Youâll love this youth-boosting smoothie recipe, inspired by Egyptian beauty icon Cleopatra herself! {NAME}, I have a confession to make: Iâm somewhat of a history nerd. So when I saw the big news headline about Ancient Egypt â I got really excited⦠Because if you havenât heard, archaeologists think weâre closer than ever to finding Cleopatraâs 2,000+ year old tomb.1 In fact, this search led to an amazing discovery: A 4,300-foot-long tunnel built more than 40 feet underneath an ancient city2⦠And archaeologists believe Cleopatraâs remains could be somewhere inside. A photo of the mysterious underground tunnel that could lead to Cleopatraâs tomb. Pretty amazing, huh? Now, I donât know what the future holds in the quest to find Cleopatra⦠But I do know she left behind quite a legacy in the skincare world. See, Cleopatra has long been regarded as one of the worldâs most beautiful women. (You might remember Elizabeth Taylorâs famous portrayal of her in the movie Cleopatra.) And while we arenât exactly sure what the Egyptian queen looked like⦠Historians know she had a real love for skincare and beauty practices. In fact, she may have even written a book on dermatology.3 So today, Iâm sharing one of my favorite DIY skincare recipes â inspired by the beauty icon herself. And I call the star ingredient: âCleopatraâs secret weapon.â If youâve ever had a painful sunburn, youâve probably used aloe vera gel to soothe your skin. But did you know early Egyptians used aloe vera in their skincare routines for thousands of years? (They even called it "The Plant of Immortality."4) So itâs no surprise Cleopatra reportedly loved using aloe to keep her skin soft and firm⦠And it turns out â she was onto something! A 2015 study found women who consumed aloe vera every day saw a significant decrease in wrinklesâ¦5 All because aloe contains an important molecule called sterols. I know that sounds like a weird science-y term, but hereâs all you need to know⦠Aloe sterols have 2 amazing benefits for women over 40: - They promote your bodyâs production of collagen. This is a HUGE deal, because collagen is the protein that keeps skin looking young and smooth. Our bodies naturally produce collagen, but as we age, that production slows â leaving the skin wrinkled and loose. - Aloe sterols also stimulate hyaluronic acid production. Hyaluronic acid has one main function in our skin: to retain moisture â giving skin its soft, supple, âfilled-outâ look. But like collagen, our bodies produce less and less of this component over time. So boosting your skinâs levels of hyaluronic acid does wonders to visibly smooth wrinkles.6 Now, while you could get these benefits by eating aloe vera⦠Iâm not a big fan of the taste. (And I'd never tell you to try something I don't enjoy myself.) So instead, I like to grind aloe up in a delicious smoothie! Youth-boosting Aloe Smoothie Here are the ingredients I use:
- 2 cups coconut water
- ½ cup frozen strawberries
- 1 frozen banana
- 2 tbsp aloe vera gel (make sure youâre using the edible kind â the aloe gel you use for burns isnât meant to be eaten.)
- 1 tbsp honey
- Optional: Ice (for a more frosty consistency) *You can also use a powdered version of aloe vera instead of the gel. Look for it online!* Simply combine all the ingredients into a blender, and blend until the consistency is smooth and creamy. I recommend you drink this smoothie right after youâre done blending â I find theyâre always best when fresh. And there you have it â a smoothie fit for a queen! Aside from all the love this recipe will give your skin⦠This classic strawberry-banana combination is simply delicious. (Actually, just writing this recipe down is making me crave one BIG TIME!) As you sip on all those anti-aging goodies, maybe take a peek at the latest news about Cleopatra. I bet youâll find it as fascinating as I do. :) Your Beverly Hills MD, Dr. John Layke //links.beverlyhills-md.com/a/141/click/9880417/742234759/_f6aefd14dbab967270a4db976d0f2967892d5235/6c1f88dfb8d9da8f6ae4d3ad8fff10ca66583f78 Sources: 1. Sharma, A. (2022, November 20). Archaeologists Discover "Geometric Miracle" While Searching For Cleopatra's Tomb. Retrieved December 02, 2022, from 2. Edwards, C. (2022, November 10). Tunnel discovered beneath Egyptian temple may lead to Cleopatra's tomb, archaeologist says. Retrieved from 3. LJ;, B. (n.d.). Cleopatra, queen of dermatology. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from 4. Long, V. (2016). Aloe vera in dermatologyâthe plant of immortality. JAMA Dermatology, 152(12), 1364. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2016.0077 5. Tanaka, M., Misawa, E., Yamauchi, K., Abe, F., & Ishizaki, C. (2015). Effects of plant sterols derived from aloe vera gel on human dermal fibroblasts in vitro and on skin condition in Japanese women. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 95. doi:10.2147/ccid.s75441 6. Julson, E. (2022, November 28). 7 surprising benefits of hyaluronic acid. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from  Â
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