Apart from being used as a food source, potatoes have an important role to play in skincare as well. As pointed out earlier, they are rich in vitamin C which is vital for maintaining skin health. Thus, this starchy vegetable is beneficial for your skin in the following ways.

1. Removal of Dark Circles:

Potatoes are a natural under eye brightener and so, applying potato juice or potatoes directly on the affected area can banish dark eye rings.

• Peel and slice a raw potato into large pieces.
• Placing them in a cloth or handkerchief, stick them on your eyes for 15-20 minutes.
• Wash off with warm water.
• Doing this regularly will reduce your dark circles considerably.
• You can also apply potato juice under your eyes with a cotton ball to fade away dark circles.

2. Treatment of Wrinkles:

Potato is considered as an effective anti-aging beauty agent, particularly in warding off wrinkles.

• Regular application of potato juice imparts a healthy glow to your skin
• It also helps to soften your skin as well as keep wrinkles at bay.

3. Treatment of Dark Spots:

Potatoes are a natural way of fading away those dark spots.

• If you have black spots on your face, you can blend peeled potatoes in a blender
• Next, apply them to your face.
• Give a gentle massage
• Then do peeling for 5 minutes
• Once done, rinse off with clean water.

4. Removal of Facial Blemishes:

Facial blemishes adversely affect your appearance and potato juice is a great natural way to get rid of them.

• Use cold potato juice as a daily facial rinse
• This can help you get rid of your blemishes
• It will help reveal clear and perfect skin.

5. Treatment of Sunburns:

Potatoes are wonderful for treating sunburnt skin.

• All you need to do is place cold potato slices on the affected areas
• Alternatively, you can simply dab potato juice on the spot.
• This will give you a soothing and cooling sensation as well as diminish your suntan.

6. Skin Lightening:

Potatoes are a natural skin lightening agent.

• Apply a mask of grated raw potato on your face and rinse off with water after 30 minutes.
• Using this on a regular basis will make your face smooth, clean and bright as well as reduce facial swelling.
• You can also apply a mixture of lemon and potato juices to lighten your skin naturally.
• This acts as mild bleach for your skin and yields quick results.

7. Potato for Dry Skin:

If you have dry skin, potatoes will help give you that smooth skin feeling in minutes.

• Make a face mask by mixing a grated potato with half a teaspoon of curd.
• Apply it on your face for 20 minutes and then wash it off.
• This will act as an anti-aging mask to hydrate your skin from within
• It will also help to replenish moisture into dry skin to iron out fine lines effectively.

Besides being wonderful for your skin, potatoes used along with other ingredients can benefit your hair. Some of the ways in which potato can be beneficial for hair are the following:

12. Promotes Healthy Hair:

Potatoes are a great natural ingredient to help achieve healthy hair.

• Blend grated raw potato to make a smooth paste and squeeze water from it.
• Mix this water with one whole egg, 3 drops of lemon juice and curd (optional).
• Apply this on your hair from scalp to ends and wash off after 20 to 25 minutes
• Use your normal shampoo and warm water to get naturally healthy and shiny hair.
• This mask should be used once in 20 days for best results.

13. Treatment of Grey Hair:

Potato peelings can be used to restore grey hair.

• You can prepare your own hair tonic by boiling potato peelings in a pan in water that is just enough to cover them.
• Strain the water in a tumbler or a glass.
• Use this water to rinse your hair after shampooing it as usual.
• This will darken your hair back to its natural color.
• This should be followed religiously for every alternate hair wash to get best results.
• Alternatively, you can use normally boiled potato water if you are preparing any dish from potatoes.

14. Potato for Hair loss:

To combat hair loss, you can make a hair mask comprising of potato and honey.

• For this purpose, peel the potato and press out the juice.
• Mix 2 tablespoons of potato juice with 2 tablespoons of aloe vera and 1 tablespoon of honey.
• Apply this mixture on the roots and massage your scalp with it.
• Cover your hair with a shower cap and leave for 2 hours.
• Wash off with a mild shampoo.
• This mask should be applied twice a week for best results.

15. Beat Those Frequent Food Pangs:

Are you trying to lose weight or have frequent food pangs? Unlike what you are led to believe, potatoes are actually good for you. Potatoes are made of complex carbohydrates and nutrients. Rather than being harmful, a properly cooked new potato has only 26 calories in it making it a very good choice while you are on a diet.

Potatoes have a low Glycemic Index ranking which makes it filling for the stomach. As the complex carbohydrates in it break down much slower than sugar, biscuits etc it is much more filling. Having a potato for lunch will keep your stomach full and will keep those food cravings away. Also, it should be noted that the nutritional contents vary with the type of potato and the area of production. The way the potato is produced also comes into account, but nonetheless, it can be a good addition to your diet.

16. Get A Vitamin Boost:

Potatoes were eaten by 19th Century English and Spanish sailors to protect themselves from scurvy. Potatoes are rich in Vitamin C, a needed vitamin to boost immunity. A medium potato (150g) with the skin intact provides 27mg, almost half of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C. Potato benefits include a good amount of Vitamin B, and minerals such as potassium, magnesium phosphorus, zinc, and iron.

17. Good for The Digestive System:

Potatoes mostly contain carbohydrates and do not contain fat or proteins which make it a good choice for those who cannot digest hard foods. Be careful as too much intake of potatoes can lead to acidity.

18. For Cardiovascular Diseases:

Potatoes are a great source of carbohydrates, protein, calcium, niacin and Vitamins C and B-complex. These help to fight heart diseases and keep blood pressure at normal. Potatoes contain carotenoids, which play a key role in keeping you fit and healthy. It also contains Flavonoids which keep bad cholesterol levels low.

19. Great Source of Fibre:

Potatoes are great as they contain good amounts of fiber. Fiber helps in a healthy bowel movement and keeps your digestive system happy. If you suffer from a bad bowel movement, try eating cooked potatoes that are left to cool. This helps to increase the indigestible starch in the potato, helping in good bowel movements.

20. Keep Stress At Bay:

Potatoes have high amounts of Vitamin B6 helping in cellular repair. Adding it to your diet will result in greater cell renewal and will result in a good mood and less stress. Neurotransmitters, namely serotonin, and dopamine are made with Vitamin B6 which is needed for the regulation of moods.

Potatoes come in the category of the most delicious and filling vegetables that can match well with any ingredient. Not only is their skin edible, but also a great source of dietary fiber. Thus, they can be cooked with their skins to get the most nutrition value from this vegetable. Potatoes have high calories, but they are also quite a healthy vegetable.

• It is advisable to wash the potatoes just before cooking them.
• They should be scrubbed under cold running water and any deep eyes and bruises should be removed with a paring knife.
• If you are peeling them, you can do so with a vegetable peeler, removing only a thin layer of skin to retain the nutrients that lie just below the skin.
• Cleaned and cut potatoes should not be exposed to air to avoid any discoloration.
• If it is not possible to cook them immediately after cutting, they should be placed in a bowl of cold water to which you have added a little bit of lemon juice.
• This will prevent them from darkening as well as help maintain their shape during cooking.
• Moreover, they should not be cooked in iron or aluminum pots or cut with a carbon steel knife as they are sensitive to certain metals that may cause them to discolor.

Delicious Potato Dishes:

Potatoes can be cooked in numerous ways. Given below are some of the tips by which you can make several delicious potato dishes:

• New potatoes are delicious when boiled. They can be drizzled lightly with olive oil and then dusted with dill weed.

• Cooked potatoes can be pureed with roasted garlic and olive oil to make delicious garlic mashed potatoes and season with your favorite herbs.

• Potatoes can be paired with chunks of tuna fish and steamed green beans dressed in oil and vinegar to prepare the classic dish ‘Salad Nicoise’.

• Potatoes can also be baked to make a delicious dish. For this purpose, scrub the potatoes well and pierce their skins with a skewer or a fork to allow the steam to escape. To make their skin crisp, you can rub them lightly with oil or butter. Leave them dry if you want the tender skin. These should be placed in a pre-heated oven and baked for approximately one hour. Prick their skin to check their fluffiness.

• Potatoes can also be steamed by wrapping them in aluminum foil. Their texture is different from that of baked potatoes as they contain their own moisture.

• You can make a yummy dish combining mashed potatoes and butter. For this purpose, heat one tablespoon of butter for each potato until it melts and then adds milk or light cream that has been heated but not brought to a boil. Mix this liquid with each potato to make them smooth and fluffy. Make sure not to overbeat the mixture so that the potatoes remain soft and moist but firm enough to hold their shape.

You probably never did so much research about this very important vegetable that is a part of almost your daily life. Now that you know of its many health benefits, we are sure you will show it more love. Grab your favorite potato dish right now and start your way to good health!