Summer is a season of abundant sunshine, outdoor adventures, and vacation planning. Indeed, the time of year when the earth is at its robust best. With a sense of relaxation, the season comes with an array of delicious nutritious fruits and vegetables that are an elixir to the body and mind.
One such exotic fruit getting popular over the last few years is the star fruit also called carambola. This five-pointed, star-shaped (hence the name star fruit) which is either yellow or light green, is tangy, crunchy, and replete with flavonoids and powerful antioxidants like quercetin and gallic acid. Boasting some fabulous anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties, though the exact time when star fruit is in season may typically vary from year to year it is available all year around.
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From the Oxalidaceae family, star fruit has little tolerance to cold and only be grown in warm climates. Originally a native to Malaysia, it is now abundantly found in India, China, and the Philippines. Mostly, the smaller is a bit sour, and the larger is more on the sweeter side. Besides being an active ingredient in skincare products, the fruit is edible along with the skin and used in umpteen juice and smoothie recipes. Touted to be a superfood due to its rich nutrient profile and wide range of health benefits, its anti-inflammatory properties can alleviate swelling of joints, and cure dermatitis, acne, chronic psoriasis, and many other skin woes. It has active astringent properties and antioxidants along with vitamins B and C that aid the healing of skin cells and hair follicles leading to shining hair and glowing skin.
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Want to add a tropical touch to your beauty routine and augment skin and hair health? Here are some star fruit beauty hacks in the form of face packs and hair masks that will get you gorgeous skin and lustrous locks in a few weeks. Whether you want to munch on star fruit or slather it on your skin, don’t hesitate and add this anti-ageing, exfoliating skin-friendly fruit to obliterate those pesky wrinkles and protect your skin from UV damage. Try these carambola DIY at-home beauty masks, at least once a week and we assure you of fabulous results.
Also Read: Leucine: Astounding Benefits Of This Amino Acid For Radiant, Healthy Skin-InfographicAmazing Carambola Beauty Packs
Carambola, Curd And Honey For Acne
Method
- Blend starfruit into a fine paste
- Add a dash of honey and one spoonful of yogurt
- Massage the mask swiftly into a thoroughly cleansed face and neck
- Rinse after fifteen minutes
How Does It Work?
The gallic acid in the fruit helps reduce sunspots visibility, combat harmful bacteria, minimize inflammation and redness, and ward off acne. Vitamin C and antioxidants provide smoothness and radiance. Curd has lactic acid that exfoliates the skin. Honey helps to add additional moisture element to dry and dull skin. 
Carambola Anti-Ageing Face Mask
Method
- Blend the starfruit in a blender
- Add mashed banana and yogurt as per desired quantity
- Massage into face and neck thoroughly
- Rinse after fifteen minutes
How Does It Work?
The fruit has powerful antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties that treat sagged, dull skin. Its gallic acid content with potent anti-aging actives can delay wrinkles and improve skin texture. B Vitamins in the fruit and potassium in the banana can help soften skin. Yogurt’s lactic acid exfoliates, leaving your face clean.
Carambola Hair Mask For Growth And Lustre
Method
- Blend the carambola to get fresh drops of juice, straining the rest of it
- Add a few drops of coconut oil, grapeseed, and olive oil to the juice
- Apply thoroughly from roots to ends
- Let sit for about an hour
- Shampoo until the fruit juice and oil gets cleared up
How Does It Work?
Starfruit has Vitamin C and Vitamin B5 that can add luster to your tresses and speed hair growth. Grapeseed oil has omega fatty acids that hydrate, protect, and repair hair, while coconut oil nourishes the scalp and smoothens hair strands. Olive oil strengthens hair and boosts growth and shine, leaving your manes super healthy.
