The MEDITERRANEAN DIET has been heralded as one of the healthiest ways of eating for longevity and overall health. It involves eating MORE plant-based, whole foods, with moderate amounts of lean meat and little to NO processed foods and sweets.
It has been deemed one of the easiest diets to follow because there are no gimmicks, no tricks, and it delivers results. Thus, the Mediterranean diet becomes more of a way of living or pattern of eating rather than a “diet.” Scientists have long known that people following the Mediterranean diet live longer and have a much lower risk of cardiovascular disease. In fact, studies have shown that women had 25% less risk of developing cardiovascular disease and 30% less risk of stroke when following the Mediterranean diet for a number of years. It has also been proven that the Mediterranean diet can lengthen telomeres, leading to a 46% increase in the likelihood of aging healthfully.
Plenty of fad diets have entered the market over the years; perhaps you have tried some. They gain wild popularity among celebrities and fanatics, peak, and then generally fade away over time. The reasons these fad diets fade away are numerous: They don’t deliver results, they are not sustainable, they are too complicated, and they often involve processed foods of some kind that are difficult to incorporate or cause unwanted side effects.
The Mediterranean diet remains and has been used for thousands of years in Italy, Greece, Spain and France to produce some of the most beautiful skin, inside and out.
A Mediterranean Feast for Your Skin
At Prato Botanico, our organic, artisanal skincare line is like a MEDITERRANEAN FEAST for your skin. We believe in whole foods, plant-based, efficacious skincare that delivers results. We use cold-pressed, hand-harvested, organic Italian botanicals that capture the maximum efficacy of each plant to give you timeless, youthful, healthy-looking skin.
We use some of the same superfood ingredients in our formulations that you would use on the inside of your body to create a healthful effect: foods such as Pomegranate, Lemon, Grapes, Olive Oil, Almonds, Sea Fennel and Aloe Vera. The list of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are too long to list in this format, but include Vitamins A, C, D, E, K, B6, B12, folic acid, choline, magnesium, calcium, resveratrol and more.
6 Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet for Your Skin
1. Reduces Inflammation (puffiness in and around the face)
The Mediterranean diet includes plenty of fruits and vegetables which are low glycemic foods. These foods can help stabilize blood sugar, which can generally decrease inflammation. These fruits and vegetables are also high in antioxidants such as Vitamins A, C, and E which also contribute to decreasing inflammation levels over time. In addition, the diet lacks processed foods and sugar-laden foods which are some of the main culprits of inflammation in your body and skin.
2. Stabilizes oil production & prevents acne
Extra “shine” on your skin happens to everyone. The skin’s overproduction of oil can happen for a variety of reasons: climate, age, genetics, and too many skincare products. One of the reasons for oily skin is a climate that is either too dry or too humid, which sends your oil glands into overdrive as it attempts to compensate for the extreme weather. However, ingredients such as olive oil and aloe vera can help moisturize skin and balance hydration levels to keep oil production in check. When you have less oil on your skin that is mixing with dead skin cells, you have a decreased likelihood of clogged pores, and thus acne.
3. Supports collagen production
Collagen production decreases steadily as we age. However, the Mediterranean diet can slow this process as it involves consuming fruits and vegetables that are high in Vitamin C and amino acids, which are necessary for collagen production. Pomegranates, Grape Seed Oil and Prickly Pear all contain high amounts of Vitamin C and amino acids to support the skin’s effort to produce collagen continually.
4. Keeps skin hydrated
Is there anything more hydrating than olive oil combined with aloe vera? These ingredients can play a key role in keeping skin hydrated and balanced so you never have to deal with dry, flaky skin again. Enzymes in water-rich aloe vera gently exfoliate the skin and travel into the skin to provide hydration, while olive oil locks in moisture to prevent skin from drying out. Aloe vera helps in beauty.
5. Helps fight free radicals
Once again, the high content of fruits and vegetables in the Mediterranean diet is what helps fight free radicals. Plants such as almonds, grapes, prickly pear, sea fennel, and pomegranate donate an electron to free radicals, neutralizing them which makes them unable to damage skin cells.
6. Minimizes the signs of aging
Everyone wants to maintain health, which often means helping cells to stay at their youthful peak or as close to it as possible. With the right combinations of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, you can contribute all of the ingredients necessary to keep skin cells healthy. Vitamins in olive oil, lavender, pomegranate and aloe vera act as antioxidants, producing an anti-inflammatory effect. Reducing inflammation helps prevent cellular degeneration, which fights fine lines and wrinkles.
Beauty From the Inside Out and Outside In
All of these Mediterranean superfood ingredients we have mentioned help to nourish the skin, fight free radicals, protect the skin barrier, decrease harmful bacteria on the skin, clear the pores, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, minimize hyperpigmentation, among other benefits.
Our key Mediterranean ingredients at Prato Botanico are grown and harvested by expert farmers who have been farming organic, food-grade ingredients for many decades. In fact, many of these ingredients are also used in some of the fine, organic, Italian fare that graces your table for your Mediterranean feast.
The difference between Prato Botanico and other skincare lines is the level of quality and care we use in extracting and retaining the maximum level of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, ceramides and peptides for your skin. Many of our key ingredients are hand-harvested and processed within hours of picking in order to capture the strongest essence of each incredible Italian botanical for your skin.
The result is hydrated, nourished, youthful-looking, glowing skin that is yours and yours alone. We do not seek to strip away the natural beauty of your skin but rather nourish and build it to reveal your most natural, beautiful skin. Also check out the benefits of natural products.
Redefining Clean Beauty
Prato Botanico is aiming to redefine clean beauty. The term “clean beauty” has been used for several years to describe skincare brands that make skin formulations that are “not bad” for your skin. Often, this title includes brands that are attempting to eliminate harmful ingredients or avoid a handful of ingredients that can cause skin issues, while still hanging onto their favorite synthetic ingredients that have been deemed “safe.” However, our human knowledge of chemicals is limited to only the studies that have been deemed worthy enough to fund. It is ever evolving. With thousands of chemicals available for use in skincare in the USA, there is no question that some of today’s “clean ingredients” could one day become one of the “dirty,” harmful ingredients as we discover new knowledge.
At Prato Botanico we take a radically different approach to clean beauty. Instead of starting with the world of thousands of chemicals and attempting to limit the use of harmful ones, we start quite literally on the other end of that spectrum: natural, organic ingredients.
We start with wholesome botanicals grown in nutrient-rich soil that are food-grade and organic so your skin actually recognizes the ingredients and utilizes them to nourish the skin. We use natural fragrances from our farm-grown lemons, oranges, and herbs to create wonderfully light and fresh scents that elevate the mind and delight the senses. Even the preserving elements in our formulations are typically derived from sugars or plants in order to create the purest most luxurious experience for our clients.
We believe when you approach skincare in this way, the result is less irritation, fewer blemishes, and more even, beautiful skin.
The Prato Experience
The Prato Botanico experience is one of luxury, pleasure, and delight. Born in the rolling hills of Puglia, Italy during a time when most of us could not get to a spa, we sought to create the ultimate spa experience at home. Luxurious, nutrient-rich botanicals glide over your skin combined with organic hyaluronic acid and natural fragrance to give you spa quality results and glow in the comfort of home.
These rich Italian botanicals have the ability to transform your skin and transport you to Italy in a way you have never before experienced.
Click here to read more about our ingredients and what they can do to elevate your skincare routine.