Beauty treats you could eat

Originated from Shirley Ho, channelnewsasia.com | Posted: 07 January 2011 1539 hrs http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/beautynfashion/view/1103286/1/.html

A homemade facial is simple, says Coreenna Ong founder of Vitasence, a successful home-grown brand of natural and herbal skin care. It’s also important.
“When a person is relaxed, the skin will benefit and look better too,” says Ong who is an advocate of the use of natural ingredients.
“If you use organic ingredients, you can be absolutely sure that a homemade masque is free of synthetic fillers or chemicals,” she says.

Facial cleanser

[normal-to-oily] Cucumber and yoghurt
1. Mix 1 tablespoon of plain unsweetened yogurt together with a quarter of mashed or finely minced cucumber.
2. Apply on wet face and massage gently in circular motions. Rinse off thoroughly with water and pat dry
- Cucumber is a very versatile skin care ingredient, as it has excellent cooling, softening, soothing and healing properties.

[mature skin-types] Apple, pear and yoghurt
Combine mashed apple and pear with plain unsweetened yogurt in a small bowl and mix well.
- Apples contain malic acid which is a natural AHA that helps to remove dead skin cells.
- Being rich in antioxidants, the cleanser is excellent for matured skin, pears are highly moisturising and help to firm the skin.

Facial Steam
A facial steam often follows a general cleanse, to clear the skin surface from dirt and excess oil that might not be removed by cleansing alone. The high temperature also stimulates blood circulation and open up pores.
1. Grab a towel and a large bowl of hot water, with a few drops of essential oils if you prefer.
2. Hold your face a comfortable distance from the rising steam that’s captured by the towel covering your head.
3. If you’re bothered by zits, this is the time to zap them – but gently and not with your nails, to avoid scars.
4. After a quick rinse, it is now time for the best part. Get the pet or kid off the sofa as the mask is prepared.

Mask

[oily and acne-prone] Green Bean with Coix Seed, also known as Yi Ren or Chinese Barley
1. Begin by washing coix seeds and green beans, drain and air dry thoroughly before grinding both into a fine powder. (If you find this is too much of a hassle, look for the ready-ground powders off the shelves in some supermarkets and Chinese medicinal halls.)
2. Mix together 1 tablespoon of each powder with a sufficient amount of distilled water to make a light paste.
3. Apply evenly onto freshly cleansed skin for 20 minutes before rinsing off thoroughly.


[Dry-to-mature - Nourishing Avocado Masque] Honey, buttermilk and avocado
1. Use a ripe avocado, which should be soft at the top when lightly pressed.
2. Scoop out the green flesh and run it in a blender or processor until a smooth puree is obtained.
3. Mix into the puree, the mixture of 1 teaspoon of honey dissolved in 4 teaspoons of warm buttermilk.
4. As much as you’d want to lick the spoon, avoid doing so, at least until after you apply the paste onto your face and neck area.
5. After 20 to 30 minutes, rinse off the mixture with warm water.
-This facial masque is rich in natural oils and essential fatty acids
-Ingredients are rich in vitamins A, D, E, potassium, sulfur and natural oils.

[Skin whitening, skin calming and rejuvenation - Almond Milk Masque] Almond, oatmeal, skim milk and honey
1. All it takes is, 1 tablespoon of ground almond meal, ½ tablespoon of oatmeal, 2- 4 teaspoons of warm skim milk and 1 teaspoon of raw honey.
2. Dissolving the honey in the skim milk, before adding the ground almond meal and oatmeal, to mix into a thick, even paste to be applied for 20 to 30 minutes.

Toner
To close the pores of the skin, which is important to prevent any infection or breakouts, a soothing toner needs to be used.
“So people have this misconception that ‘if I have oily skin, or acne skin, I must have alcohol to combat this’. It’s wrong“
“This is because alcohol dries out the skin. It gives a cooling sensation, but it is actually water in your skin that is evaporating… moisture evaporating from the skin,” says Ong who points out that an alcohol-based toner will dry up your skin and is harmful in the long run.
As many toners on the market contain alcohol, Ong suggests making your own toner.

[normal to oily or acne-prone - Antibacterial Rosemary and Thyme Facial Toner] – Thyme, rosemary, distilled water, lemon juice
1. You will need a teaspoon of dried thyme, a teaspoon of dried rosemary, a cup of distilled water, and a teaspoon fresh lemon juice.
2. After rinsing the herbs once to remove any dust or debris, soak the herbs in the distilled water for 15 minutes and then heat lightly, but do not allow it to boil.
3. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool completely before taking out the herbs from the mixture and adding the lemon juice.
4. Give the solution a good mix before storing in a clean glass bottle that you can pop into the fridge for a cool toner.


[more potent mixture - Rose and Apple Cider Vinegar Toner] Rosebuds/chamomile flowers, apple cider vinegar, distilled water
1. This calls for 2 tablespoons of dried rosebuds (or chamomile flowers or combine both), 1 cup of distilled water and 1 teaspoon of organic apple cider vinegar.
2. Give the dried flowers a 15 minute soak in the distilled water before heating the mixture.
3. After it’s been allowed to cool, add in the organic apple cider vinegar and mix well.
4. Remove the flowers before storing the mixture in a clean glass bottle (preferably dark glass).
5. You will need to create a fresh batch of toner after about 4-5 days advises Ong as the mixtures do not contain any preservatives.
6. Top it all up with a serum or lotion which Ong suggests is best bought off the shelf.

Lotions, creams and serums
These as opposed to masks, toners, or even yogurt cleansers, require processes like heating, emulsification and homogenization. Also, to keep these leave-on products stable and contamination-free, it is important to have a proper preservative system in place.
“All these procedures are too troublesome for consumers” says Ong who advises quality moisturisers that are 100% free of alcohol, synthetic color and fragrance, which are the key causes for sensitive and allergic reactions to the skin.

Exfoliation
The process which promotes skin cell renewal is often overlooked in skincare routines but at the same time, care needs to be observed when giving it a scrub.
“But scrubbing the skin regularly may cause micro-scratches (when viewing the skin under a microscope). Hence, using a scrub may be too harsh for the delicate facial skin,” says Ong.
A better option she suggests, is to remove surface dead skin cells by using enzymes or acids in fruit such as papayas or lemons.

[daily-weekly] Ripen papaya
Always use ripened papaya as the enzymes in green, un-ripened papaya may be too strong on the skin. Also, you should leave on the papaya mask for no more than 5 minutes
-It is full of papain, a natural enzyme that helps to digest protein. By virtue of its protein-dissolving properties, a papaya mask helps to remove dead skin cells.

[daily, light exfoliation] – Lemon juice and distilled water
1. A simple skin freshener/toner with 50ml distilled water and 2-3 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice which you can store in a spray bottle placed in the fridge.
2. Use it at night after cleansing. Please note that this toner should only be used at night as lemon juice may react adversely with the skin when the skin is exposed to sunlight.

Precaution - patch test
You might think that your skin isn't troubled, but skin on the surface often keeps irritations a secret.
1. To carry out a patch, just apply the product in the size of 20-cent coin size or teaspoon, around the jaw area.
2. If it is a mask, leave on for the suggested duration before removing, then wait 12 hours to see if any allergic reaction develops.
3. Signs of adverse reaction include: redness, rashes, swelling, burning sensation, sneezing, headaches and itchiness.
4. In addition, it is not advisable to have a facial when your skin is experiencing unusual allergic outbreak and also advises against the DIY facials immediately after going through lasers, chemical peeling or other invasive cosmetic procedures.