Get Up And Glow

Clear and beautiful skin is every woman’s dream but with our busy schedules, polluted environment, and the suns harsh rays it is more difficult that one might imagine maintaining a healthy glow. No to mention that every woman’s skin is different; some of us have dry skin, oily skin, or a combination of both, but no matter what your skin type over 24hrs dirt, makeup, and oil are going to build up. The first step to clear skin is washing all the buildup off at night.

If you wear makeup on a daily basis be sure to invest in a good makeup remover. I like Cetaphil’s
Gentle Skin Cleansing Cloths. This will ensure you have unclogged all your pores and will not leave bacteria on your pillow. When washing with soap, be sure to use a gentle one that cleanses but doesn’t strip your skin of its natural moisture. I like Cetaphil daily facial cleanser for normal skin. Be gentle around your eyes because the eye area is too delicate for cleansers. When rinsing off your face be sure to splash with water and then pat dry. Do not rub. If you have oily skin, follow with a toner to remove excess oil the soap missed and to close your pores. If your skin is dry then using astringent can actually cause acne oil glands to overcompensate. This is why you should use a light and natural toner. I like Thayer’s Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel with Organic Aloe Vera Formula Toner (Rose Petal) and Kiss My Face Balancing Antioxidant Toner. Apply a few drops to a cotton ball and swipe over your face. Follow with a moisturizer. Use a light moisturizer during the day. I use Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer with sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 15. This is very important, every time you step outside you need to wear SPF. Following this rule will leave your skin dewy and supple for years to come. It only takes 15 minutes to burn and the tan is not worth it. I know a great tan looks amazing but lucky for you we have so many products that offer a glorious tan without the sun. I like….If tanning lotion is not your cup of tea, then try a tinted moisturizer with SPF which will give you light coverage and color. At night use a heavier moisturizer. I like Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream. Be sure to apply moisturizer all over the face including the neck.

If your skin is extremely dry then you should exfoliate once a week to clear all the dead skin cells. Some facial scrubs contain scrubbing agents to gently remove the top layer of skin on your face. Broken pieces of seeds, like apricot seeds, or nutshells are commonly used. However, the University of Maryland Medical Center warns that these ingredients may damage skin. Instead, choose scrubbing cleansers that use micro beads, which are less likely to scratch skin.

You can turn your regular facial cleanser into an exfoliating cleanser with a few simple steps. Add a small amount of white sugar or corn meal to your cleanser, then rubbing it gently onto your face to avoid scratching your skin. Additionally, cold coffee grounds and baking soda added to your regular cleanser will help to exfoliate and remove dead skin cells. Oatmeal is also effective as a gentle scrubbing agent, and scrubbing your skin with a soft washcloth or other fabric with texture will remove dead skin cells as well.
Along with an exfoliation once a week you should also apply a face mask once a week to create a flawless and glowing complexion.

The skin is composed of many layers and tissues, and each of them needs certain requirements according to age. The first requirement is energy, and this is supplied by sugars in honey and fruits, and medium chain triglycerides present in milk.

Certain vitamins play an integral part in the health and integrity of the skin, like vitamin A which acts like a hormone on the skin cells, vitamin B complex which is necessary for all the metabolic processes when the cells are active, and vitamin E which acts as an antioxidant to guard against the harmful effects of free radicals. Fruit acids (alpha hydroxyl acids) requirement appears with age, when the superficial layer of dead skin cells is required to be shed off more quickly, and this is done by fruit acids when they reduce the stickiness of the cement material that holds the dead keratinized cells on the surface of the skin. There are some phytochemicals present in plants that have specific effects on the enzymes of the skin cells. To sum it up for you, Face masks that supply energy, vitamins, and membrane components are going to show the best results.

It is hard to find a facemask that fits your skin tone perfectly and some of the facemasks on the market today are quite expensive. With that being said below are a few recipes for homemade face masks that will leave you wanting more.

1. Neem, gram flour, and curd face mask

The yogurt softens and moisturizes while the neem helps to create a natural glow.

You will need:

• Neem powder

• 1 tsp. gram flour

• 1 tsp. curd

Put curd and gram flour in a bowl to create a paste. Slowly add the neem powder and mix thoroughly. Apply this mixture to a clean and dry face. Wash with cold water.

2. Almond, Honey, and Saffron Face Mask
This pack gives a glowing effect. The saffron helps to lighten your skin tone and reduce the appearance of spots, while honey tightens the skin. The almond and lemon aid in the removal of dead skin.

You will need:

• 4 to 5 Almonds soaked in water or milk overnight

• 1 tsp. Honey

• Some strands of Saffron soaked in 2 tbsp. warm milk

• 1 tsp. lemon juice

Grind the soaked almonds into a paste. Next, add the saffron infused milk, honey, and lemon juice to this paste. Apply to dry, clean skin and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Once dry, wash off with cotton pads soaked in milk or cold water.
3. Banana and yogurt face mask
Lemon is a natural bleaching agent (you can also use it on blond hair to accentuate highlights) Banana is great for glowing skin (the skin of a banana can be used for teeth whitening)

Yogurt is a moisturizing agent

You will need:

• 1 Ripe banana peeled and mashed

• 1 tsp. Honey

• 1 tbsp. yogurt

• 1 tsp. lemon juice

Add the mashed banana and yogurt to a bowl and mix. Next add the honey and lemon juice and mix into a smooth paste. Apply to the face and neck, let dry, then rinse off with cold water.
This is just a sampling of all the wonderful homemade facemasks you can create. Why depend on expensive packaged face masks when you can get better results from your kitchen.