Ginger Snap
Ginger Snap
Kick your beauty routine up a notch with a daily dose of ginger.
By Eve Thomas
Photo by André Doyon
When it comes to superfoods, ginger is as powerful as it is piquant. Whether you’re slicing it into a stir-fry or steeping it in hot water, Zingiber officinale has health benefits that range from breath freshener to digestion aid. So it’s no surprise that the versatile root also works wonders when applied externally.
“Ginger brings a warming, invigorating effect to the skin, which leads to improved blood circulation,” explains Thea Nuang, director at Fairmont Singapore’s Willow Stream Spa, which uses the root in a body scrub and massage oil as part of its Ginger Renewal treatment. The team behind The Ginger People took the ingredient’s flexibility to heart when they expanded their 25-year-old range of zesty ginger chews and sodas to include the beauty brand GO, calling it “the first skin care line to improve skin circulation.” Cleansers, serums and healing balms combine organic ginger essential oil and ginger extract, along with other powerful ingredients, including antimicrobial tamanu oil, and willow bark, a natural form of salicylic acid.
The best part about adding ginger to your beauty routine? Its sweet, spicy scent. For maximum aromatherapy, try it head to toe with The King and I body lotion from Saje Natural Wellness or Kerstin Florian’s Ginger Bath & Body Oil. Top it all off with OGX’s repairing shampoo, which contains Hawaiian awapuhi ginger. Ginger is a natural hair softener and is said to stimulate hair growth, so expect results that get right down to the roots.
Try it out
1. Go Energy For The Skin
Ginger Face Serum, US$30, gogingerpeople.com
2. Kerstin Florian
Ginger Bath & Body Oil, US$56, kerstinflorian.com
3. Saje Natural Wellness
The King & I Refreshing Body Lotion (200mL), US$23, saje.ca