Natural Skin Care Tips for Healthy Skin

Good looking skin doesn't need to cost a fortune as many skin care companies would like you to believe. Following a few simple tips can help your skin look it's best.

1. Rest - you should sleep for no less than 8 hours a night (for children it is 10 hours ). If possible it is better to go to bed early, by 9 PM, there are many experts that will agree, every hour of sleep before midnight is as valuable as two hours of sleep occurring after midnight. It is also important to make sure that the room you sleep in is aired well (remember that your skin loves oxygen). When it comes to your bedroom it is better to have cool air as opposed to warm air. Darkness is also key to a good nights sleep and allows you to rest better.

2. Clean Your Face Daily - gently remove your make-up every night. It is important to go to bed with your face clean and fresh . When washing your face follow these steps:

- Warm your face with hot water or steam to open the pores.
- Cover your face and neck with mild, non-chemical soap.
- With your fingers or a soft wash cloth, massage gently to remove dirt
and loosen dead skin cells. This is a mild exfoliation.
- Rinse off with warm water to remove soap and the dead skin cells
you've loosened.
- When you can no longer feel any particles on your face, rinse with cold
water to close the pores.

You might have to work with this a little bit until you get it right. Particles of soap or dead skin cells left in your pores or on your face can allow bacteria to grow and cause blemishes; but you don't want to scrub so hard, or with such a harsh soap, that you remove the natural oils and your face squeaks.

3. Go Natural - it's easy to make natural facial masks at home for a fraction of the cost of many chemical filled store bought brands. An easy recipe to start with is his ultra-moisturizing face mask containing cucumber and yogurt.

-Peel 1/4 cucumber and puree in a blender.
Don't leave it in there too long heat tends to destroy nutrients.
-Remove the cucumber from the blender and add:
1 tablespoon of plain yogurt and
2 tablespoons of whole leaf aloe vera gel
-Apply the mixture to your face and neck and leave on for 15 minutes.
-Wash off with warm, pure water and then rinse with cold water to close
the pores.

After enjoying a home made facial keep skin moisturized by using a natural lotion. Some of the best ingredients you can look for in natural skin care products are aloe vera, comfrey, calendula and chamomile.

4. Get Plenty of Fresh Air and Exercise - toned bodies have better blood circulation, Increased metabolism and burn more fat than a body of a sedentary lifestyle. The effect is that your skin is better supplied with oxygen and all nutrition to help keep the skin supple and resilient.

5. Stay Hydrated - you should drink at least half of gallon (8 - 8 oz glasses) of water daily to keep your entire body hydrated (not tea, not coffee, not juice just pure, fresh, sugar-free water). Remember that dry, unhealthy-looking skin is a reflection of some disorder of the organs or other systems.

6. Alcohol and Tobacco - absolutely NOT these should be avoided!

7. Food/Drink - your diet should be well-balanced. It should include:

* Red, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables, which contain much
beta-carotene (antioxidants)
* Vegetables, which are rich with sulfur, such as garlic, onions and
asparagus (for skin smoothness)
* Grains, seeds, and nuts
* Milk cheese, natural plain yogurt, kefir
* Vegetable oils that are cold-pressed, unrefined (Avoid cooking on such
oils as they may become carcinogenic when heated)
* Avoid junky food, animal fats, cooking on cold-pressed vegetable oils
(try to avoid everything that is fried), sugar, chocolate, coffee, strong
black tea.