Also known as cherimoya, sweetsop or sugar apple, custard apples are defined by their creamy texture and a taste likened to that of custard when ripe. Discovered growing in Indonesia as far back as 1000 C.E., these strange-looking fruits are a great source of vitamins and minerals from vitamins B6 and C to niacin, calcium, iron, potassium, copper, and dietary fiber. Though all these nutrients collaborate together to promote healthy skin, two properties in particular stand out in the skincare world – vitamin C and copper. Vitamin C and copper are both strongly connected with boosted collagen production, which is instrumental if you want to maintain younger-looking skin. Lysyl oxidase is an enzyme that copper is able to activate, making it very important in the role of collagen maturation. Vitamin C, on the other hand, is able to help regulate collagen synthesis – a process that’s essential in helping the skin to hold onto its youth.
In addition to copper and vitamin C, custard apples contain vitamin A – a vitamin that helps to tackle and treat dry skin. This, in addition to this fruit’s high moisture content, can really aid in keeping the skin hydrated and, as such, has a cooling effect on the skin.
Because the custard apple is such a versatile fruit, it’s been outlined by various Ayurvedic practitioners that its leaves can also prove to be beneficial to your skin. Containing dietary fiber, much like its fruit, the leaves of custard apples have been said to not only help balance out blood sugar levels when brewed to make tea, but help to boost both skin health and protection. This is due to the antioxidants that the leaves of custard apples contain, which work together to aid in shielding the skin from UV damage and, as such, go some way towards slowing the aging process of your skin cells. Photoaging (premature aging of the skin due to UV damage) is one of the leading causes of wrinkles and fine lines, which is why you should definitely take every opportunity to safeguard your skin against it.
Custard apples are rich in antioxidants which help to fight back against free radicals and the damage they can cause to both your skin and body. Free radicals can result in oxidative stress, a process that happens when your body experiences a free radical imbalance. The effect of this can be tissue and cell damage, one of the visible outcomes of this is premature aging (i.e. wrinkles) due to the hardening of collagen fibers. This is why custard apples can give your skin a helping hand.
If that wasn’t enough to win you over, custard apples contain kaurenoic acid as well as various carotenoids and flavonoids, of which each contributes to improving your complexion from the inside out. Kaurenoic acid is a naturally-occurring compound which, due to its anti-inflammatory nature, could be potentially beneficial for your skin. This, as well as the flavonoid antioxidants epicatechin and catechin, have shown promise when it comes to calming inflammation. Though more research needs to be conducted on human subjects, the early evidence has shown definite potential.
If you’d like to benefit from custard apples from a non-eating perspective, you can easily indulge by making yourself a DIY face mask. With plenty of recipes available for all skin types, this is a great way to hydrate your skin while giving it the nutrient boost it deserves.