April 17, 2022Ingredients

Top 5 Benefits of the Punarnava Plant as a Skincare Ingredient

Written by Fadi Mourad

The Punarnava plant is an ancient herb used in Indian and Ayurvedic medicine to help the healing of wounds and various skin conditions. More recently, the Punarnava plant is being used as an ingredient in commercial skincare products. In this article, we're going to explore why this plant is such a great ingredient. We will look at its many benefits, any downsides and ultimately equip you with all the facts.

What is the Punarnava Plant?

Punarnava is a perennial herb belonging to the genus Boerhavia. It’s commonly used for its medicinal benefits, especially for the skin. Punarnava has been used for thousands of years to promote skin health and is considered one of the best natural remedies for the skin.

How is Punarnava Plant Used in Skincare?

The Punarnava plant has skin-soothing and hydrating properties. It’s typically added to commercial skincare products that aim to improve skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis. The kinds of products that are most likely to include Punarnava are clay masks, cleansers, and lotions. It’s also often used in skincare products for sensitive skin because it’s gentle enough to not cause skin irritation. It also helps reduce inflammation and redness creating somewhat of a soothing quality.

5 Punarnava Plant Benefits for the Skin

Now that we’ve established that the Punarnava plant has some great qualities, let's take a look at 4 specific benefits of this wonder plant.

(i) Punarnava for Wound Healing

One of the most impressive benefits of Punarnava is to promote wound healing. Wound healing sounds a bit dramatic, but it really is an excellent ingredient for fighting acne and other skin conditions that result in the wounding or scarring of the skin.

(ii) Punarnava for Skin Regeneration

Punarnava helps to encourage skin regeneration by reducing inflammation and redness. This helps to speed up healing process and reduces the appearance of scars.

(iii) Punarnava as an Anti-Inflammatory

There is generally nothing good about inflammation when it comes to the human body and your skin is no exception. Punarnava is a potent anti-inflammatory, defending against redness, inflammation, and swelling.

(iv) Punarnava as an Antimicrobial

Punarnava has antibacterial and antifungal properties. These properties help kill off harmful bacteria in or on the skin. This really helps to control or limit the occurrence of acne breakouts.

(v) Punarnava As an Antioxidant

Punarnava has antioxidant properties that neutralize free radicals in the skin and help protect it against the oxidative damage that occurs as a result of UV exposure. This makes it an excellent ingredient for helping to repair the skin after it’s been exposed to harsh elements like sun exposure, wind, sweat, dirt and so on.

Other Uses and Downsides of Punarnava Plant

In this article, we’ve only addressed the use of Punarnava as an ingredient in skin products. It actually has a much wider range of medicinal uses where it's ingested, in various forms, to help with ailments like liver regeneration for patients with jaundice, relief from respiratory conditions, healing insect bites and so on. If ingested in too-high-a-dose, there are some downsides which we don't need to cover here. Needless to say, as a skincare ingredient, it’s a very safe product with a plethora of benefits.

When you next spot this ingredient, either subtly embedded in a skincare product, or more overtly in something like a Punarnava Clay Mask, you should be quietly confident that this high quality ingredient will be greatly beneficial to your regular routine.