You will find thousands of old wives’ tales about the beauty benefits of almonds. I have, personally, grown up on almonds soaked overnight, then made into almond paste by rubbing them on the sides of a terracotta pot. This paste could be eaten, applied on the skin or mixed into milk for a nightcap. Usually, we did all three things in the course of a single day. For a reason. And the reason is that these almond-based recipes have persevered for thousands of years because they actually do work – a fact that science has also proven time and again.
To begin with, almonds are tremendously rich in calcium and minerals, which make them extremely nourishing. Almond oil and paste literally ‘feed’ the skin, smoothening and softening it without leaving a greasy residue. Plus, they contain hefty doses of mono-unsaturated fat, which helps lower the bad cholesterol (LDL). Even the brown peel of this nut is considered valuable as it possesses anti-oxidant properties… eating almonds with the peel is, therefore, far more nutritious than peeled almonds, though the latter may be much yummier!
Today, hardly any of us has time to make almond paste the ancient way. However, this ancient belief in almonds is something we can easily adapt to modern lifestyles. Here are some ways in which you can make these delicious nuts work for you:
Pure almond oil is a great moisturiser. Buy a small bottle and simply alternate with your regular night cream.
- Eating almonds on an empty stomach helps the body to absorb their calcium, leading to strong and glossy nails.
- To make a potent deep cleansing face mask, soak half a cup of almonds overnight and next morning rub them on a clear, rough surface moistened with a little water. This will create a creamy paste that should be applied on the face and left to dry thoroughly (you can add a pinch of saffron to the paste for an added glow). When it is dry, rub in gentle circular motions with damp fingertips. This will not only remove all the dirt and dry skin but also leave you soft and sweet smelling.
- To strengthen hair and prevent slit ends, massage almond oil directly into the scalp and strands; leave it for about 20 minutes then wash. Your hair will emerge looking shiny, silky and healthy.
I love anything almond-almond oil-almond flour etc. I have found the best moisturizer for my face is JoJoba Oil. Supposedly, it is most like the natural oils in our skin. I have used it for about a year, and love the feel of my face.
I just met a phenomenal skincare expert today who gave me great tips on almond flour… will put them up very soon!
Love snacking on almonds! I had no idea eating them on an empty stomach helped the body to absorb their calcium.
Guess that’s why my grandmom always made sure that we had almonds first thing in the day
Thanks for this post.
My sister used to rub her belly with almond oil throughout her whole pregnancy, and she didn’t have a stretchmark!
I can imagine… it’s super-effective. In India, they even say that if you have 5 almonds daily through your pregnancy, the child will have a glowing complexion!
Will try it if I ever get pregnant! I bet it’d be good also for MY skin!
that too