Ingredient Library
Grapefruit
Citrus paradisi
Grapefruit is a bright citrus rich in vitamin C and antioxidants that tone and refresh dull skin. Uplifting and clarifying, it suits dull or oily skin.
A natural history
Grapefruit is a surprisingly young fruit. It appeared by happy accident in Barbados in the eighteenth century, a natural cross between the sweet orange and the great pomelo, both carried to the West Indies from Asia. A local clergyman wrote of a curious new hybrid he called the forbidden fruit in 1750, and the grapefruit was born, bright, fragrant, and bracingly fresh.
Its name comes from the way it grows. Unlike most citrus, grapefruit hangs in heavy clusters on the branch, dangling like an oversized bunch of grapes, and the name simply stuck. Prized ever since for its vitamin C rich juice and its uplifting, zesty peel, grapefruit brings the same fresh, brightening character to skin care that it brings to the breakfast table.
What it does for your skin
Grapefruit is rich in vitamin C and antioxidant flavonoids, the compounds behind its fresh, brightening reputation. Laboratory study of grapefruit peel found it abundant in antioxidant flavonoids with real free radical scavenging activity.[1] Research on citrus confirms that vitamin C is a primary driver of the fruit's antioxidant strength, the nutrient so valued for a brighter, more radiant look.[2] In a formula it lends a fresh, antioxidant, brightening character to dull, tired skin. As with all citrus, it is thoughtfully formulated for use in sunlight.
References
[1] Castro-Vazquez L, et al. Bioactive flavonoids, antioxidant behaviour, and cytoprotective effects of dried grapefruit peels (Citrus paradisi Macf.). Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2016;2016:8915729. doi:10.1155/2016/8915729
[2] Zacarias-Garcia J, et al. Antioxidant capacity in fruit of citrus cultivars with marked differences in pulp coloration: contribution of carotenoids and vitamin C. Food Sci Technol Int. 2021;27(3):210-222. doi:10.1177/1082013220944018
Found in these formulas
Questions, answered
It is rich in vitamin C and antioxidant flavonoids, used to lend a fresh, brightening, defended look to dull or tired skin.
Citrus peel can make skin more sensitive to sunlight, so quality grapefruit ingredients are used at considered levels or in forms prepared to minimize that, and sun care is always wise.