Summer is still here, and while we make the most of this warm temperature, it is worth taking a pause and think about our skin too.
Sometimes I notice that we have too many options now-a-days and whatever we need, we find everything easily. This is probably counted as a privilege but “easy” is not always the same as “right”. Cucumbers are a good example for it. You can buy them in January just as easily as in July, right?
The truth is, cucumbers that are available off-season and the ones in season when they are naturally harvested are two different things. Our heads do not notice it because sometimes the pace of modern life makes us disconnected to nature; however, our bodies tend to notice the difference.
In their natural cycle, cucumbers are harvested between June and August. Anything found outside this time frame has usually grown under artificial light, controlled conditions, such as humidity and temperature.
There is a quiet logic behind why certain foods appear at certain times of year, and it is worth paying attention to that. The fact that cucumbers are available just in the months our bodies need them the most is a nature’s miracle!
In Ayurveda and TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), cucumbers that ripe in summer sun have been treated as a cooling food. This means they help our bodies to find balance during warmer temperature.
People have grown and trusted cucumbers for more than three thousand years. So, these benefits are well-known and consistent enough across cultures that it feels worth listening to it.
If this kind of seasonal thinking appeals to you, we would like to recommend that you intake more cucumbers during summer than winter. Cooling foods make sense when the weather and our bodies are warm and looking for balance. Nature seems to understand this rhythm even when we forget it.
The cucumber benefits
Beyond their cooling effect, cucumbers are made up of around 95–96% water, making them wonderfully hydrating. The fibre found in cucumber skin also supports healthy digestion.
Cucumbers also contain vitamin K, along with meaningful amounts of vitamin C, potassium and magnesium. These nutrients support your immune system, heart, muscles and nerves.
Cucumbers also have antioxidants. They protect our cells from everyday oxidative stress. Because of these benefits, cucumbers were placed in kitchens and medicine cabinets for years.
In order to optimize the cucumbers, while we still have the seasonal ones at the supermarket, I will recommend a delicious cooling and hydrating cucumber drink recipe. This is one of my favourites!
You’ll need:
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1 cucumber (preferably organic one)
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500 ml water
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Juice of 1 lemon
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A pinch of mineral-rich salt
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A little honey
Blend the ingredients and sip the cucumber juice throughout the day. It hydrates from the inside. Because it’s full of antioxidants, your whole body will benefit a lot. Hurry up, before summer ends, let’s enjoy the cucumber.
You can drink this daily as well. Remember! cucumbers are 95-96% water!
And what about the skin?
Cucumbers are known for hydrating our skin as well. It’s soothing nature can calm irritation and ease puffiness, especially around the eyes.
With vitamin C, vitamin K and natural antioxidants on board, cucumbers help protect skin cells from everyday environmental stress. For centuries, people have used them as a skincare remedy, as it left the skin looking fresh and smooth,
If you want to use cucumber on your skin as well, the simple way is to blend cucumber into a purée and use it as a face mask for 10–20 minutes before rinsing off. Another simple way (and that’s what usually I do), I take two thin slices and rub them all over my face, then I go to bed or simply let it dry before taking a shower.
However, we know sometimes with our life, we don’t even have time for that. As we know cucumber is a miracle fruit, we’ve brought it into some of our products too. We have cucumber extract in our cleansing gel to make use of all those benefits.
Try it and let us know how you feel. When using our gel, I would recommend putting the gel in your hands, adding a bit of water, rubbing your hands first, and only then applying it to your skin.
A word from the heart
Cucumber is just one example of how nature is taking care of us. The only thing that nature is asking of us is the willingness to notice what is in front of us. Paying attention to timing in food and in skincare, tends to add up to more for us than any single ingredient ever could.
For these last summer weeks, try giving the cucumbers the place they deserve in your kitchen. At the end of the day, this is their time of the year, made by nature to shine in our bodies!
With warmth,
Angela
