by Rose Smith, (c) 2005
Don't you just hate it how one part of your face is oily and
shiny, while another is dry and flakey? It seems almost
impossible to be able to clean both zones equally. Soap just
makes the dry areas drier and lotions make the oily areas even
greasier. So what's a woman to do?
The problem may lie in the facial cleansing products that you
are using. While they may work well for your T-zone, the
chemicals in the product may actually be removing too much of
the natural oils from the rest of your face. That's the evil of
manufactured skin care products. Anyway you look at it, it's
practically impossible to buy a completely natural skin care
product made from pure organic ingredients. They have to add
some chemicals in order to stabilize and preserve the product
for a certain shelf life.
The good news is... the solution to your problem may lie right
in your own kitchen cabinets.
Homemade natural skin care products don't contain any additional
chemical ingredients that could potentially irritate or harm
your skin. The only prospective problem may lie in people who
are allergic to certain food ingredients. This is easily
overcome by substituting the offending food or ingredient with
another similar ingredient. For example, if you are allergic to
strawberries you could substitute a cucumber instead.
Not only do homemade skin care products cost a lot less to
make, you can easily experiment with what works best for you
without breaking the bank. Let's face it, some of the products
on the market cost a small fortune! I know it frustrates me to
buy a product for $20 and find out it either doesn't work or I
can't use it because it makes me break out. It's much easier to
head off to the kitchen, mix up a small sample batch of
something and give it a try.
You will find that some recipes have to be mix up just prior to
use as they don't store well, but the majority of recipes can be
stored in the refrigerator for up to a week allowing you to mix
up a small batch to save yourself some time. The following
recipes are great for people with combination/oily skin that
tend to break out with acne and blackheads. Why not give these a
try and see how they work for you?
Facial Cleanser For Normal to Oily Skin
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp glycerin
1/2 cup distilled water
Mix the ingredients together until smooth. Pour into a jar and
place the jar inside a double-boiler pot (do not use direct heat
on the jar). Bring the water in the outer pot to a boil and heat
the mixture until it is clear and has thickened. (If it thickens
too much, add a bit more water). Remove from heat and let cool.
This is a good all-over facial cleanser and should keep for 7 to
10 days.
Green Tea Skin Toner
1 teabag of green tea
1/2 cup boiling water
Let the tea bag steep for 2 to 3 minutes in the hot water.
Remove the tea bag and let the water cool. Pour into an empty
toner bottle or something similar with a small opening. Use with
cotton pads like you would regular toner. If you wish to, you
could also add a 3 or 4 drops of tea tree essential oil. Tea
tree oil is a great antiseptic for pimples, while the oil helps
to moisturize the skin.
Facial Scrub (Good for blackheads)
1 part baking soda
1 part water
Mix together into a paste. Gently scrub blackheads for 2 to 3
minutes. Rinse off. Use once or twice a week.
Natural Scrub For Oily Skin
1 part sea salt
1 part lemon juice
Mix into a paste and gently scrub face for 1 to 2 minutes.
Rinse off. Interestingly, you would think this would be very
drying to your skin, but I've found it actually leaves your skin
feeling clean, refreshed, and soft. Use once a week to remove
dead skin cells.
Deep Cleansing Mask
1/2 of a peeled, pureed cucumber
1 tbsp plain, natural yogurt
Mix ingredients together and apply to the face (avoid eye area).
Let dry for 20 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. Use once or
twice a week to remove dead skin cells and refresh your skin.
As you can see, making up your own natural homemade skin care
recipes can be quite simple and convenient with the right
ingredients in the house. After all, if you have to run out to
buy some cleanser, toner, moisturizer, etc., why not just stock
up on what you need to make your own facial skin care products
instead? At least you'll know exactly what's contained in each
product. Just remember to throw away the old stuff after 7 days
and make a fresh batch for the following week. Your skin will
thank you for it.
About the author:
Rose Smith owns Total Beauty Tips, where you can learn to
rejuvenate and revitalize your skin with
body skin care tips
and solutions. We feature advice, products and information that
will help make your total body feel smooth, soft and fabulous.
Visit
http://www.totalbeautytips
.com.
