Home Remedies for Skin Care
This page describes home remedies for skin care, the basic,
everyday kind. If you have questions concerning specific skin care
ailments (eg
acne, rashes), please visit our other pages using the
navigation bar on the left hand side.
Having a good skin care regimen is the key to looking your best, for a
long time. You don't have to spend tons of money or time, you just have
to be consistent and diligent.
So here are a few guidelines and home remedies that can help in the
battle against aging!
General Skin Care Regimen
- Cleanse
- Tone
- Moisturize face, neck and eyes
- Facial Mask once a week
Home Remedies for Skin Care, by Skin Type
Before deciding which products and home remedies to use, you should
know
what your skin type is. There are a number of ways to test what skin
type you have. One suggestion is to wash your face and then wait 2-3
hours so your skin can return to its normal state. Take a piece of thin
tissue paper and press it against your face. If the paper sticks,
leaving an oily spot that's visible when you hold it up to the light,
then you have oily skin. If it doesn't stick, then you have dry skin.
If it sticks but doesn't leave significant oily spots, then you have
normal or combination skin.
Oily
Skin
Oily skin produces excessive amounts of sebum usually because the skin
is dry. Those with oily skin may be tempted to use "oil-free" products,
however, this can cause the skin to dry up, signaling the sebaceous
glands to produce even more oil. It is recommended that you use "light"
cosmetics that contain small amounts of oil to balance the skin
naturally.
- Facial Cleanser: Use 1 teaspoon of powdered milk with
enough warm water
to give it a milky consistency. With cotton puffs, aplly the liquid to
cover your face and neck, gently rubbing it in. Leave on for a 2-3
minutes, then gently remove with a tissue. Rinse with lukewarm water
and pat dry.
- Facial Mask: This may sound odd, but kitty litter has great
absorbency
and can be used for oily skin. Be sure to get a natural litter that is
100% clay, no added chemicals. Mash 2 tablespoons of litter with about
1 ounce of water to make a consistent paste. Immediately after washing
your face, apply the mask but avoid the delicate eye area. Leave it on
for about 15 minutes. Rinse off with lukewarm water and pat dry.
Dry
Skin
If you do not generally have dry skin but your skin changes with the
seasons and tends to be dryer during the winter months, these remedies
can also help you.
- Facial Cleanser: Warm 2 to 3 tablespoons of whole milk.
Pour the milk into a
small jar and add 1/2 teaspoon of castor oil. Shake well. Use a cotton
pad with the mixture to cleanse your face.
- Facial Mask: After washing your face and neck, take the
inside skin of
a ripe avocado and massage into skin.
Or mix equal amounts of avocado (about 1/4 cup) with regular sour cream
(not fat-free). Gently apply the mixture on your face and neck but
avoid the delicate eye area. Leave it on for about 15 minutes. Rinse
off with lukewarm water. When you can longer see any traces of the
mixture, use your fingertips to gently work the invisble oil into your
skin with an upward and outward motion.
Normal / Combination Skin
Normal / Combination Skin is the most common type. With combination
skin, it can sometimes be helpful to treat the oily areas different
from the dry areas.
For example, one of our editors sometimes will use a heavier cream on
her dry areas (cheeks) and a lighter cream on her oily areas (forehead,
nose, and chin) rather than just one moisturizer all over.
- Facial Mask: Put 1 cup of uncooked oatmeal in a belnder and
powder it.
Add 3 drops of almond oil (available at health food stores), 1/2 cup of
skim milk, and 1 egg white. Blend it all together, then spread the
mixture on your face and neck but avoid the delicate eye area. Leave it
on for about 30 minutes. Rinse off with lukewarm water and pat dry.
General Rules of Skin Care, for All Skin Types
- Wash your face twice a day, morning and night. Washing with
a mild cleanser or soap (find one appropriate for your skin type) helps
to remove dead cells that can often clog pores and lead to break outs.
It is important to wash your face in the morning because of metabolic
activity during the night. There is also the pillow factor. Oils from
your hair can end up on your pillow which then end up on your face.
Washing your face at night is most important because of all the
environmental pollution (dirt, smoke, etc.) we encounter on a dialy
basis.
- Use lukewarm water to wash your face. Hot or cold water may
break the small capillaries in your face causing redness. Hot water can
aslo dry out skin.
- Always use an upward and outward motion. Whether you are
washing it, applying moisturizer, removing makeup, or getting a facial,
this will help fight the inevtiable effects of gravity.
- Once a week, use a facial mask. The best time to apply one
is after a bath or shower, when pores are open from the steam, and at
night when your skin works to repair itself and can get maximum
benefits from the mask.
-
For skin that continually suffers from itchiness and redness, consider using a homeopathic product that supports skin integrity. Natural ingredients can be used to promote healthy cell renewal. Look for ingredients such as Nat mur, Kali Mur, Kali sulph and Urtica. One product that combines all of these is Skin. Dr.. Products such as these can help to temporarily maintian the hydration and balance of the skin.
We hope you have found these home remedies for skin care
useful.
References:
"Healing Remedies" by Wilen and Wilen
"The Organic Pharmacy" by Marrone