Pineapple Skin Care Is the Vitamin C-Packed Way to Exfoliate and Brighten All at Once

Photo: Getty Images/ Vladimir Serov
Lately, the beauty world has become about as fruit friendly as Trader Joe's produce aisle. Vitamin C-packed ingredients like strawberry, banana, and yuzu—plus ultra-hydrating watermelon, of course—have made skin-care cabinets look (and smell) good enough to eat. And recently, I've discovered yet another active-packed ingredient worth adding to the veritable fruit salad happening inside of your bathroom cabinets.

Pineapple isn't just great for making a mean piña colada or skewering on summer shrimp kebabs. In addition to being pretty damn delicious, it also has some noteworthy skin benefits. "Because of its rich concentration of AHAs, pineapple juice is an amazing exfoliant," explains dermatologist Adarsh Vijay Mudgil of Mudgil Dermatology. "It's great for acne-prone skin and those with pigment issues or dark spots." Also worth noting is that it's packed with bromelain enzymes, which also help with exfoliation—and why you'll often see the words "enzyme peel" plastered across the labels of many pineapple products.

In addition to being a rockstar for brightening and getting rid of dead skin, pineapple also happens to be chock-full of antioxidants. Dr. Mudgil notes that while it's rich in vitamin C, it isn't quite as packed with the stuff as orange juice, which he says takes the cake. Another random use for the pineapple? "Apply it to your feet!" he says. Well, okay then!

Brands have started to take notice of the powerhouse ingredient, which has been popping up more and more frequently on beauty labels. On Monday, K-beauty brand Glow Recipe launched its Pineapple-C Bright Serum ($49), which smells like a non-alcoholic summer cocktail and comes in the cutest little pineapple-shaped bottle you ever did see. And a few other clean-fave brands like Herbivore, Alba Botanica, and Pacifica all offer pineapple products of their own. One last thing to keep in mind: Because of its hardcore exfoliating properties, pineapple can be drying, so people with dry or sensitive skin should use caution, and be sure to combine it with something ultra-hydrating like hyaluronic acid.

Peep some pineapple-infused products below for a new addition to your skin-care arsenal that will make you feel—at least momentarily—like you're lounging on a tropical beach with an actual piña colada in hand.

In addition to pineapple, these are the most vitamin C-packed ingredients you'll likely find on your skin-care labels. Plus, the other buzzy skin-care ingredients the Internet has been loving lately. 

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