Homemade facials have been a standby for organic-obsessed beauties for years, and this week, the New York Times declared veggie-based skincare back in.

They aren't just talking about rare super foods from the rainforest, either. They mean the stuff you can pick up at your neighborhood grocery store.

Foods we already know are good for us, like spinach, chili pepper and mushrooms, are being loaded into beauty products more and more. They're cheap for companies to research and produce, and consumers trust veggies they've been eating all their lives. (One example of the trend: between 2007 and 2008, the number of spinach-based skincare products jumped from 2 to 10.)

After years of chemical complexes and lab-produced wonder compounds, it's not surprising that people are looking for something they recognize in the list of ingredients on their face cream or wash.

The only downside? Just because carrots are good for you when you munch them doesn't necessarily mean they'll work wonders externally. (Many doctors are skeptical about the ability of antioxidants from foods to be absorbed into the skin.)

And be careful: if you're allergic to apples, that goes for face products, too. There's nothing pretty or healthy about an itchy, swollen face.