17 Incredible Benefits of Garlic for Skin, Hair and Health

17 Incredible Benefits of Garlic for Skin, Hair and Health – Garlic is a very popular herb that we use for cooking. Not only enhancing the taste of the food, but it comes with astonishing health benefits. Here is a post dedicated to all the amazing benefits of garlic for our health and beauty as well. Greek physician Hippocrates, known as the ‘Father of Western Medicine’ was a firm believer in garlic’s healing power and used to prescribe garlic to treat various medical conditions. The health benefits of garlic can be attributed to the allicin, a very powerful component which can fight off a number of health ailments, starting from common cough and cold to heart diseases as well as Alzheimer’s disease. And there’s many more! Read all the Benefits of Garlic for Skin, Hair and Health below.
Check – 15 Wonderful Benefits of Cinnamon for Skin, Hair and Health

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Before starting with the wonderful Benefits of Garlic for Skin, Hair and Health, lets check out few facts about garlic below.

What is Garlic?

Garlic is the edible bulb part of the lily plant which belongs to the ‘Allium’ family, which also includes onion, leeks, shallots, chieves etc. Scientifically known as Allium sativum, garlic is a strong, pungent smelling herb and known as a food flavoring agent. It is also popular for its medicinal properties. Garlic contains numerous cloves, which are covered in a thicker paper like layer. The outermost cloves are larger in size and the ones near the center are comparatively smaller.

Records suggest, Sir Louise Pasteur, the scientist who discovered pasteurization, had utilized the anti bacterial benefits of garlic all the way back in 1858. The use of garlic was documented in Indian and Egyptian cultures about 5000 years ago, in Chinese culture 4000 years ago and in Babylonian culture about 4500 years ago. Thought to have originated in Central Asia, today, China is the leading producer of garlic and about 66% of the world’s total production comes from China. In India, Gujarat, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are the garlic producing regions.

Garlic can be found in different varieties, such as softneck garlic, hardneck garlic, silverskin garlic, artichoke garlic etc. Softneck garlic is the most common type of garlic that we get in the market. It is creamy white in color and has papery skin and soft stalk. Hardneck garlic is famous for its purple colored outer layer, and it has hard, woody stem. Silverskin garlic has pinkish outer skin and strong flavor, whereas, artichoke garlic has milder flavor.

Nutritional Facts about Garlic

Energy – 149 Kcal – 7.5% RDA
Carbohydrates – 33.06 g – 25% RDA
Protein – 6.36 g -11%
Total Fat – 0.5 g – 2%
Cholesterol – 0 mg – 0%
Dietary Fiber – 2.1 g – 5.5%

Vitamins

  • Folates – 3 µg – 1%
  • Niacin – 0.700 mg – 4%
  • Pantothenic acid – 0.596 mg – 12%
  • Pyridoxine – 1.235 mg – 95%
  • Riboflavin – 0.110 mg – 8%
  • Vitamin A – 9 IU – <1%
  • Vitamin C – 31.2 mg – 52%
  • Thiamine – 0.200 mg – 17%
  • Vitamin E – 0.08 mg – 0.5%
  • Vitamin K – 1.7 µg – 1.5%

Electrolytes

  • Sodium – 153 mg – 10%
  • Potassium – 401 mg – 8.5%

Minerals

  • Calcium – 181 mg – 18 %
  • Copper – 0.299 mg – 33%
  • Iron – 1.70 mg – 21%
  • Magnesium – 25 mg – 6%
  • Manganese – 1.672 mg – 73%
  • Phosphorus – 153 mg – 22%
  • Selenium – 14.2 µg – 26%
  • Zinc – 1.160 mg – 10.5%

Phyto-nutrients

  • Carotene-ß – 5 µg
  • Crypto-xanthin-ß – 0 µg
  • Lutein-zeaxanthin – 16 µg

Garlic in Different Languages

  • Lasoon in Hindi
  • Lasan in Gujarati
  • Lassan in Punjabi
  • Lasoon in Marathi
  • Rasoon in Bengali
  • Poondu in Tamil
  • Bellulli in Kannada
  • Vellulli in Telugu
  • Veluthulli in Malayalam

These were few facts about garlic. Now we are going to discuss about all the incredible Benefits of Garlic for our health and beauty.

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Benefits of Garlic for Skin

Let us first share the amazing Benefits of Garlic for skin.

1. Anti Acne Benefits of Garlic

Garlic works wonderfully to get rid of acne. Garlic has powerful antibiotic properties which prevent bacterial growth in the pores and stop acne formation. It contains anti bacterial properties, which help in disinfecting the pores and drying out the acne. The anti inflammatory benefits of garlic help to reduce inflammation caused by acne. Furthermore its anti oxidant properties play a major role in reducing acne scars and keeping the skin overall healthy. Garlic is particularly very beneficial in treating cystic acne.

How to use garlic to treat acne?

  • Crush a small clove of garlic and apply it directly on the acne. Keep it on for 10-15 minutes. Wash off with fresh water. Repeat every alternate day.
  • Crush few fresh garlic cloves and extract the juice. Mix garlic juice and apple cider vinegar in 1:1 ratio. Apply that on the acne affected skin with the help of a cotton ball. Leave it on the skin for 15-20 minutes. Wash off and repeat regularly.
  • Alternatively, Extract the juice from 3-5 crushed garlic cloves. Mix garlic juice with two tsp fresh aloe vera gel. Apply that on the acne affected parts with your fingertips and gently massage. Allow it to sit on the skin for 15 minutes. Wash off with plain water and repeat this anti acne treatment daily.

2. Anti Aging Benefits of Garlic

Garlic has been found to come with amazing anti aging properties. It has powerful anti oxidants and anti inflammatory properties, which work together to fight off the free radicals and thereby, reducing oxidative stress on the skin cells. Thus garlic prevents premature aging of our skin cells. Also, garlic is a rich source of vitamins such as, vitamin A, B, C and minerals like, selenium, iodine, iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, etc that are essential for keeping the skin youthful for a long time. In addition to this, garlic contains sulfur, which is very important to boost collagen production. Collagen is a vital protein, which is required to maintain the health and natural elasticity of our skin.

How to use garlic for anti aging?

  • Crush 2-3 fresh garlic cloves and add one tbsp each of raw honey and extra virgin olive oil. Mix together and transfer the mixture to an air tight container. Keep it in the fridge overnight. The next day, apply this face pack on the face and neck. Leave it on the skin for 15 minutes and wash off with fresh water. Repeat twice or thrice in a week.
  • In a blender, put few slices of a ripe banana and few garlic cloves. Blend together and apply the mixture on the face and neck. Keep it on the skin for 30 minutes and wash off with luke warm water. Repeat regularly.
  • Grate one cucumber and also crush few garlic cloves. Mix both of them together and apply the mixture on the face and neck. Leave it on the skin for 15-20 minutes and use luke warm water to rinse off. Repeat twice in a week.

3. Removes Stretch Marks

Next comes this one on our list of best benefits of garlic for skin. Garlic contains two very important compounds known as allicin and sulfur. Both these compounds can boost collagen synthesis in the skin and restore the elasticity of our skin. Thus garlic helps in removing existing stretch marks as well as prevent future occurrence.

How to use garlic to remove stretch marks?

Heat some mustard oil in a bowl and add 2-3 garlic cloves to that. When you get the smell of garlic, remove the oil from heat and wait till it cools down a little. Massage the stretch marks affected skin with the oil while it is still warm. Repeat regularly.

4. Treats Psoriasis and Eczema

Both eczema and psoriasis are skin conditions, where the skin gets dry, itchy, scaly and inflamed. They are not easily curable but the anti inflammatory benefits of garlic help to reduce the symptoms of these diseases. Both the diseases are caused due to the inflammation triggered by an allergic reaction. The strong anti inflammatory benefits of garlic help to treat the inflammation and gives relief from psoriasis and eczema.

How to use garlic to treat psoriasis and eczema?

Consuming 1-2 raw garlic cloves every day has been found to give relief from the symptoms of psoriasis and eczema.

5. Gives Relief from Athlete’s Foot

One of the main benefits of garlic is that it can give relief from athlete’s foot. Athlete’s foot is actually caused by fungal infection. Garlic comes with strong anti fungal properties, which is why, it works very effectively in treating athlete’s foot.

How to use garlic to treat athlete’s foot?

  • Take warm water in a large bowl and add few crushed garlic cloves to that. Use this water as your foot soak. Dip your feet in the water for 30-40 minutes regularly to get relief from athlete’s foot.
  • Consuming two garlic cloves with leek juice in the morning has been found to be effective in treating athlete’s foot.

6. Aids in Faster Nail Growth

This is one of the major beauty benefits of garlic. Often nail fungus can prevent nail growth and also cause discoloration of the nails. Garlic comes very handy to treat such conditions. The anti bacterial and anti fungal qualities of garlic help to treat nail fungus effectively and allow the nails to grow longer and stronger. Garlic is a rich source of sulfur which is essential for healthy nail growth due to its ability to strengthen brittle nails. Furthermore, garlic is also beneficial to get rid of the yellowness of nails.

How to use garlic for nail care?

  • Cut one garlic clove in half and rub one half of the clove on the nails for few seconds. Wait until the garlic juice gets absorbed by the nails and then wash off with plain water.
  • Alternatively blend few garlic cloves and make a paste. Apply the garlic paste directly on the nails and massage for couple of minutes. Keep it on for 3-5 minutes and wash off. Repeat regularly for faster nail growth.

7. Helps to Remove Moles

Normally, build up of melanocytes cells in a particular part of the skin is the main reason behind mole formation. Moles are common skin growth and don’t cause any harm to our health. But sometimes, they can affect our looks for their appearance in certain parts of our body. And we wish to remove them. Garlic is a very effective remedy to remove moles naturally. It contains certain enzymes that can break down the accumulation of melanocytes cells and thus, help in mole removal. The skin lightening properties of garlic also play a majorrole in mole removal.

How to use garlic to remove moles?

  • Mix a pinch of garlic powder and castor oil to prepare a thick paste. Apply the paste on the moles and let it sit on the skin for few hours or overnight. Remove the paste with plain water and repeat twice in a day.
  • Alternatively, crush few fresh garlic cloves and apply the crushed garlic on the moles. Wrap the area with a bandage and keep it like this for at least 4-6 hours. Remove the bandage and wash the area with plain water. Repeat daily.

Benefits of Garlic for Hair

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8. Treats Hair Loss and Promotes Hair Growth

Hair loss is a major problem and not too many products seem to work well to stop the problem. However, natural remedies like garlic has the ability to arrest hair fall and boost hair growth. This garlic benefits can be attributed to the presence of allicin. This compound has anti oxidant and anti bacterial benefits, which work effectively to reduce hair loss. Garlic also has selenium and vitamin E in it, which are essential nutrients to stop hair loss. Garlic is very beneficial in promoting hair growth as well. The anti bacterial and anti fungal benefits of garlic help in maintaining healthy scalp and boost hair growth. Garlic is a rich source of copper and copper is essential to boost hair growth. It helps in removing the toxins from our scalp. The sulfur present in garlic helps in boosting blood circulation in the scalp and leads to healthier hair growth.

How to use garlic to treat hair loss and promote hair growth?

  • Crush couple of fresh garlic cloves and add them to 2-3 tbsp of castor oil. Keep it aside for 3-4 days. After that separate the oil and apply it on the scalp and hair. Massage for 5-10 minutes and then keep it on for another couple of hours. Remove it all with a shampoo. Repeat twice in a week.
  • Add 6-7 crushed garlic cloves to some olive oil and bring it to boil. Let it boil for some time and then remove from heat. Once it reaches room temperature, apply the oil on the scalp and hair. Massage and let it sit for an hour. Use a mild shampoo to remove. Repeat twice in a week.

9. Fights Off Dandruff

One of the most important hair benefits of garlic is its ability to fight off dandruff. The anti fungal qualities of garlic can be attributed to for this. Garlic is a rich source of sullfur and allicin, both of which work wonderfully to keep the scalp clean and healthy, thus, preventing dandruff. Furthermore, garlic contains a high amount of nutrients in it, such as vitamin A, B, C, calcium, phosphorous, zinc, etc which are essential for scalp health.

How to use garlic to cure dandruff?

  • Make a paste by mixing two tbsp garlic powder to some lemon juice. Apply it on the scalp and massage gently. Let it sit on the scalp for 20-30 minutes and wash off with a mild shampoo. Repeat regularly.
  • Crush 5-6 garlic cloves in a bowl and keep it aside for 10 minutes. After that, add 6-7 tbsp raw honey to it and mix together. Apply the mask all over the scalp and keep it on for 10-15 minutes. Wash off with a mild shampoo and repeat once in a week.

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10. Treats Head Lice Effectively

Garlic is a very effective home remedy to treat head lice. The strong pungent smell of garlic actually suffocate the lice. Since lice cannot stand strong aroma, hence they cannot survive the smell of garlic.

How to use garlic to treat head lice?

  • Crush 8-10 garlic cloves to make a paste. Add 2-3 tsp of lime juice to the paste and apply this thoroughly on the scalp. Let it sit for 30-40 minutes, and remove with a mild shampoo and hot water.
  • Alternatively, make a thick paste by adding fresh garlic juice to some cooking oil, lemon juice, green tea, some shampoo and conditioner. Spread this mask all over the scalp and hair. Wear a shower cap and keep the mask on for 30 minutes. Wash off with a mild shampoo. Repeat once or twice in a week.

After talking about the garlic benefits for skin and hair, lets now find out how it is beneficial for our internal health.

Benefits of Garlic for Health

11. Lowers Blood Pressure

Garlic can effectively lower blood pressure level. Deficiency of sulfur is one of the main reasons behind high blood pressure, and human studies have confirmed that taking garlic supplements is very beneficial for those suffering from high blood pressure. Garlic extract contains a bio-active sulfur compound, known as S-allylcysteine, which has been found very effective in lowering blood pressure levels.

Consuming raw or dried garlic on regular basis is very helpful to combat high blood pressure.

12. Boosts Cardiovascular Health

Here comes another major benefits of garlic for our health. Garlic is very healthy for our heart. Studies have found that garlic has the capability to prevent almost all cardiovascular diseases. It can promote blood flow, reduce blood clotting as well as lower the level of bad cholesterol and lipid. Garlic extract can boost the anti oxidant activities in our body and help to keep us healthy.

How to use garlic to boost cardio vascular health?

Consuming 1-2 raw garlic cloves in the morning in empty stomach is very beneficial to avoid cardiovascular diseases.

13. Can Prevent Heavy Metal Poisoning

Heavy metal poisoning has become a serious threat to our health now-a-days. But the good news is that garlic, which is easily available all around the year, has the ability to prevent heavy metal poisoning. Heavy metals can have serious damaging affect on vital organs in our body, such as liver. The sulfur compound present in garlic can reduce the lead levels in the blood remarkably. Sulfur is also beneficial for better absorption of iron and zinc in our blood.

14. Improves Bone Health

Garlic is very beneficial in improving bone health. It can minimize the chances of osteoarthritis among women by increasing their estrogen levels. Researches have found that garlic contains an organo-sulfur compound known as diallyl disulfide, which has the ability to suppress the bone matrix degrading enzymes, and thus, it prevents bone loss.

How to use garlic for healthy bones?

Consumption of 2-3 raw garlic cloves in the morning in empty stomach can reduce the chances of arthritis and osteoporosis.

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15. Can Control Blood Sugar Levels

Excess amount of glucose in our blood can lead to diabetes which further cal lead to several health disorders. High blood sugar can also cause obesity. Garlic is a great natural treatment that can regulate the glucose level in the blood. According to studies, consuming raw garlic has shown impressive result in reducing blood glucose level.

How to use garlic to control blood sugar?

Consuming 3-4 raw garlic cloves on regular basis is beneficial to control blood sugar level.

16. Prevents Blood Clotting

Blood clotting has both good and bad effects for our health. One of the major health benefits of garlic is that it has the ability to prevent blood clotting, therefore, minimizing the negative effects of blood clotting. Blood clotting is important to prevent excess blood loss, but it can have negative impacts when blood clots detach and carried to vital organs by the blood stream. According to studies, consuming raw garlic everyday before breakfast has beneficial effect to prevent blood clotting.

17. Help in Preventing Cancer

Here comes one of the major health benefits of garlic. Garlic contains selenium which is known for its cancer fighting properties. Selenium can also stop the uncontrolled growth of cancerous cells. The anti oxidant qualities of garlic help in reducing oxidative stress to the body cells caused by free radicals. By reducing oxidative stress, garlic protect our body from numerous diseases, including cancer. A Chinese study has found that consuming garlic can reduce the chance of stomach cancer by 52%.

How to use garlic for cancer prevention?

Eating at least one raw garlic clove in the morning on daily basis is beneficial to prevent cancer.

These were some of the amazing benefits of garlic for our skin, hair and health. Did you like this article, tell us below in the comments 🙂

About Kiran Raj Singh

Kiran born and brought up in Mumbai is the founder of beautifulhamesha.com. She is a Management graduate and beauty lover by heart. Kiran’s passion for make-up and beauty products motivated her to start beauty website. She started JAM Infotech online Pvt Ltd in 2016. She is married and has a beautiful daughter, Anika. She loves shopping, buying new beauty products, applying make-up in her free time.

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