Seven Easy Skin Care Recipes

Homemade skin care is fun, easy to make and both effective and inexpensive. Hope you can try some of these recipes and let me know what you think.

Toner for Large Pores
10 drops Patchouli essential oil
2 fluid ounces of distilled water
Mix both ingredients in a small spray bottle. Shake well to blend oil and water prior to each use. Spray on clean, washed face.

Patchouli offers many benefits in skin care products. Has a toning and tightening effect due to its astringent properties and therefore cools inflamed skin and heals rough cracked skin, sores and wounds. Also have diuretic properties which prove valuable for water retention and cellulite. Patchouli also proves effective for aging skin as it is believed to be a tissue regenerator thus promoting growth of new skin cells.

Firming Face Mask
1 Tbsp. honey
1 egg white
1 teaspoon glycerin
¼ cup flour
Blend & smooth over face and throat. Leave on for 10 minutes. Rinse

Softening Facial Masque (emollient)
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup avocado peeled and mashed
1/3 cup milk
Beat the egg yolk until fluffy. Add milk and avocado, mixing thoroughly with the yolk. Apply to face and leave on for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.

Below is a simple recipe to make your own blackhead remover strip(s).
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
Mix both ingredients and microwave for 10 seconds until it is warm to the touch.

Note: this does not smell the best when taking it out of the microwave, but this recipe actually removes blackheads! Warm nose, and/or chin and forehead with a warm cloth to open pores, apply mixture to the area in which you wish to remove blackheads. Do not use around eyes or other delicate areas.

Allow mixture to dry for 15-20 minutes, or until a stiff film appears. Slowly peel off the film and there you go, all the debris in your pores has surfaced to the top. Rinse face with warm water and then follow with a cool toner to close pores and restore pH balance. Follow with a moisturizer that does not clog pores.
For blackheads that are deeply embedded into the skin, steam your face to open pores.

Coffee Rinse -to add shine and depth for brunettes and redheads
8 cups warm brewed coffee
Rinse hair with coffee after shampooing. Do not rinse it out. Your hair will be rich and shiny.

Vinegar Rinse
This rinse will remove the last traces of shampoo and give the hair extra shine and a soft, smooth, texture. Vinegar restores the pH balance to hair. Add a few tablespoons of pleasant-scented vinegar, such as raspberry or plum, to your rinse water. You can use this rinse after every shampoo, if desired.

Eliminating Large Pores
Mix 1 tsp. ground almond meal with enough water to form a paste. Apply it to your face and let it dry for 20 minutes. Rinse with cool water and follow up with a toner – see toner recipe at top. Naturally if you are allegeric to nuts you may not want to use this recipe.








As with any new skin care product, a patch is always recommended.

For more skin care recipes and skin care articles, visit Complete Skin Care Therapy




Skinsational Ebook

The Naturally Skinsational recipe ebook provides a wonderful selection of homemade natural skin care recipes for facial treatments.

An Anti-Aging Roller from Olay - Review

I suffer from under eye bags and puffiness in the mornings and I was ecstatic when I received Olay’s anti-aging roller for eyes to review. How exciting!


On first glance, I was intrigued. The product is about the size of a marker with small rollers on one end. A couple of clicks on the other end send the fluid to the rollers. Application is easy; just roll on under and around the eye area and then massage with fingertips.


Olay’s claim for this product is to “reduce eye puffiness, regenerate skin’s appearance to diminish fine lines and wrinkles.” So knowing Olay’s claim, I used the product everyday as directed and evaluated whether there was any improvement in diminishing fine lines and wrinkles and eye puffiness.


The first thing I noticed was how cool it was on the eye area and found it to be very soothing. Additionally, it is a lightweight and non-greasy formula that quickly absorbs into the skin. It is also a fun product to use and I can see how the rollers can increase blood flow thus reducing puffiness. I had absolutely no skin reaction to the product and I do suffer from skin sensitivity from certain skin care products.


My under eye puffiness usually subsides as the day wears on, however I did notice that eye puffiness was reduced in a minimal amount of time with the use of this product. It is important to note that the directions state that you must massage into the skin for 30 seconds and I noticed you will get better results by doing so.


As far as diminishing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the corners of the eyes (crow’s feet, etc) I really can not comment either way.


I have been blessed, and at 56 I have no wrinkles in the corner of my eyes. However the under eye puffiness is my biggest aging skin problem to overcome.


Would I buy the product? I would like to, but at $22.99 it is a little steep for my pocketbook. So guess I will have to stick with my homemade beauty treatments such as rosemary tea bags, cold eye compresses and sweet almond oil for moisturizing to reduce eye puffiness. However, overall I liked the product, the innovative application, and I believe it helped my under eye puffiness. Additionally, I will certainly keep the rollers and use them to apply my other eye care products that I have on hand.


My disappointment was the packaging. In this day and age we should all be a little more environmentally conscious and the packaging was quite large for the size of the product.


Get your Olay anti-aging roller at Amazon the current price only $18.99 Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-Aging Eye Anti-Aging Roller, 0.2-Ounce Box


For skin care recipes and skin care articles, visit Complete Skin Care Therapy

Making the Most of Brown Eyes

Although you may think your brown eyes are common and plain, you are actually blessed to have brown eyes. Brown eyes can wear so many shades of eye shadow and go from smoky eyes for evening wear to a light and natural finish for day wear.

Not all brown eyes are created equal. There is different color of brown eyes ranging from deep dark brown to a lighter brown. Additionally the specs in the iris can vary from yellow to copper toned specs. When selecting the perfect color for your brown eyes, pick colors that complement the specs in the iris of the eye. Colors that complement the specs in your eyes will blend with your complexion and accentuate your eyes.

Again, while most brown eyed girls can wear a wide variety of eye colors, skin tone is an important factor. For instance those with a warm skin tone (yellow tinted) should avoid yellow tinted eye makeup while those with a cool skin tone should avoid red based or rosy hues. As a general rule, women with fair complexions should use earthy or pastel colors, while women with darker skin should choose darker colors that enhance their eyes.

To enhance the eyes, brown eyed girls should avoid brown eye makeup that matches the color of their eyes. Consider a shade lighter or darker to add depth to the eye area. Colors such as beige, tan, taupe, dark brown and chocolate brown are better tones for brown eyes than just plain brown. Additionally, amber, mahogany, copper and gold will enhance your eyes but only when used lightly as a highlight or accent for other tones.

Other colors that work well on brown eyes are:
Brown - preferably one that is a shade lighter or dark than your eyes, mocha, beige, tan, gray, charcoal, khaki, olive green, hunter green, bronze, gold, violet, lavender, pink, rose, and blue. Usually silver should be avoided. Plum, burnt orange, coral, aqua and burgundy compliment brown eyes. Again take into consideration the color of the specs in your eyes and your skin tone. Chances are you will be able to tell if a color just isn't working for you!

Application

The first step in your eye makeup application is to apply a base coat of a neutral or matte color over the entire eyelid. If you are over 40 consider a primer to help hold you eye makeup in place. Consider colors that range from beige to champagne.

Secondly, contour your eyes, by using a darker color or contrasting color in the crease of your eyes and blend into the base color. A darker or contrasting shade will create depth.

Lastly, highlight just below the brow with a shimmery color or a light contrasting color that will blend with your base color.

A good tip to remember is to use lighter matte colors as your base color, darker colors as your contouring color, and lightest colors as your highlight.

The best thing about brown eyes is the variety of colors that will enhance your eyes. So get out of the brown eye makeup rut and experiment with some plums, coppers, etc.

This product has great review, check it out!

NEW SHANY© 2009 BOUTIQUE 40 color eyeshadow palette KIT -The Most Gifted 2008

Get a beautiful complexion with proper facial cleansing

If you have been out and about today or even staying at home by the end of the day chances are your face is covered in dirt and grime from environmental pollutants. If you are one of those types that simply wipes down your face at the end of the day? Then you are not doing you complexion any justice. Your skin works hard all day fighting off free radicals and deserves proper cleansing. Additionally proper cleansing will refresh and rejuvenate your complexion.


Proper cleansing comes from selecting the right product for your skin type. Furthermore the best cleanser, no matter what skin type you have, is those that do not strip away the natural fatty oils which protect and waterproof the skin. Over drying the skin with harsh cleansers leaves the skin vulnerable to excessive dryness and leaves the skin exposed to bacteria and cellular damage.



To begin pull your hair away from your face then wash your hands, this prevents bacterial and dirt from transferring from your hands onto your face. Apply your cleansing product at the forehead then gently sweep the cleanser over the face and continue to massage into the lips and neck area. Massage the cleanser into your skin in a gentle circular motion, paying special attention to the thin skin under the eyes. Avoid the upper eye area; many cleansers are not formulated to be used on the eye area. Thoroughly rinse your face with cool or tepid water (not to hot or to cold). Extreme hot or cold water can cause flushing and break sensitive capillaries in the skin. After cleansing, pat dry and follow with toner to restore pH balance and any traces of cleanser. Apply toner on a cotton ball or pad and gently wipe over your face starting with cheeks, chin, nose and ending with your forehead. After toning, follow with a SPF moisturizer for daytime wear and a hydrating lotion for nighttime wear. Gently smooth your moisturizer over your face and neck area to protect and hydrate your skin.


For an added bonus for your complexion, consider an exfoliate to slough off dead skin cells, promote new skin cell growth and improve circulation. Depending on your skin type and the type of exfoliate I recommend no more than one per week. A simple homemade skin care exfoliate is to just add a bit of cornmeal to your regular cleansing cream. Other alternatives are sea salts, Epsom salts, or sugar. Sea salt is a natural for normal skin. It contains marine extracts and minerals that help revitalize the skin. Sugar is a gentle exfoliate ideal for sensitive skin since the grains have smoother edges than salt grains.


Another spa treatment that is so beneficial to the skin is facial masks. Again, depending on your skin type, no more than once a week is recommended. Papaya, avocado or honey makes great facial masks.

For skin care recipes and skin care articles, visit Complete Skin Care Therapy




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