Nature has provided us with a lot beneficial items that keep us healthy. These items are in such abundance that sometimes we forget some of them and need to be reminded of their effectiveness. Saffron is miraculous in its existence and expensive. It is beneficial for our skin and body and is used in skin care products too.

It is claimed that saffron is even more expensive than gold. And as we will go through its benefits, we will see that the cost of saffron is justified due its impressive qualities.

Origin

Saffron is a spice that is cultivated from a plant named saffron crocus. It is made from the dried stigmas of the flower and because of this it takes thousands of flowers to make a small quantity of the spice. It is said to be originally found in Greece, although the plant is farmed in many other countries too.

The cosmetic industry finds saffron useful more than any other industry and it is thoroughly utilized in different skin care products.

It is usually used in food colouring and flavouring but we will discuss its other uses and benefits as well.

Medical benefits

Saffron has been associated with mood boosting. Its aroma can lighten up your mood and is used as an anti-depressant in some cases. Due to this, it is seen that it also improves the memory and learning abilities of a person with its use.

Apart from this, it has bizarre anti-cancer properties. It has anti-oxidant properties that relieve stress from body cells and hence preventing cancer risks.

It has its uses as reducing PMS symptoms, acting as an aphrodisiac for which it was commonly used by Greeks, and a small amount of it in food can help reduce heart risks as well.

Saffron for skin care

Hyperpigmentation: It is a phenomenon that makes a part of your skin darker than the surrounding parts of it. It occurs when there is excess pigmentation of melanin, just as the name suggests. Usually this takes places at the hard parts of skin like elbows, knees, knuckles, etc. This can develop due to different reasons such as sun exposure and hormonal changes.

There have been studies that show that saffron has a compound named crocin, and it is very useful when it comes to reducing the melanin in skin. That is why many skin care products and beauty products all around the world utilize saffron as one of their main ingredients because even in a very small quantity, it can help decrease hyperpigmentation significantly.

Heals wounds: Getting hurt is normal part of life. Whether it be kids or adults, we all get hurt every now and then. Sometimes, we get a few bruises but other times, it could bleed and become a wound. If wounds are not healed properly, they can leave scars or worse, skin infection.

Saffron is much important in this case. Its effects have been studied and it is credited to increase cell multiplication if applied at the place of wound. Many healing creams utilize this technique. The growth of cells is necessary to fill up the wound properly and retain the skin’s normal shape and texture.

Saffron also has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties that help in the healing of wounds as well. Some scar removing skin care products may borrow these properties from saffron to help people reduce or completely get rid of scars.

Anti-inflammatory: As discussed above, saffron has been found to have anti-inflammatory properties. Crocin, a major compound found in saffron, helps reducing inflammation by applying its anti-oxidant properties. Inflammations are because oxidant stress on the cells and that is why both these properties go hand in hand and are essential in skin care.

Many skin related problems arise from the inflammation of the cells due to oxidative stress upon them. The stress is usually external so to cope with it, the cells undergo inflammation mechanism. Problems like acne and pimples can go away by the use of these beneficial properties of saffron. Saffron is widely used in remedy creams and skin care products that promise to cure acne and keep it away.

Protection against UV: Skin health is directly related to the intake of UV radiations. Excessive amounts of these rays can cause serious skin issues and the best way to keep our skin healthy is to save it from UV exposure. UV rays are a cause of oxidative stress and the best way to tackle it so far is to use saffron.

Saffron’s anti-oxidant properties protect the skin from the damage of UV rays and keeps us safe when we are under the sun.

These are the reasons that many of our beauty products include saffron as a vital ingredient and we can say without any doubt that by using saffron in different forms and ways, we can keep ourselves healthy and away from many skin and body problems.