Grapefruit

Until the 19th century, grapefruit was grown purely as an ornamental fruit. Rarely eaten, it was known only for its looks — an interesting harbinger of its modern-day promise to improve ours.

A 2005 study by the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, in Chicago, showed that the scent of grapefruit on women made them seem an average of six years younger to men. Grapefruit’s main use in skin care, however, is as a citric acid. Like any alpha hydroxy acid, citric acid loosens the bonds between skin cells, allowing dead ones to fall away, revealing smoother, more radiant skin.

Find It In:

Fresh Pink Grapefruit Petite Soap, $12, www.fresh.com

Boots No 7 Radiance Revealed Exfoliator, $10, Target