Oatmeal Facial for Oily & Acne-Prone Skin

All you need are ground oats, buttermilk, egg white, ginger essential oil, and lemon essential oil. For the full recipe and instructions, click here. I have personally never tried the facial, but the ingredients seem promising.



OTHER FACIAL SCRUB RECIPES

Baking Soda for the Skin

I never had acne issues until now in my mid 20s. Maybe it's hormones. Maybe it's age. Eh. Either way, the teenage years of a blemish-free face are long gone and the days of adhering to a solid skin care routine are here to stay.

My current regimen includes internal (e.g., drinking water, minimizing sugar intake) and external (e.g., cleansing twice a day, exfoliating regularly) care. Both are critical and one does not prevail over the other. However, if there is one component of my routine that I absolutely cannot do without it is the baking soda facial wash. Many of you have probably heard about this technique, but I never realized how powerful it was until I returned to it last week. Amazingly enough, baking soda a day keeps the pimples away ... at least for me. No other cleanser has come close to doing this, and believe me, I've tried a LOT of cleansers.

So what does the baking soda facial wash entail? Simply pour some of your regular cleanser into the palm of your hand and mix with about a teaspoon of baking soda. Apply the concoction to your wet face and wash as usual. That's it! I do this nightly to remove dead skin cells, dirt, and oil that have collected on my face during the day. If you want to do without the cleanser and use the baking soda with water, go ahead. That method works as well. In addition to receiving a facial wash that is just as good -- if not better -- than your local store cleanser, you will save some change too. A box of baking soda is very inexpensive; I bought my recent one for about $0.47 at Target. Compare this to the $5, $10, or more spent on commercial cleansers!

The following link includes a simple recipe for a baking soda cleanser:
http://www.armhammer.com/mybody/body_tips.asp

Additionally, you can create a more intricate recipe involving baking soda, sunflower oil, and honey.

Skin Care ... Homemade Blemish Treatments

HONEY & NUTMEG SCAR REMOVER
"This treatment is meant to help heal the scars caused by skin eruptions, skin accidents, and acne." Honey has anti-bacterial properties, and some claim it has scar healing characteristics as well.

Instructions: Combine 1 teaspoon of nutmeg with 1 teaspoon of honey, and mix them together. Apply the mixture to your face and leave it on for 20 minutes. Then, rinse it off with cool water. Use this honey and nutmeg scar remover twice a week. Click here for a video tutorial.

Additional notes: The above recipe may work best on fresh scars. You can also try mixing honey with cinnamon. Some people swear by this concoction for zapping pimples.


CITRUS BLACKHEAD TREATMENT
"Removing blackheads can easily be done with lemon. Citrus naturally exfoliates, which makes lemon useful when it comes to fighting blackheads in your cleansing routine."

Instructions: Cut the lemon in half then rub it directly on your face before going to bed. You can also extract lemon juice with a citrus reamer, remove the seeds and then add 2 tablespoons of rosewater. Mix the lemon juice and rosewater together and your tonic will be more fragrant. Click here for a video tutorial.

Additional notes: The vitamin C in citrus fruits "can also fade brown spots" and even the skin complexion due to its antioxidant and brightening properties.


TOOTHPASTE PIMPLE SHRINKER
"Dehydrates the pimple and absorbs the oil." It works for me and may work for you. Beware if you have sensitive skin though; some people report increased redness and irritation.

Instructions: Before going to bed, wash and moisturize your face as usual. Apply enough toothpaste on the pimple to cover it completely. You may experience a temporary burning sensation. Do not rinse off until the morning. I have better results with creamy toothpaste over the gel versions. If I'm going out on the town, sometimes I do this treatment for about 10 minutes, and then wash it off with water.

Additional notes: "Be careful not to use a whitening toothpaste because they tend to have high levels of hydrogen peroxide that may irritate or burn the skin."

SOURCES:
HONEY & BACTERIA #1
HONEY & BACTERIA #2
NATURAL SKIN CARE PRODUCTS
TOOTHPASTE & PIMPLES
HOME REMEDIES FOR ACNE
HONEY & SCARS

Building a Skin Care Regimen

Bombarded with hundreds of skin product commercials. Overwhelmed with packed shelves in skin care aisles. Product labels screaming "fights acne", "anti-aging", and "even complexion". How is one to know where to begin? This post will be one in a series exploring skin care.

WHERE TO BEGIN - BASIC SKIN CARE REGIMEN -

DAILY and NIGHTLY:
- Wash face with a cleanser
- Apply moisturizer

2-3x a WEEK:
- Wash face with a cleanser
- Exfoliate with a scrub (if cleanser does not already contain exfoliants)
- Apply moisturizer

INNER HEALTH:
- Drink sufficient water daily - water cleanses the body inside out
- Don't eat too much sugar - studies suggest that sugars induce acne

Why wash daily?
Need I elaborate on this?

Why wash nightly?
As the day progresses, the face may accumulate dirt, oil, sweat, and bacteria. This buildup on the skin may clog the pores if not washed away. Additionally, beauty products (e.g., makeup) applied to the face may break down into chemicals and attract bacteria that can be damaging to the skin. They too should be washed away at night.

Why exfoliate?
Exfoliating removes dead skin cells -- which contribute to clogged pores and acne -- that regular cleansers cannot. There is the option of following up a cleanser with an exfoliating scrub OR using an exfoliating cleanser.

What cleanser to use?
This depends on whether your skin is prone to dryness, oiliness, neither, a combination of the two, or acne. Learn your skin first. Then find a product that caters to it. There is no one answer to this question that will work for every skin.

What moisturizer to use?
Again, this depends on whether your skin is prone to dryness, oiliness, neither, a combination of the two, or acne. Learn your skin type.
It also depends on the weather and your age. For example, during sunny months, target moisturizers that contain an appropriate level of sunscreen. In your 20s and 30s, target moisturizers containing retinoids to delay the onset of wrinkles and repair collagen. For those experiencing hyperpigmentation, target moisturizers containing soy, vitamin C, or other ingredients (stay away from hydroquinone) for even complexion. If you have vitiligo, you may want to stay away from even complexion products.

Are toners necessary?
Short answer: No, but debatable. Many dermatologists say that toners are unnecessary. (See article link below.) However, I have found toners to be especially beneficial on days that I've worn heavy makeup. See what works for you.

UPCOMING SKIN-RELATED POSTS: Natural Skin Care; Sunscreen and Black Skin; and more

MORE READS:
ADULT ACNE
TONER
RETINOID
Natural Health Magazine, May 2008
SKIN CARE FOR ALL AGES
Essence Magazine, May 2008
and more