Natural Facials: to Boost Vitality in our Faces!
One of my favourite memories of living in Sri Lanka is remembering the Natural Facials I treated myself to twice a month. The happiest most beautiful middle age Sri Lankan woman would come up to my apartment with a few local fruits and yogurt and she would prepare the mixture.
I lay on yoga mat on the floor under the fan and she would collect all my hair off my face with a thick hair band. She would then settle me into a ‘dreamlike state’ by pressing on my shoulders slowly but with purpose then move her fingers touching lightly over my face. She quietly mixed together the ingredients of papaya, lemon and yogurt into a paste then spread it over my face, neck and chest.. Slowly and gently and smoothly.
Oh the total effect of calming, cooling and re-energising, not only my skin but my whole being, was simply awesome! After 15 minutes of nothingness but feeling the paste dry out she wiped it off and put a cooling cloth over my face.
My skin was smooth, vibrant and had a glow! So simple, so effective…..
At this time when we are at home, we could use some natural ingredients to feed our faces with goodness. The nutrients in many fruits and vegetables to cool our eyes (cucumbers), energise our skin (lemons) and to soften the flesh (honey and yogurt) . We have used these for hundreds of years and of course way before commercial face creams.
Some other facial pastes I highly recommend are:
A Cleanse Face Mask:
'This is a great remedy for decongested pores,' says Lorraine Scrivener, and seeing as excess sebum can lead to spots, this is a good way to target them before they erupt.
What you need:
- Half an avocado.
- 1/4 cucumber, blended.'
Cucumber mainly contains water which will hydrate [if skin is dehydrated, it sometimes produces more oil to compensate] but it also contains vitamin C and this will reduce any break out activity.'
As for the avocado? It cleverly regulates oil production, and according to Lorraine, it's rich in Oleic Acid which helps reduce inflammation, 'all whilst working on those fine lines!'
'This is a super-cooling mask that will leave the skin feeling clean and fresh,' says Lorraine.
A Moisturising Face Mask:
A flaky forehead is not a good look, but if your current moisturiser isn't doing much to quench your dry skin, look no further than this trio to hydrate and nourish.
What you need:
- 1/2 Avocado.
- 1 tablespoon of honey.
- A handful of oats or oat bran.
Honey is an excellent humectant, which means it helps skin retain moisture without feeling oily. Massaged on to affected areas, it helps with the appearance of scars and increases both healing and tissue regeneration.'
Super Smooth Face Mask:
You don't need to spend megabucks on facials or stock up on scrubs to achieve super-smooth and supple skin.
What you Need:
- 1 tablespoon of natural, plain yogurt.
- 1 tablespoon of honey.
- 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder.
Just like milk, yogurt is filled to the brim with lactic acid which makes a visible difference to skin by lifting away rough and lacklustre surface cells to uncover much newer, brighter ones.
An Otherworldly Glow
If a dull and lacklustre complexion is your biggest beauty bugbear, you need this mask in your life - and there isn't a strong acid in sight. Girls with sensitive skin, rejoice!
What you Need:
- 1 tablespoon of cacao powder.
- 1/4 papaya.
- A squeeze of Aloe Vera gel.
Aloe Vera is filled to bursting with vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12 which means its radiance-boosting, skin-soothing and hydrating properties are pretty much unrivalled. Teamed with papaya - which is packed with exfoliating enzymes that will dissolve dead skin cells - it'll take your face mask sesh (and skin) to the next level.
And the added cacao powder works total wonders, too.
When layered over clean skin, it has the ability to brighten and boost circulation for a plump and pillowy look and feel.
Simply pop all three ingredients into a bowl, stir, leave on for ten minutes and tissue off.
Are you glowing?
Chris Vidal