Most of us are familiar with the saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Apples are widely recognized for their health benefits—when consumed, that is. They are an excellent source of fibre, promote gut health, and may even help lower the risk of diabetes and stroke.

But Can This Superfood Also Enhance Your Skin?

Whether it's a dedicated skincare routine, hair care habits, or the cosmetics you choose, beauty is highly personal. That’s why insights from diverse experts, including dermatologists and skincare specialists, help provide guidance on everything from product application techniques to selecting the best sheet mask for specific skin types. We only recommend products we truly trust, so if you come across a link to a particular brand, rest assured it has been thoroughly researched by our team.

Benefits Of Apples For Your Skin

Why is apple gaining popularity in skincare?

Several potential benefits come from applying apple-based products to the skin, including:

• Supporting healthy ageing
• Brightening the complexion
• Acting as a natural exfoliant
• Potentially reducing acne
• Hydrating the skin
• Prevents Premature Skin Aging
• Many skincare brands now use apple extract in their formulations.

As per dermatologists, highlight that apple extract contains phenolic acids and flavonoids, two essential components commonly found in fruits. A 2019 study emphasized the role of phenolic acids in a balanced diet, attributing their powerful antioxidant properties to various health benefits. Additionally, a 2016 review noted that flavonoids possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, and anticarcinogenic properties.

Many anti-ageing skincare products also feature these compounds. As a 2019 study demonstrated, both phenolic acids and flavonoids help shield the skin from pollution-related damage. Apple fruit extract is a valuable skincare ingredient due to its rich composition of phytochemicals. Flavonoids act as antioxidants, protecting the skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure, pollution, and environmental stressors.

• Apple fruit extract contains flavonoids such as:
• Catechins
• Flavanols
• Quercetin
• May Give a Dewy Glow

Some believe that applying apple cider vinegar to the skin can improve dullness. Apple cider vinegar, derived from apples, contains acetic acid and citric acid.

A 2021 study found that acetic acid has antioxidant properties that protect the skin from infections. However, improper usage can cause skin irritation.

Citric acid, an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), acts as an exfoliant. A 2018 study suggested that citric acid can help remove dull outer layers of skin, revealing a fresher, more radiant complexion.

Joyce Carslaw, founder of SmartAss Beauty, explains, “Unlike physical exfoliants with scrubbing particles, apple fruit water gently exfoliates dead skin without breaking the proteins that hold skin cells together.”

May Help Reduce Acne

Apples may also aid in acne management.

A 2018 study indicated that citric acid in apple cider vinegar can help reduce acne-related inflammation. However, excessive use may harm the skin barrier. Apple fruit extract (Pyrus malus) is an excellent addition to skincare formulations. It contains vitamins A and C, as well as zinc—compounds known to support clear, healthy skin.

Keeps Skin Hydrated

Apples are rich in vitamin E, a crucial nutrient for skin hydration. Older studies from 1998 and 2006 revealed that apple has water-binding properties that help maintain skin moisture and nourishment.

How to Incorporate Apple into Your Skincare Routine

Apple extract and apple cider vinegar are featured in various skincare products targeting specific concerns, including moisturizers, toners, peels, and masks.

For Acne

The Inkey List Apple Cider Vinegar Acid Peel is a 10-minute exfoliating treatment containing 2% apple cider vinegar. Acetic acid helps combat bacteria and reduce acne, while glycolic acid encourages skin cell turnover.

The Advanced Clinicals Glycolic Acid Toner offers a budget-friendly alternative with similar ingredients. Formulated with apple extract, glycolic acid, and vitamin E, it is known to tighten pores, reduce acne, and enhance skin radiance.

For Dull Skin

The Sand & Sky Australian Emu Apple Glowing Skin Kit features the Super Bounce Mask and Dreamy Glow Drops, both popular for revitalizing lackluster skin.

Juice Beauty has also gained attention for its organic skincare products that harness green apple extract’s antioxidant power. Their Green Apple Peel Full Strength Exfoliating Mask provides a spa-grade exfoliation experience.

For Dry Skin

Juice Beauty’s Green Apple Age Defy Moisturizer is a fan favorite, formulated with alpha lipoic acid, CoQ10, and vitamin C to help retain moisture and protect the skin.

MAC Cosmetics, known for its makeup, also offers skincare products. The MAC Cosmetics Strobe Cream is an illuminating moisturizer with apple extract to promote a dewy, hydrated complexion.

Using Apples in DIY Skincare

Expert dermatologists widely acknowledge the skincare benefits of apples and apple fruit extract when properly formulated.”

Shafer suggests applying apple slices directly to the face for a quick hydration boost. The vitamin E in apples helps keep the skin soft and hydrated, while the juice firms up the skin and maintains its natural pH balance.

For acne-prone skin, try mashed apple mixed with heavy cream or coconut milk. Mashed apple combined with milk cream soothes acne. Regular application can help fade dark spots and prevent future breakouts.

Being overweight means tackling health issues like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart diseases. However, gaining weight in certain stages of life is worse. While childhood obesity must be avoided, healthy weight gain is necessary for children’s growth, it is also not a big concern as kids who lead a generally active lifestyle.

So, are there certain ages when weight gain should be avoided or paid more attention to?

Science says yes. A recent study, showcased in the 32nd European Congress on Obesity in Malaga, found that putting on extra weight before you turn 30 could almost double your chances of dying early. Researchers looked at the health information of 620,000 adults and saw that most people gained about one pound each year between ages 17 and 60. However, becoming very overweight in your 20s had much worse health effects than gaining weight later in life.

How Gaining Weight In 20s Could Be A Health Issue

The study showed that men who became obese before they were 30 had a 79% higher chance of dying early compared to those who stayed at a healthy weight. For women who became obese before 30, this risk was even higher, at 84%. These findings are important because most people tend to gain weight when they are young adults. This often happens when people in their early 20s move out and start eating more fast food and easy, unhealthy meals.

Researchers explained that the most important takeaway from the study is that avoiding weight gain, especially when you're in your late teens and 20s, can really help your health in the long run. She said that gaining weight early in adulthood or becoming obese at a young age makes you more likely to die from many long-term illnesses later in life. The study followed men for an average of 23 years and women for an average of 12 years.

Why Young Adults Must Adopt Healthy Living

People who gained weight later in life also had a higher risk of dying early, but not as much as those who gained weight when they were young. Becoming obese between the ages of 45 and 60 increased the overall risk of early death by about one-fourth. If people became obese between 30 and 45, their risk increased by 52%. For those under 30, gaining just a little bit of weight each year (one pound) increased the risk of early death by 24% for men and 22% for women.

Experts said that the years between 17 and 30 are a very important time in life when building healthy habits can have long-lasting good effects. Experts say that even gaining a small amount of weight in your 20s can greatly increase your risk of dying early if it stays with you for many years. They emphasized that the earlier people start living healthily, the better their chances of living a long life.

Ibrahim Ali Khan recently opened up about his struggle with speech impediment since childhood due to severe jaundice. In a recent interview with GQ magazine, the 24-year-old actor said he had difficulty with speech since childhood and had to work "hard" on it.

Talking to GQ magazine, he said, "Soon after I was born, I had very bad jaundice, and that went straight to my brainstem. I went on to lose quite a bit of my hearing, and that impacted my speech."

He shared that he has worked a lot over the years to improve his speech and in fact, continues to do so. "My speech is something that I had to work hard on since I was a child, with coaches and therapists. It is not perfect; I am still working hard on it."

How Does Jaundice Impact One's Speaking And Hearing Abilities?

As per a 2018 study titled Risk Factors for Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia, published in the Iranian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology, hyperbilirubinemia is a common neonatal problem with toxic effects on the nervous system that can cause hearing impairment.

What Is hyperbilirubinemia?

As per the National Library of Medicine, jaundice is also known as hyperbilirubinemia. It is defined as a yellow discoloration of the body tissue resulting from the accumulation of excess bilirubin.

Deposition of bilirubin happens only when there is an excess of bilirubin, and this indicates increased production or impaired excretion. The normal serum levels of bilirubin are less than 1 milligram per deciliter (mg/dL). However, the clinical presentation of jaundice with peripheral yellowing of the eye sclera, also called scleral icterus, is best appreciated when serum bilirubin levels exceed 3 mg/dl.

As per the Nationwide Children's Hospital, jaundice is a very common condition in newborn babies and appears in the first few days or weeks of life. Most causes of jaundice are not caused by any disease or concerning problem and clear up quickly without any treatment.

As per a 2016 study titled Audiologic impairment associated with bilirubin-induced neurologic damage, bilirubin-induced neurologic damage may occur in some infants. The auditory pathway is the most sensitive part of the central nervous system to bilirubin-induced toxicity, and permanent sequelae may result from only moderately elevated total serum/plasma bilirubin levels. The damage to the auditory system occurs primarily within the brainstem and cranial nerve VIII, and manifests clinically as auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder.

As per these studies high levels of bilirubin damage various parts of the auditory system, which also include the auditory brainstem nuclei, auditory nerve, and spiral ganglion. It leads to hearing loss and other auditory issues, which can in fact be permanent.

When the auditory nerves get damaged, the inner ear causes issues processing the sound, and it can thus translate into language difficulty. Severe jaundice and kernicterus can also cause other neurological problems, such as brain damage, cerebral palsy and developmental delays.

Ever since the Trump administration has come in power, a lot has changed in the United States' health sector. Until recently, amid a lot of statements, including trying to find a link between vaccine and autism, banning fluoride from water, and more, the 47th US President Donald Trump also spoke on childhood cancer rates. He said that it was a priority of his administration to tackle this issue.

What Did He Say?

He said, "Since 1975, rates of child cancer have increased by more than 40%. Reversing this trend is one of the top priorities for our new presidential commission to Make America Healthy Again, chaired by our new secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F Kennedy Jr."

He also highlighted a 13-year-old brain cancer survivor, whom he also invited as a special guest to attend his address.

How True Is This Claim?

The claim of 40% increase in childhood cancer has not found any ground, however data does show that the rates have increased in the past decades.

As per the National Cancer Institute, in 2025, an estimated 2,041,910 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States with 618,120 people dying from the same. The rate of new cases of cancer is 445.8 per 100,000 in men and women per year, based on 2018-2022 data.

The cancer mortality rate is at 145.4 per 100,000 in men and women per year, based on 2018-2022 data.

The data also states that an approximately 38.9% of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetimes.

What Do Experts Say?

According to a pediatric oncologist who spoke to ABC News, there is an important context that is missing in that statement. The pediatric mentioned that there were effects of advances in early detection and possible environmental factors.

As per Dr Prensner, an assistant professor of pediatrics and of biological chemistry in the department of cancer biology at the University of Michigan School of Medicine, the rates have gone up because the diagnoses have also gone up.

What The Data Shows?

As per a study published in journal PLOS One, which was conducted by researchers in the US, Germany, and Jordan, it was found that childhood cancer rates in America have increased by 33% since 1975. The study also found that incidences of childhood cancer surged from 14.23 cases per 100,000 children between 1975 and 1979 to about 18.89 cases per 100,000 children between 2010 and 2019.

The increase rate was specifically found in leukemias, lymphomas, brain tumors, hepatic tumors, and gonadal germ cell tumors.

Another report by the US Environmental Protection Agency found that over the last 40 years, the number of children who were diagnosed with leukemia has also increased by 35%.

Prensner says that this is because there is now better detection, all thanks to early screening of cancer. There are also improvement in medical tests and are now commonly used, which had not been the case some 50 years ago.

Talking to ABC News, he said, "These include dramatic, dramatic improvements in the ways that we can image patients with CAT scans and MRI scans. This includes improvements in the way that we monitor and screen certain patients. We have much more information now about patients who may have what's called a cancer syndrome, meaning they are at a higher risk to develop cancer."

He said that such patients are monitored actively so early diagnoses can detect cancer before they are able to spread.