BENEFITS OF CINNAMON

The benefits of cinnamon in skin care are limited despite the existence of this spice for many hundreds of years. Its primary uses have been for cooking and as a general medicinal substance.

For health, cinnamon benefits often mentioned include its use as an appetite stimulant, treatment of gastrointestinal problems, relieving cold and flu symptoms, and treatment of urinary tract infections.

In terms of skin care, cinnamon is considered a mild astringent. Because of this individuals might react to the use of cinnamon or especially cinnamon oil on their skin. Cinnamon does stimulate and warm the skin and thus is used in massage products to help relax muscles. Cinnamon is often mixed with honey to create a paste. This paste is used to treat the itching and inflammation caused by various mild insect bites. The cinnamon and honey paste has been used as a pimple treatment and to treat minor skin infections. Cinnamon also is beneficial in skin care because of its anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.

In general, many of the health and skin cinnamon benefits that have been mentioned are not backed by thorough scientific or medical studies. Whether cinnamon actually provides these benefits is debatable although it does have the potential to provide some useful all natural health benefits and to a limited degree skin care benefits.