Grapefruit is more than a tasty food. Oil extracted from its rind, pulp and seeds is used in eco-friendly surface cleaners and as a safe and natural vegetable and fruit wash. Grapefruit seed extract, meanwhile, offers benefits to the skin. Grapefruit seed extract is available as a powder, but its most common form is liquid.
Properties
Grapefruit is rich in natural ingredients that nourish and protect the skin, including vitamins A, C and E and antioxidants. It also boasts essential phytonutrients — such as lycopene, beta-carotene and bioflavonoids — that promote cellular health. Some of these benefits can be gained by topical application. An extract provides the most concentrated form of a substance.
Fungicidal Skin Benefits
For people who love the skincare benefits of tea tree oil but prefer a citrus aroma, grapefruit seed extract is a good alternative. The effectiveness of grapefruit seed extract as a topical fungicide has been demonstrated in products to treat athlete’s foot and fungal infections of fingernails and toenails. The extract also is known to kill many strains of fungi, bacteria, viruses and parasites on the skin. Grapefruit seed extract usually is safe enough to apply full-strength to affected areas of skin on the body but may be too strong full-strength for sensitive facial skin.