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As a very young nurse, I had a patient who wanted everyone to save the watermelon rinds that the patients had on their trays for lunch.

When I collected a few leftover rinds, I took them into her room and gave them to her. What a surprise I had in store!

This was an older women in her 70s. She had the most beautiful, youthful skin for a woman of her age. She shared the secret to her youthful appearance: watermelon! Yes, she took the watermelon rinds and washed her face with them! She said she had been doing it since she was a young girl. It sounded crazy, but her beautiful face was all the convincing it took. Many years later, when my own wrinkles started to appear, I tried this skin treatment…and guess what? I’m a big fan.

The rind of a watermelon is packed with vitamins and minerals, and has natural collagen-enhancing properties such as citrulline, an amino acid that aids the skin’s healing and regenerative processes. Lycopene, which is also abundantly found in watermelon, helps protect skin from sun damage twice as effectively as beta-carotene. The juice from a watermelon also makes a great astringent and helps fight pimples. So the next time you see a watermelon, you may want to consider using a natural and cost-effective way to enjoy this wrinkle remover!

Watermelon Wash

1. Squeeze the juice from a slice of watermelon and grate the rind.
2. Apply to face for 15 minutes.
3. Wash with hot water, then splash with cold water.