A natural beauty product made from apples has been developed by scientists, who have claimed it has anti-ageing properties.

The fruit is native to Switzerland and comes from a rare species of tree known as the Uttwiler Spatlauber. It began to attract attention after it was noticed that its apples could be kept for months on end without withering, the Daily Mail reported.

Consequently, scientists at the country's Mibelle Biochemistry lab looked into whether a natural beauty product could be created from the crop which could help the skin to stay looking younger for longer.

Dr Daniel Schmid, research director at the Swiss facility, claimed studies into the properties of the apple illustrate that it has the ability to improve the "characteristics of epidermal stem cells".

He added: "The extract offers a promise of real skin rejuvenation."

Natural beauty products containing the apple may help the skin tone, but they will also leave a nasty hole in finances.

One natural skincare product which contains apples but does not carry the same hefty price tag is Evolve Daily Apple Hair and Body Wash, which may not claim to reverse the ageing process but is designed to leave users with a soft complexion.