Pumpkin Party: Celebrate Soft & Luminous Skin

Photo by Pendragon

Photo by Danielle Scott

Let's get this party started. Fall celebrates pumpkins like no other time of the year with jack-o-lanterns, pies, muffins, cheesecakes, bread and lattes. However, you don't need to go to a Halloween or Thanksgiving party to appreciate this festive fruit. As a topical application, the enzymes and antioxidants contained in pumpkins perk up dull complexions--which is music to our ears and faces. 

Pumpkin contains natural enzymes that act as a velvet rope to help keep dead skin cells off the guest list. This makes it a popular ingredient in masks, peels and exfoliants. When the skin stays free of excessive cellular buildup, it allows other products--such as moisturizers, serums and sunscreens--to penetrate more easily.

You can't talk about the effectiveness of pumpkin as a topical tool without popping a few corks for its rich antioxidant benefits. Vitamin A possesses the ability to soothe and soften skin as it reverses environmental damage, while vitamin C stimulates collagen growth. For those who suffer from acne, these healing vitamins also help reduce pore size and excess oil.

No need to be a party pooper when it comes to your skin. Check out our list of VIPs (very important pumpkin products). We guarantee you'll be doing a happy dance in the spirit of the season. 

SHINE: Éminence Organic Skin Care Yam & Pumpkin Enzyme Peel. BEAUTY: Slough dead skin cells and promote youthful looking skin with yam and pumpkin pulp purées, as well as pineapple and papaya enzymes. BEACON: No animal testing. Supports the National Breast Cancer Foundation, National Ovarian Cancer Coalition and The Cinderella Project. 

SHINE: June Jacobs Perfect Pumpkin Peeling Enzyme Masque. BEAUTY: Pumpkin, pomegranate, grapeseed and goji berry extracts stimulate cellular turnover and combat signs of premature aging. BEACON: Free of parabens, petrochemicals, synthetic dyes and fragrances, and sulfates.

SHINE: Lamas Beauty by Peter Lamas Pumpkin Spice Polish 3-in-1 Instant Facial. BEAUTY: Brighten skin tone, and dissolve makeup, excess oil and pollutants with pumpkin seed oil, aloe vera leaf juice and vitamin E. BEACON: Vegan, and contains no parabens or petrochemicals. 

SHINE: Naturopathica Pumpkin Purifying Enzyme Peel. BEAUTY: Pumpkin enzymes, and honeysuckle flower and cinnamon bark extracts combat dead skin cells for a clear and radiant complexion. BEACON:  ECOCERT seal. Free of sulfates, parabens and glycols. Supports  the American Botanical Council, Stop Global Warming and the Green Spa Network.

SHINE: Sanítas Pumpkin Enzyme Mask. BEAUTY: Soften the skin, unclog pores and help reduce hyperpigmentation with pumpkin enzymes, hyaluronic acid, and vitamins A, C and E. BEACON: Supports the Cinderella Foundation.