Homemade Facials                                         

With all the shopping, cooking, wrapping and decorating...a Homemade Facial is a necessary treat! Well, here's a collection of facials you can make from simple household ingredients:

Home Made Facials:
First, let's start with a small piece of muslin or gauze, which is useful in keeping a face mask in place, especially if the substance is inclined to be slippery. Simply cut out 'eyes' and a 'mouth' and place over the face before carefully applying the mask.

EGGS for All Skin Types
Eggs make great masks for all skin types. An egg white whipped and patted on the skin, will tighten and tone. The whole egg, beaten, has softening properties as well. For combination skins make up two masks. Apply 2 tbsp beaten egg white and ½ x 5 ml (1/2 tea spoon) lemon juice to the oily patches, rubbing it in slightly. Then mix 5 ml (1 tea spoon) gelatin with 15 ml (1 tbsp) water to make a paste and smooth in to the dry areas. Leave for 30 minutes, and then rinse both away with warm water followed by cold. And blot dry with a soft towel.

CARROTS for Blemishes
A carrot mask does wonders in helping to clear a blemished complexion. Uses a small raw carrot mashed to a smooth paste or cook one in a little water and liquidize or mash. Pat the mask all over the blemished areas and leave on for 15-20 minutes. Then remove the mask, rinse off with warm water and pat dry.

BANANAS for an Anti-Wrinkle Treatment
The banana is one of the best ingredients for an anti-wrinkle treatment. Mash down two or three slices, diluting the consistency, with 5 ml (1 tea spoon) or so of milk. Apply all over face and leave for 15-20 minutes before rinsing off with warm water. Then pat dry with soft towel.

GRAPES for All Skin Types
Grape juice makes an excellent cleanser for any skin type. Simply split one or two large grapes, remove pits and rub the flesh over face and neck. Rinse off with cool water.

BREWER'S YEAST for Occasional Oiliness
For skin that is going through an oily phase, try a brewer's yeast mask. Mix 5 ml (1 tea spoon) brewer's yeast with enough natural yogurt to make a loose, thin mixture. Pat this thoroughly into all the oily areas and allow it to dry on the skin. After 15 - 20 minutes, rinse off with warm water, then blot dry with soft towel.

TOMATOES for Toning and Whitening
Tomatoes cut in half and rubbed over the face for toning and whitening the skin.

Homemade Skin Toner                                          

So, do we really need a skin toner to follow our cleanser? Well, it helps remove any remnants of your cleanser, refines the pores without harming the skin, and prepares your face for your moisturizer and foundation. Sound like good reasons to use one? I think so. Now...you can go out and buy one, and there are some great ones out there, but here's a fun recipe to make your own at home...I think you'll have a blast...and so will your skin!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cucumber juice (has the same pH as your skin)
1/8 cup carrot juice (rich in Beta Carotene [Vitamin A])
1/2 cup lemon juice (an alpha-hydroxy acid which removes dead skin cells) 
1/2 cup spearmint infusion (great cosmetic herb and can be found in a health food store)
1/4 cup chamomile infusion (Note: eliminate if you have and allergy to ragweed)
Blend all the above ingredients and store either in a clean cosmetic bottle (with a lid) in the fridge and use with a cotton ball or pad when needed...or...place the mixture in ice cube trays and pop out a cube as needed.

More Daylight? It’s Time For Sunscreen

Now, don’t be fooled by the fact that you’re not bathing in the sun on a sandy beach…with the advent of Spring comes more sunlight and more UVA light…which causes 90% of wrinkles on your skin.

But don’t despair…there are a plethora of products out there to help. From sunscreen alone to foundations with sunscreen added.

So, how does sunscreen (SPF or sun protection factor) work? Well, if you begin to burn after 10 minutes in the sun, an SPF of 10 would allow you 100 minutes (or just over 1 ½ hours) before beginning to burn. But don’t get too excited about the SPF numbers above 15…most of that is hydration…so if you choose an SPF above 15, calculate it as if it were 15. And you must reapply your protection if you swim.

Most products have the SPF labeled on the front, and all protect from UVB rays, but there is not a product developed yet that protects 100% from UVA rays.

Here are a few products to look for:

Face:
La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL Lait SPF 60 – It contains the chemical 'Mexoryl,' well-known all over the world to protect skin from wrinkle-causing UVA rays. Dr. Vincent DeLeo, chairman of dermatology at Columbia University states that Mexoryl, “It produces a product which gives us almost perfect protection against sunshine.”

Kielhl's Ultra Protection Water-Based Sunscreen Lotion SPF 25 – It’s water-based and oil-free, so it’s perfect for the face.

For Dry Skin: Eucerin Extra Protective moisture lotion SPF 30
For Oily Skin:  Aveda's Dual Nature Face Protection SPF15 Skincare
All Skin Types: Olay Total Effects UV Protection

Body:
Bull Frog Superblock Sunblock Lotion, SPF 45 – Experts highly recommend this long-lasting sunblock that is especially great for fair skin.