Acerola is a tree native to the West Indies. Also found in northern South America, Central America, Texas, and Florida, it is small shrub or tree that has 5-petaled flowers ranging from pink to white in color. The fruit of the Acerola tree is bright red and cherry-like containing several small seeds. When ripe, the fruits are soft and pleasant tasting, containing about 80 percent juice.

Acerola also known as Barbados cherry or West Indian cherry, belongs to Malpighiaceae family. The fruit is known to be one of the richest natural sources of ascorbic acid in the world.

Apart from containing an exorbitant amount of ascorbic acid the fruit also contains several phytonutrients like carotenoids, phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanins and possesses numerous bifunctional properties.

Ascorbic Acid: Ascorbic acid is one of the most important water-soluble vitamins, essential for collagen, carnitine and neurotransmitters biosynthesis. Most animals and plants can synthesize ascorbic acid, but humans are unable to synthesize it due to non-functional enzyme L-gulono-1,4-lactone oxidase, which catalyzes the final step in the ascorbic acid biosynthesis in animals. Therefore humans require it as an essential supplement in their diet. Acerola is a natural source of vitamin C, whose content of ranges from 1000 to 4500 mg/100 g, which is around 50-100 times that of orange or lemon.

Acerola Benefits: The Acerola fruit were traditionally used to treat dysentery, diarrhea, and liver disorders. They are considered to be excellent source of vitamin C, exceeding the vitamin C concentration of oranges. They are also a good source of other nutrients including B vitamins, calcium, iron, bioflavonoids, phosphorus, malic acid, potassium, and magnesium. For these reasons, acerola is widely used as a natural health supplement. 

Most of the skin benefits associated with acerola come from its high vitamin C concentration. These include:

- Antioxidant action to protect against free radical damage that can accelerate skin aging

- Ability to even skin tone and brighten skin

- Boosting production of collagen and elastin

- Increasing the ability of skin to retain moisture

As well, acerola contains mineral salt, which has shown to aid in the remineralization of tired and stressed skin. It is demonstrated benefit in increasing the hydration of skin.