Health Tip of the Week: Home Made Facials

As a follow up to my many make up posts here are some healthy, chemical free alternative for facials!

Homemade Facial Scrub Instead of Soap

This is for the lady who wanted a homemade facial mask. First, clean your face with water only. Never use soap. You can open your pores with hot compresses (washcloth) for a facial scrub, moisten oatmeal to a “goo", use it to scrub your face (not around your eyes). Wash off with cool water. You may also make a paste of the oatmeal and allow it to dry. Remove with cool water. Sliced fresh cucumber placed on your closed eyes will reduce bagginess and dark circles.

Honey for Best Facial

The best facial mask that I have found is honey. Use warm cloth to open pores, smear on honey, leave on 15 to 30 minutes, rinse off with warm water, and then use cold water to close pores. Use for 3 days in a row and then once a week. Sometimes I mix a little ground oatmeal with the honey, which makes a great mask.

Exfoliating Mask

For an easy exfoliating mask, mix three tablespoons olive oil or any good oil and one tablespoon kosher salt mix and gently rub into dry skin. Do not use around eye area. This works great on elbows and feet, but it can also be used on cheeks and forehead

Egg Whites

I use egg whites. Just beat one egg white until it is frothy. Spread it all over your face. Wait until it dries. Rinse it off. My face feels very clean and "tight" after this application. And then I use the yolk for cooking.( I have yet to have found a use for the shell)

Egg Yolk

The best homemade facial mask that I have used is a raw egg yolk. Just apply the raw yolk to your face and neck for 30 minutes and rinse with cool water. Egg yolks are high in vitamin A. The mask is very effective in healing blemishes.

For dry skin, try:

· An egg yolk mixed with olive oil and warmed honey

· Sour cream

· Avocado

For oily skin:

· Dissolve a teaspoon of baking yeast in a small amount of warm milk, wait until foamy, then apply (best done in the bath tub);

· Puree flesh of a tomato and mix with some potato flour to make a paste;

· Cucumber (it will whiten your skin);

· Beaten egg whites with a few drops of lemon juice (great for getting rid of blackheads);

· Carrots (but don't use this one more than about every other week because it can over dry your skin). This one will make you look tanned.

General refreshing masks:

· Grapes (just cut a berry in half and rub lightly)

· Strawberries (test behind your ear first, because many people are allergic to strawberries used this way even though they can eat them just fine)

· Honey and ricotta cheese