Skin Pampering

There is nothing like a gentle facial to cleanse the skin and make it glow and there are plenty of ingredients in the kitchen cupboards for a nourishing face mask. Let’s go over a few classics.

Honey - it works by itself as a gentle exfoliator or it can be mixed with other ingredients like quick oats, cream or lemon juice for a moisturizing or astringent treatment, depending on your skin type.

Strong chamomile or lavender decocts are classics for facial steam treatments and getting rid of blackheads.

Egg is a rich source of vitamins for tired winter skin and offers the additional benefit of shrinking the pores.

Yellow cornmeal mixed with a little milk rubbed gently on the face removes dead skin and activates blood circulation to impart a healthy glow.

Mix equal quantities of coconut oil and sugar and your favorite fragrance for a very effective sugar scrub. The skin surface tends to run slightly acidic and anything sweet will make it thrive.

Fresh fruits, especially peaches, strawberries, mangoes and papaya for a natural and gentle acid peel.

Yogurt calms down irritation, especially from sunburn, while banana and avocado provide healthy food for dry skin.

I couldn’t leave out the oats, which feature in a surprisingly large number of face masks, because they are good for everything: they nourish, calm, shrink the pores, exfoliate, provide antioxidants, heal, moisturize…