What are Adzuki Beans?
Adzuki beans originate from annual vines grown throughout East Asia and the Himalayas . They are sweetened to form a paste used in cooking. Who does not love East Asian cooking? These beans are rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals such as protein, fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, B6, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Calcium, Zinc,Potassium, Phosphorus, Iron , Copper and manganese. Manganese is great for helping protein and amino acid digestion. Hence why, Adzuki beans are said to improve digestion.
How can Adzuki Beans be used for Beauty purposes?
On top of all these beneficial things it contains adzuki beans have antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are natural substances that delay/prevent types of cell damage because they protect the skin by minimising the production of free radicals. Free radicals are occur when oxygen in the body splits into single atoms with an unpaired electron, these free radicals now go around the body looking for a pair this can cause damage to our proteins and cells.
Adzuki beans contains Vitamin C which is a powerful antioxidant,
Using Adzuki Beans for Skin Care
The following method of making Adzuki bean powder to use as a face mask is used in Japan.
Method:
- Rinse the Adzuki beans and allow them to dry completely, if your impatient (like me) get a paper towel and gently pat them dry
- Place a thin layer of adzuki beans into a saucepan (without oil or anything) above a stove at your lowest heat level. Try your best to make sure all the beans are exposed to the heat equally. Ensure none of them are laying on top of one another
- Stir regularly as we do not want to burn them and keep them over the heat for 10-15 minutes
- Grind the bean in a blender, hand blender or food processor, anything that will make it go into and powder
Your powder is now ready to be incorporated into your DIY face masks! (I came across this method on www.nomadesgourmandes.com)
DIY Adzuki Bean Face&Hair Mask
- 1-2 TBSP Red bean powder
- Olive oil (about 1 teaspoon for your face and neck)
- Rose Water
- 2 drops of Tea tree oil
You may have to adjust the measurements to your liking to adjust the consistency.
Do you know what is great about DIY masks? If you have leftovers you can apply some on both your hair and skin because it is made with natural products! DIY masks are customisable so feel free to change the type oil or the type of floral water. One thing i like about the Tea tree essential oil though is that it minimises irritation and my favourite carrier oil to use with tea tree is Olive oil.
Before applying the face mask you could steam your face by boiling some water in a kettle and pouring the hot water in a large bowl which you will hover your face over to open up your pores. In fact, steaming is widely used in Hammams across North Africa to get rid of dead skin on our bodies. We have a full blog post here…
After that apply the face mask all over your face (and neck) letting it rest on your face for 3-5 minutes before rinsing of with lukewarm water (closer to the colder side).You can do face masks once a week but it really depends on how your skin is feeling and what you it needs;)
If you are looking for a quick 4 step Skin care routine we also have a blog post to hep you out here…
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