Many factors can add rreversible skin damage to a woman’s face. Time, the daily pollutants from the environment, stress, along with the cosmetics she wears daily can all play a part in the way a woman’s face ages. A woman can prevent pre-mature aging caused by these pollutants by taking special care of her face with natural ingredients. There are five steps a woman should follow when properly cleaning her face: cleanse, steam, apply masks and/or peels, toners, and moisturizers. The use of natural ingredients and herbs do not only help prevent skin from aging, but because these are free of chemicals, a woman is not replacing one pollutant with another. Growing your own herbs and experimenting with them the way I do can guarantee your herbs are free of these chemicals. If you are not a gardener, be sure to purchase organic herbs from a health food store.
Cleansing the face means to rid the face of dirt, makeup, and oils. Some good herbs and food staples used for cleansing the skin are thyme, fennel seed, honey, tomatoes, lemon, and oatmeal. Rubbing a sliced tomato all over the face and letting it set for approximately five minutes will draw dirt and impurities from the skin. Thyme is an excellent astringent while oatmeal is a great exfoliator that removes dead surface cells. Combine two parts of thyme and two parts of ground fennel seed with one-half cup of boiling water and one-half lemon. Steep for 15 minutes, strain, and store in the refrigerator. These cleansers are usually applied with cotton balls.
Using steam on the face increases blood circulation, opens the pores, and deep cleanses the skin. Steams are done by putting a hand full of herbs in a bowl of near boiling water, leaning over the bowl with a towel over your head to contain the steam. Herbs used in steams can be relaxing or invigorating, depending on the type of herb you use. Lavender not only relaxes the skin, but normalizes the secretions of the oil glands within the skin, making it excellent of acne-prone skin. To reduce puffiness and redness, use bergamot. Essential oils or whole herbs can be used in steams.
Masks and peels replenish the skin with essential vitamins and minerals and can be made from items in your refrigerator or pantry. Egg whites make an excellent facial mask for skin tightening. Pineapple chunks, avocado, cucumbers, bananas, olive oil, and carrots are also great ingredients for masks and peels. In a blender mix one-half cup of pineapple juice with three tablespoons of olive oil. Apply to face for fifteen minutes and rinse. Olive oil is an excellent source of vitamin E, while pineapple had anti-inflammatory properties.
Toner, applied with cotton balls, tightens the skin and prepares it for moisturizing. Green tea, peppermint, rose petals, witch hazel, and cranberries are all good for use in toners. Two teaspoons of green tea and one-half cup of boiling water is all that is needed for a daily toner. For normal or dry skin use one peppermint tea bag, one cup of boiling water, one-fourth cup of witch hazel, and one tablespoon of lemon juice. Steep for 15 minutes, keep in the refrigerator, and apply daily.
The last step a woman needs to complete is the moisturizing. Moisturizing the skin will replenish the skin fluid and help protect it from further damage. Moisturizers are rubbed into the skin in a circular motion. Some good ingredients for moisturizers are cucumber, lemon juice, olive oil, rosewater, lanolin, and beeswax. A refreshing one is made with two small cucumber, peeled and halved, one cup of lanolin, one-fourth cup of almond oil, one-half cup of boiling water. In a blender mix the cucumber and boiling water, let it cool, and then strain mixture. Melt lanolin over low heat, remove and add almond oil slowly. Slowly stir two mixtures together. Place in a glass or plastic jar and keep in the refrigerator.
Some tips on cleaning your face.
1. When cleansing your face, be sure to do the neck area.
2. Always clean before you steam.
3. Be sure your hair is pulled back to be able to apply mixtures at hairline.
4. Steam your face at least once a week and be careful not to burn the skin.
5. When outside always use sunscreen.
Source: Secrets of the Spas by Catherine Bardey
