Treat Your Skin

Photo by Anitapatterson on morguefile.com

You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you.
Song of Songs 4:7

You can save money and treat your skin to cleansers, toners, and moisturizers made from ingredients you already have on hand. It’s also nice to know what you’re putting on your skin. Priscilla Slater, the main character in my upcoming Class Reunion series, would approve.

Homemade Facials

I’ve always enjoyed doing facial masks because they leave my face feeling clean, smooth, and hydrated. Here are some healthy mask ideas with products you probably already have:

Mix an egg with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of lemon or lime juice. Spread the mixture over your face and allow it to dry. Rinse it off with warm water, pat dry, and moisturize.

Pulverize a cucumber in your food processor and spread the paste over your face. Lie down for ten minutes and relax with slices of cucumber over your eyes. Rinse with cool water, pat dry, and moisturize.

Run ¼ cup of oatmeal through your food processor until finely ground. Add ½ cup of plain yogurt. Spread the mixture over your face and relax for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water, pat dry, and moisturize.

Soothe Sunburn

I know it’s not a good idea to expose my unprotected skin to the sun long enough to get a sunburn, but sometimes it just happens. This is why I like to keep aloe vera gel on hand. After rinsing my face with cool water, I spread a light layer of aloe on my face and allow it to dry before applying makeup.

I’ve heard that a mixture of tomato juice and buttermilk can also soothe sunburned skin. I’ve never tried it, but if I did, I would leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes before rinsing with cool water.

Prevent Sun Damage

The best way to protect your skin from being sun damaged is to use sunscreen with the highest SPF you can handle. Don’t forget to protect your ears. One of the worst sunburns I ever had was on one of my ears. I’d covered my face with sunscreen, but I didn’t even think about my ears being exposed. And remember that even your head can get sunburned, so if you don’t want to have clumpy or oily hair from sunscreen, wear a hat. Add sunglasses to protect your eyes.



Egg photo by duboix on Morguefile.com

Sunscreen Protection Day - Protect Your Skin!

Tomorrow is Sunscreen Protection Day, so I thought this would be a good topic for now. Although summer isn’t the only time sunscreen is important, if you haven’t started wearing it, now is an excellent time to start.

With melanoma and other types of skin cancer on the rise, not protecting the skin is risky. Choose one with the highest SPF (sun protection factor) your skin can handle and reapply it frequently. If you wear makeup, choose one with SPF built in, but don’t expect it to last all day. Bring along some extra sunscreen to slather on periodically.

Cancer isn’t the only concern for most people. Too much sun exposure will dry out your skin and leave you with leathery hide that is anything but healthy looking. Choose one from your favorite pharmacy or try the organic Green Screen.

What if you want to have a tan? Then go for a fake tan! You can find a wide variety of tanning methods that don’t require the sun. Whether you choose tanning towels, lotions, or sprays, you can have a sun-kissed look without damaging your skin.