Hi Beauties,
I hope this finds you safe and well, reminding myself that is my biggest blessing these days.
No doubt we are living through some pretty historic times and doing our best to navigate through these murky waters. And as we spend more time than usual at home, isolated from many of our regular habits stress and anxiety can easily build up. As a long time beauty professional I know first hand how important human contact is. With the absence of social outings, therapy sessions, salon/spa appointments and other stress management tools I’m thinking about how valuable establishing simple regular self care rituals are, especially right now. Effective self care habits don’t have to be complicated or expensive and I bet you have most of the items already at your fingertips.
Face masks are a great way to pamper your skin and elate your sense of smell, helping to aid in relaxation. A simple mask is easy to make and even easier to find time to apply. You can mask while reading, watching TV, relaxing, showering or bathing and there are many ingredients in our kitchens to create radiant skin and peace of mind. Here are a few suggestions.
Soothing mask
Great for normal, dry and irritated skin types.
-Mix a tablespoon of fresh plain yogurt,
- with honey and ground oats until smooth.
Honey and oats are soothing, nourishing and moisturizing to the skin. Yogurt also provides a natural source of lactic acid, which gently exfoliates the skin.
Toning mask
For skin normal and oily skin with imperfections.
-Mix a little egg white,
-Tsp of molasses
-Tsp aloe juice into
-1 tsp. smashed fresh tomato and 2 tsp. (baked pureed) sweet potato .
Mix until a smooth and apply. Egg whites are protein rich and helpful to build new skin cells. Molasses is nutrient dense with many minerals and vitamins and its thick consistency makes a great texture for masks. Aloe soothes, heals and nourishes the skin fostering healthy cellular renewal, fresh tomatoes have a natural exfoliation effect and sweet potatoes are rich in skin loving vitamins.
Gentle mask
For moisturizing and nourishing skin.
-Mash up 1Tbsp of banana, or avocado for drier skin, and smooth out the texture by adding a little cooled herbal tea (lavender, chamomile or green tea are great choices). Add a teaspoon of cocoa powder, sour cream and honey. Mix thoroughly.
The rich texture of a mashed banana or avocado creates a nutrient rich base; cooled herbal teas can boost the base further. Cocoa powder provides antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and moisture rich fats complimenting the natural moisturizing and skin softening properties in sour cream.
Of course you can omit any ingredient to create a vegan version and/or mix and match many of the ingredients listed above to create you own favorites.
Facial massage is my all time favorite to relieve tension and restore peace of mind. And its great to do after a mask! Facial massage is so simple and easily accessible, only requiring some high quality oil and your hands. It always amazes me how much stress can be kept in the facial muscles. Not only can stored tension begin to change the way your face feels, but also the way it looks. Facial massage can be a great way to restore your natural beauty inside and out!
Amazing when done as a weekly treatment for 5-10 min, but facial massage can also be really effective as part of your daily or nightly routine foe 2-3 min at a time. Always start with cleansed and toned skin and of course clean hands. Be sure to use enough oil; when applying pressure in facial massage oil is required to increase slip and protect the skin. Using something that is compatible with your skin type is best. Hemp seed oil is my all time favorite benefiting a wide range of skin types, is easily absorbed by the skin and non-comedogenic
Facial massage is kind of like an exercise program, the more you do it the easier it will be and the better you will feel and look. You can use a sliding motion across the skin, circular motions to massage deeper into the muscle, gentle tapping motions across the surface of the skin or just apply direct pressure in areas that hold a lot of tension. Use gentle pressure with slow upward sweeping motions beginning in the center of the face moving outward toward the hairline.
The masks are intended to be made the day of use and always dab a small amount on your wrist to check for any adverse reaction, if so discontinue use. There are so many combinations with natural foods to enhance your beauty, restore balance and relieve stress. It is my hope that by cultivating healthy self-care habits we can create more space to radiate peace and love in a complicated world, so thank you for allowing me to share my passion for natural skin care with you!
Peace and love,
Alyson Osburn