What Are The Benefits Of Haritaki?

It is quite remarkable how much history there is when it comes to our skincare ingredients with Haritaki being one of the them. Having been used for thousands of years, this super fruit is quickly becoming a firm favourite of ours here at Procoal. Let us share with you why we have fallen for this potent powerhouse ingredient and all the benefits that it can add in some of your favourite skincare products.

What is Haritaki?

Haritaki is a fruit that contains a huge amount of benefits, from hair, to skin and health. Indigenous to Southern Asia, Haritaki has been used in all manner of everyday life, from supplement, skincare and cooking. You can expect to find Haritaki used in areas stretching across parts of India, China, Sir Lanka and Vietnam. The cultivation of this hero ingredient is slow and manageable with the seeds sown during the spring in areas high with clay and sandy soils. Once the trees have begun to grow they cannot tolerate any colder temperatures below 16’C making the entire procedure very long and requiring full dedication.

Known as the “King of Medicine” for good reason as it can help with the following;

• Helps to prevent flare-up in skin allergies
• Can reduce and remove acne and ulcers
• Prevents hair loss and dandruff
• Can help with constipation
• Helps stop coughs and colds
• Prevents diabetes
• Help improve the overall condition of the heart
• Can help boost immunity

Many also believe that Haritaki also contains a great number of spiritual benefits and aids with the awakening of the third eye meaning it is often used in spiritual exercises and medicines.

There are 7 varieties of Haritaki which can look quite different from green to black and can taste sweet, sour or bitter depending on which type you have. The types of Haritaki are; Vijaya, Rohini, Putane, Amruta, Abhaya, Jivanti and Chetak. All of these varieties carry the same beneficial properties of antibacterial, antioxidant with high levels of vitamin C, essential minerals and plant chemicals, such as tannic acid. You can see why this hero ingredient is steadily growing in popularity and finding its way into more formulations of skincare products, from cleansers to face masks.

What are the benefits of Haritaki?

As you can see we have already shared with you the main benefits of Haritaki, including those connected to your overall health, but we are now going to focus mainly on the skincare benefits of this clever ingredient.

Haritaki benefits for skin allergies

In traditional medicine used for hundreds of years in the areas of Nepal, Haritaki powder was made into a paste and applied topically onto any areas of the skin that experienced any form of allergy, from rashes to redness. It is with this traditional recipe in mind that you can find Haritaki powder in anti-pollution skincare products, such as the Procoal Overnight Face Mask. With its antibacterial and antioxidant properties Haritaki is able to counteract any environmental aggressors your skin would have faced, such as exposure to harmful UV rays and other damaging free radicals, such as pollution, climate and daily debris. With the benefits of this super fruit you will find the skin’s natural protective barrier is restored and any damage caused to the skin is visibly reduced. You can find out more about what overnight masks are and how they benefit your skin over on the beauty insiders blog.

Haritaki benefits for acne

Acne and other blemishes were also helped with the bright green paste made with extracts of Haritaki powder previously mentioned. The antibacterial benefits help clear the skin of any build-up of bacteria and dirt that often makes its way into the pores making them become clogged. Spots and blackheads are the usual result, however, there is also the concern of your skin becoming congested and uneven in texture which sadly makes any form of breakout appear more noticeable. With the high levels of vitamin C found in Haritaki dark spots and post-acne scarring are also significantly reduced and less visible.

Haritaki benefits for hair

When the extract of Haritaki is blended with coconut oil it makes a potent, rich herbal hair oil. When applied to the roots of the head and massaged firmly you can expect to see marked improvement of the health of your hair, dandruff, head lice infections and hair loss are all prevented.

Haritaki benefits for general skin health

With haritaki containing many beneficial properties such as vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper and potassium. There is a lot of skin concerns and hair issues this ingredient can help. With its ability to naturally flush out all toxins of the skin you will find the overall complexion if your face will appear, smoother, even toned, subtle and soothed.

How long does Haritaki take to work?

You can expect to see a notable difference in the skin from 4-6 weeks, this is dependent on which skincare product you are using that is enriched in this skin healing fruit. By this I mean opting for products that remain on the skin for longer amounts of time will allow the benefits to work and absorb into the skin. Products such as serums, moisturisers, face oils and overnight masks allow the ingredient to penetrate further and any skin concerns with acne, or overall complexion are helped.

It is also a good idea to team these products with others that contain ingredients that can exfoliate the skin, such as AHAs and BHAs, as these will slough away the top layer of dead skin cells that can create a barrier for any other products applied to be unable to penetrate the skin. By removing the cells you are allowing the potent Haritaki to reach the areas of the skin it can benefit quickly and effectively. To find out more you can check out our blog post about the skin benefits of AHAs and BHAs.

Haritaki is a wonderfully powerful ingredient to include in your skincare routine, you’ll be truly amazed by the results you will see. To ensure you are using the product correctly and that it is suitable for your skin type, you should perform a patch test on your arm for 24 hours. If there are no signs of irritation or redness you are good to go, however, should you still have some doubts consult your doctor or dermatologist for more advice.

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