This vitamin C-packed berry is about to become your new brightening skin care staple

One famous person beauty myth that I like to believe in—besides Cleopatra bathing in milk—is that Marilyn Monroe supposedly rubbed mashed strawberries all over her face for a clean, naturally pink-hued glow. Sounds sweet, doesn’t it?

I’ve dabbled in DIY beauty treatments myself‚ having replaced my face wash with honey and slathered on aloe vera to fight inflammation, but the world’s sweetest berry has never touched my skin. Much to my surprise, however, Monroe’s reputed go-to skin savior is popping up on beauty shelves—for good reason.

“Strawberries, or fragriaria chiloensis extract, is a wonderful hydrator due to the high amount of carbohydrates it contains and skin protectant due the antioxidants,” says Dr. James Heskett, holistic MD, author of The Well Path and consultant for HydroPeptide. “It contains alpha lipoic acid which is a potent antioxidant, which slows the aging of collagen elastin. Also it has great vitamin C, which is a potent antioxidant as well as being a key player in collagen synthesis.”

In fact, strawberries give vitamin C superstar oranges a run for their money. “It’s different than orange vitamin C, which is more acidic, and therefore more exfoliating and less hydrating,” says Dr. Heskett.

One student named Varika P. even worked with skin-care brand Volition to capture her fave DIY beauty ingredient in the ease of a serum (hence why the brand just launched the Strawberry C-Brightening Serum ($42) for your skin’s benefit). “Strawberries were in season over the summer, and several nights a week, whenever my mom cut them up for [me and my sister], she always left thin slices off the top of them for us to use on our face,” she says. “We would simply take the strawberry slices, apply to our faces, and it would leave a thin, red, serum-like film. Every time, I always noticed an improvement immediately after—my face would glow and look so much brighter.” To experience the sweet brightening benefits for yourself, keep scrolling for strawberry-packed beauty products to buy ASAP.

Shop the sweet stuff

Volition Strawberry-C Brightening Serum $42

Mario Badescu Strawberry Face Scrub $15

Eminence Organic Skin Care Strawberry Rhubarb Hyaluronic Serum $48

Fresh Sugar Face Polish Exfoliator $25

Edible Beauty No. 1 Belle Frais Cleansing Milk $47

BYBI Beauty Strawberry Oil Booster $17

For more beauty ingredients you may not know about, try rice water for your skin. Or you can slather on fermented skin care for boosted benefits.