Dark Spots + Discoloration
Dryness
Dullness + Uneven Skin
Loss of Firmness + Elasticity
Puffiness + Dark Circles
Wrinkles + Fine Lines

The Many Turmeric Benefits For Skin

You’ve probably heard that turmeric is great for digestive health. But did you know that it can be beneficial for your skin as well?

Continue reading to discover the many ways in which turmeric may be able to benefit your face, body, and skin.

Uses Of Turmeric, The Wonder Herb: Botanical, Cuisine, Skin Care, And More

What Is Turmeric?

Turmeric is a rhizome, or underground stem, grown throughout India, across Asia, and in Central America.1 Botanically, turmeric is related to the ginger family. Turmeric has a long and storied history of medicinal use, dating back nearly 4,000 years. In Indian and Chinese medicine, it has been used to support both skin and digestive health. But what makes turmeric so special?

Curcumin

It is the bioactive compounds in turmeric that make it medically beneficial for the skin. One is its essential oil. This oil contains three active substances called ar-turmerone, α-turmerone, and β-turmerone.

 

The more notable compound in turmeric is curcumin.2 Curcumin is the active compound that gives turmeric its bright yellow color. Curcumin has long played a role as a coloring and flavoring agent in food. It has also been found to possess therapeutic properties and support skin health.3

How Is Turmeric Used?

There are more than 100 species of turmeric, many of which are used for medicinal purposes.4 It is also used as a yellow dye, as a component of religious ceremonies, as an essential oil, and as a spice. As an ingredient in curry powder, turmeric is referred to as Golden Goddess and Indian Saffron. In Northern India, it is known as “Haldi.”5

 

In Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric’s medicinal properties include helping to support healthy digestion, skin cell growth, menstrual cycles, and more.6 Additionally, other cultures take advantage of turmeric’s potential to help aid the body recover from cuts, burns, and bruises.

Potential Turmeric Benefits For Skin And Hair

turmeric skin mask

 

There are many ways you can add turmeric into your beauty or self care routine for an additional “oomph”. Turmeric may help with the following.

Skin Brightness

Turmeric offers tremendous benefits for both skin care and hair care. Most famously, it has been used for centuries in India to make skin appear lustrous.7 Indian weddings often include a Haldi ceremony. This is a custom that involves applying turmeric with water to make a paste. The paste is rubbed on the bride and the groom on their wedding morning. According to the custom, the Haldi powder results in the appearance of glowing, lustrous skin for the couple as they go into their wedding.8

 

More contemporary skin and hair uses of turmeric include using it to support the appearance of a bright, healthy complexion. These benefits occur due to the antioxidant and properties of curcumin.9

Skin Elasticity

As an ingredient in topical creams, turmeric extract can be effective at supporting the elasticity of facial skin while helping to prevent skin from photoaging. It works by helping to block the action of an enzyme that is triggered by UV radiation from the sun.10

Stretch Marks | Beverly Hills MDStretch Marks

Similarly, turmeric may help with reducing the appearance of stretch marks. It can be applied to the skin in the form of a paste made with turmeric powder (or fresh turmeric root), water, lemon juice, or coconut oil.11

Oily Skin

One of turmeric’s many uses is to help mitigate the effects of oily skin. Sebum is the oily substance produced by the sebaceous glands in the skin.12 When it overproduces, scarring can result, due to skin blemishes, breakouts, and eruptions.13 Some studies have concluded that using the root in the form of moisturizing w/o (“water-in-oil”) skin creams may be effective at helping to regulate the amount of sebum that is secreted by the skin.14

Lighter Skin

Several plant-derived compounds act as skin whitening agents. Curcumin has been shown to inhibit the production and expression of melanin in the skin.15 This may result in a lighter appearance of the skin.16

Hair And Scalp

Furthermore, turmeric may be able to help soothe a dry, itchy scalp and support a reduction in dandruff. Try using it in the form of a pre-wash made from turmeric powder and coconut oil or olive oil.

Turmeric Essential Oil

Turmeric essential oil may have some of its own benefits as well.

DIY Turmeric Mask For Dry Skin

turmeric benefits for skin | Beverly Hills MD

 

Dry skin may be caused by bad weather, too much bathing, or various medical conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. This can be problematic, as dry skin can make you look older and can damage the skin barrier. Microscopic cracks in the skin allow bacteria to enter the body that may lead to skin infections. In addition, oxidative stress caused by free radicals can trigger cellular damage, resulting in dry skin.

 

Try this DIY solution to help soothe skin and replace some lost moisture: Mix turmeric powder with milk. The curcumin in turmeric acts to neutralize the free radicals, allowing the skin to return to a more moisturized state. The milk contains fats and lactic acid, which helps remove dead skin cells, enabling new cells to grow, and allowing the skin to better absorb moisturizing products.17

Turmeric, So Wonderfully Versatile

turmeric extract | Beverly Hills MDYou might initially recognize turmeric as an Indian spice used in curry. But it has so many incredible applications that go way beyond culinary uses. For general skin and hair care, turmeric is one of nature’s wonder herbs. Of course, for best results use turmeric in combination with high-quality skin care products and a proper skin care routine.

 

As with any skin treatment, whatever your skin goals, always consult with your dermatologist before using any new product on your skin.

Learn More:
DIY Blush: How To Make Blush From Natural Ingredients
Potential Flax Seeds Benefits For Skin

Sources
1 https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/turmeric
2 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S095671351630531X
3 https://jddonline.com/articles/dermatology/S1545961613P1131X
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92752/
5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92752/
6 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92752/
7 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92761/
8 https://www.thehealthy.com/beauty/hair/turmeric-beauty-benefits/
9 https://www.thehealthy.com/beauty/hair/turmeric-beauty-benefits/
10 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29146529
11 https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/my-body/best-natural-stretch-mark-treatments/
12 https://www.byrdie.com/the-surprising-skincare-benefits-of-turmeric-2442900
13 https://www.news18.com/news/lifestyle/use-turmeric-to-control-sun-spots-and-scarring-1702859.html
14 http://www.bioline.org.br/pdf?pr13080
15 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21584871
16 https://www.byrdie.com/the-surprising-skincare-benefits-of-turmeric-2442900
17 https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/health/home-remedies-for-dry-skin-try-turmeric-and-milk/

Updated Privacy Policy

We've revised our Privacy Policy pursuant to GDPR.
Please take a moment to review.

This privacy policy is only applicable to European Union residents. We respect your privacy and appreciate the importance of your trust. As part of our efforts to help you understand how we handle the personal information you share with us, and in compliance with the European General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), please review the following terms carefully.

1. General Terms

As more fully described below, we may collect and process certain information that is provided by you to us. We have a legal basis for collecting and processing such information because:

  • You have given us permission to do so;
  • We must provide services to you in conjunction with a purchase order that you have placed on our website; and/or
  • We are required to do so in order to comply with applicable law.

The Section below describes the types of information that we may collect from you and our business purposes for collecting such information.

2. What is Not Covered in this Policy?

Our website sometimes links to services run by other companies, such as paying for product orders through PayPal®. Those companies have their own privacy policies, so please remember that the information you provide to them will follow their policies and not ours.

3. Information that We Collect and Process.

Information Provided by You:

We may collect Personal Information that you provide to us. “Personal Information” is information that can be used to identify you individually, and includes items such as your name, home address, e-mail address, telephone number, demographic information, and/or payment information, such as your account or card number, if used to make a purchase from our Website. If you maintain an account on our website, Personal Information may also include a user name, password and answers to our security questions. The type of Personal Information that we may collect depends on your use of this Website and what information you provide to us. Please note that in order to purchase any of the Products offered from our Website, you will be required to provide us with your name, billing address, shipping address, e-mail address and credit card number. If you sign up for our Beverly Hills MD Loyalty Rewards Program, you will be required to provide us with your email and a password.

For more information on our Beverly Hills MD Loyalty Rewards Program, please see our Terms and Conditions here.

Analytical Information:

We and our third-party service providers may also use a variety of technologies that automatically or passively collect information about how this Website is accessed and used (known as “Usage Information”). “Usage Information” may include the type of browser and device you used to access our Website, your operating system and application version, the web pages accessed by you, the time you accessed these web pages, preceding web page views, and your use of any features or applications on this Website. Statistical data like this helps us understand what is interesting and relevant to our customers, so we can best adapt our content for our customers’ benefit.

We and our third-party service providers may also automatically collect an email address, IP address, location, carrier information or other unique identifier information from the computer, mobile device, technology or other device you use to access this Website. We may use this information to, amongst other things, administer this Website, help diagnose server problems, analyze trends, track web page movements, improve our services, match collected information to postal addresses, help identify you and your shopping cart, help us tailor special offers to you, and gather broad demographic information for collected use.

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Like many sites, our Website employs cookies, JavaScript tags and Web beacons (also known as clear GIF technology or “action tags”) to speed your navigation of our Website, recognize you and your access privileges, and track usage of our Website. Cookies are small pieces of information that are stored as text files by your Internet browser on your computer’s hard drive. We use both persistent cookies and third-party cookies. Persistent and third-party cookies enable us to track and target the interests of our customers to enhance your experience on our Website. Persistent cookies are used to make it easier for you to navigate our Website and remain on your hard drive for an extended period of time. Third party cookies are only used for short-term tracking.

Most Internet browsers are initially set up to accept cookies. You may download an opt-out cookie here to disable any and all cookies we employ to track and enhance your user experience– however, your ability to use the website will be then limited and/or unavailable.

Please note that this opt-out is cookie-based (i.e., a cookie must be on your computer to tell our systems that you have opted-out). If you delete, block or otherwise restrict all cookies, this opt-out may not be effective. Further, because different computers and different Internet browsers all require their own version of the opt-out cookie, you must perform this opt-out process on all computers and browsers that you wish to be opted-out.

4. Our Use and Sharing of Your Information.

We use the information that we collect about you for a variety reasons, including the following:

  • Verifying your identity;
  • Fulfilling your product orders;
  • Processing any product returns, exchanges or subscriptions;
  • Responding to your questions;
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  • Inviting you to participate in a survey regarding your health, our products or websites, which are always voluntary on your part;
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  • We may also use and disclose any information that is aggregated or de-identified so that it does not identify you personally, in our discretion.

If you provide us with a payment card when placing an order on our website, we use third-parties to validate your card, authenticate your identity and “tokenize” your payment credentials to make your payments more secure. Your “tokenized” credentials will be stored in your account in order to help make future purchases more convenient. You may delete or edit the stored payment methods in your account at any time by visiting our website or contacting customer support.

We may share your Personal Information as follows:

  • With our vendors, consultants, agents, contractors, and other service providers or sub-processors (discussed more fully below) that we use to support our business;
  • To provide you with any information or services that you request;
  • To respond to subpoenas, court orders, and other legal process, or as otherwise required by law;
  • To exercise our legal rights or to defend ourselves against legal claims, to enforce our contracts, to investigate, respond to and resolve problems or inquiries (including governmental inquiries), or to permit us to pursue available remedies or limit the damages that we may sustain;
  • In connection with an actual or potential merger, sale, acquisition, assignment, or transfer of all or part of our assets, affiliates, lines of business, or products and services, including at bankruptcy;
  • With our affiliates, subsidiaries, or parent companies; and
  • With your consent.

We contract with certain sub-processors to assist us in providing services to our customers. These sub-processors use the Personal Information that you submit to us in order to perform the following tasks:

  • Order processing at checkout;
  • Credit card authorization, tokenization and identity verification;
  • Order shipping and handling;
  • Emailing newsletters and other promotional materials for those customers on our mailing list;
  • Adapting content, advertisements and offers;
  • Storing and “backing up” our customer records.

5. Security and Your Information.

No data transmission over the Internet or website can be guaranteed to be secure from intrusion. However, we and our subprocessors maintain commercially reasonable physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to protect your Personal Information in accordance with data protection legislative requirements. We follow the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) when handling credit card data. We also recommend that you take steps to protect against unauthorized access to your account through shared or public computers, devices, and applications.

6. How Long We Will Retain Your Information.

We will not retain your Personal Information for longer than necessary. Your e-mail address will be retained on our mailing list until you request that we stop sending you advertising communications. We will retain your other Personal Information in order to provide you with the ability to act on our Product warranties, to fulfill any Product subscriptions and/or for business record and legal purposes.

For example, we may keep just enough of your personal information to ensure that we comply with your request to erase your personal information, or to exercise or defend our legal claims.

7. Consent to Processing Information.

This Website is governed by and operated in accordance with the laws of the State of California and the United States, and is intended for the enjoyment of residents of the United States. If you are located outside of the United States, please be aware that information we collect will be transferred to and processed in the United States.

8. Third Party Links and Services

Our Website may contain links to third-party websites and products and services. We do not control such linked websites and this Privacy Policy does not apply to those websites. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of any third-party website that you visit before you provide any information to that website’s owner.

9. Our Children’s Policy.

This Website is not directed to children under the age of sixteen (16). Children may not use our Website or purchase our products, and we do not knowingly collect any personal information from children under the age of sixteen (16). We have no way of distinguishing the age of individuals who access our Website. If a child has provided us with personal information, the parent or guardian should contact us to remove the information and opt out of promotional opportunities using the contact link provided below.

10. Changes and Updates to our Privacy Policy.

We may change this Privacy Policy at any time without prior notice to you. Any changes that we make will be effective immediately upon our posting of the revised Privacy Policy on this Website. Your continued use of this Website constitutes your consent to any changes made. We will use your Personal Information in a manner consistent with the Privacy Policy in effect at the time you submitted your Personal Information, unless you later consent to a revised policy. We encourage you to periodically review this page for the latest information on our privacy practices.

11. Your Personal Data Rights pursuant to GDPR.

As you may know, GDPR provides European citizens certain rights with respect to the access and control of their personal data. For your convenience, we have summarized these rights here. In the event you wish to contact us regarding any of these rights, or for any other reason, please use the link provided in Section 12.

  • Access your personal data: You have the right to be informed of and request access to the personal data we process about you.
  • Update your personal data: You have the right to request that we amend or update personal data in our possession that is inaccurate or incomplete.
  • Restrict the use of your personal data: You have the right to request that we stop processing all or some of your personal data.
  • Object to or complain about the use of your personal data: You have the right to object to us processing your personal data if we no longer have a legitimate or legal need to do so. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority regarding our use of your personal data.
  • Port your personal data: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data in our possession in a machine-readable format, as well as the right to transmit that personal data for use with another party’s service.
  • Erase your personal data: You have the right to request that we delete your personal data.

Please note that while we will try to accommodate your requests, there may be times when we might not be able to help. For example, if you have recently purchased a product from us and this product is still within its applicable Money Back Guarantee period, we will not be able to honor a request to erase your personal data unless you first agree to waive your right to the Money Back Guarantee.

12. Questions or Requests?

In the event that you have any questions regarding our use of your personal information or wish to submit a request to view, modify, erase or restrict our processing of your personal information, please contact our Data Protection Officer here.

Last revised: November 30, 2022