skin – pumpkin seeds are high in both essential fatty acids and vitamin E (these can also regulate sebum, which is great for oily skin)

One alarming suggestion, however, continues to surface on multiple sites online. This is the at-home (DIY) face or body mask/scrub made of pumpkin. Dermatologists agree that people do NOT want to add ground pumpkin seeds or almonds/nuts to their scrubs.  Jagged edges are created when these items are ground, so they can tear and cut skin. Not only can this start bleeding, but puts the skin at risk of an infection! If this news comes late to the reader, it may be important to see a dermatologist quickly. By answering a few questions about their skin, teledermatology users can receive a care plan within 24 hours.

It’s also important to remember that much of the pumpkin product available these days is chock-full of sugar – i.e. the pumpkin-flavored latte at the nearby coffee shop. A sugary treat usually isn’t going to reap the benefits referenced above – those benefits come from eating the actual pumpkin, not an empty ingredient laced with its “flavor.” Sugar can strain an important biochemical function called the insulin pathway, which affects your blood vessels and quickens the skin’s aging process. Additionally, high blood sugar levels can weaken the skin by affecting tissues like collagen, which can leave you more vulnerable to lines and wrinkles. Cutting out sugar can lead to clearer skin and a more vibrant skin tone.

For nearly the time it takes to get a specialty pumpkin drink made at Starbucks, though, tech-savvy people are finding that they can get a questionable skin problem submitted and into the queue for a teleconsultation with a board-certified dermatologist.

Carving jack-o-laterns is fun, after all, but carving time out of the schedule to see specialists is usually just a pain.

Jennifer Sikora is vice president of marketing for Iagnosis, the provider of DermatologistOnCall. She has over 19 years of marketing experience for technology-based products and services. She has been extensively published by national, local, and special interest news outlets and her marketing leadership has been recognized by the American Marketing Association.