Posts from — February 2009

To continue on the subject of organic skin care not needing to be expensive (link) I decided to dedicate another post to a do it yourself skin care. Specifically, today I’d like to talk about strawberry.

Yes. I know it’s still the dead of winter. But there will come a time when strawberry will be cheap and abundant. And wouldn’t you want to be prepared?

Besides, for some stranger reason strawberry has been on sale this past couple of weeks in all my grocery stores. I know it isn’t local or anything. But delicious strawberry this time a year really helps to take the blues away… And makes summer seem more real.

Now how does strawberry tie to organic skin care?

First of all, it is a natural exfoliant. Its gentle acidic nature can take care of all those flaky dead cells on top of the skin. It’s salicylic acid is a good combatant for acne and black heads. Strawberry also has antiseptic and skin lighting properties.

Plus it has all those wonderful vitamins and antioxidants. And don’t forget folic acid, which is essential for healthy new cells! No wonder strawberry is such a star in the do it yourself skin care department. 

So how to go about making a strawberry mask?

It really is easy.  You don’t even need any special skills or tools. In fact, it’s so easy and cheap that I still don’t understand why would anybody go to an expensive salon and pay hundreds of dollars for a skin mask…

If you have oily skin, all you need is strawberry and a fork. Just mush it up and apply on your skin for 15 to 20 minutes. Than rinse with lukewarm water.

If your skin is dry, add sunflower oil to the mush (1:1). Leave the mask on your face for 15 – 20 minutes. (You can also use olive or corn oil).

Strawberry juice is a great skin lightener. It’s effective for freckles and other spots. Just squeeze the juice out of the berries, then using a cotton ball spread the juice on the face.

And here are a couple of slightly more elaborate recipes:

Mix 5 strawberries with 1 table spoon of milk and one tea spoon of honey. Blend it into a state of purée. Spread the mixture on your face for 15 to 20 minutes. Gently wash off with warm water using a cotton ball.

For dry skin you may also try mixing a few strawberries with one teaspoon of sour cream and one teaspoon honey. This is especially good for flaky skin.

You can also use cream (2-3 teaspoons) and milk (1 tbl spoon or so).

I hope you enjoy these recipes and feel more summery too! Treat yourself to a natural skin care spa. It will cost you a few cents at most. Which is a great thought to help you relax and enjoy being pampered guilt free.

I was inspired by a fellow Julie’s post Healthy Food on a Thrifty Budget to write a similar list for organic skin care. For it is remarkable how many people think that organic skin care has to cost you hundreds of dollars. It really doesn’t. That myth is perpetuated by celebrities (who can afford to spend all they want on looking pretty) and companies that create endless “10 steps” program and making you believe that you need all the products on their list to see the benefits.

Organic skin care can be simple. Organic skin care can be inexpensive. And best of all, it is always good for you.

So here is a list of tips that will help you enjoy natural products and stay on the budget at the same time. It isn’t in any particular order, so be sure to read through the whole thing!

1. Make your own skin care preparations. This way you control the purity of ingredients and it will cost virtually nothing. There are many recipes online and books in the library. My favorite tip is still the one about using oatmeal as an exfoliant and a cleanser . Use cucumber to take care of dark circles under your eyes and use parsley for a whole range of applications. These ingredients are probably already in your house anyways, so the cost of a facial pampering procedure would be complete zero.

2. Use fewer products overall. You probably don’t need a toner. You don’t need a mask for all occasion (and for rare occasions where you need one – find a recipe and do it yourself). You don’t even need a night cream! Did you know that Dr. Hauschka don’t even make a night cream? The point is your skin needs some rest and night time is the best time for it.

3. Don’t buy into the “you must use our whole line of products” routine. You don’t. Pick and chose what you need.

4. Use less of the product you are using. If you are using a moisturizer and your skin feels fine – apply less now and then or skip a day. If your skill looks fine and the exfoliant bottle says you should do it two to three times a week – don’t bother. Of course the people who sell it want you to run through the product faster. But if you feel fine – let it be.

5. Look for samples of the products you want to try. Almost all the manufacturers supply them to the stores. If your particular store doesn’t have a sample, write to the manufacturer. There is no point investing in a fancy new cream if you have no idea what to expect – it’ll just dust away on your beauty counter.

6. Invest in a good moisturizer. This might sound counterintuitive, but by getting a good main product you’ll prevent many other issues that will require you to spend on corrective measures in the future. Those who’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know I’m fanatical about Dr. Hauschka Quince Day Cream. But you may like something else, of course. We are all different…

7. Eat better. Now this is common sense, isn’t it? Your skin is a mirror of your health. The more you take care on the inside, the less you’ll need to worry about the outside. Cut out junk and load up on fresh fruits and vegetables. Nothing is better at supplying you with all those anti-aging antioxidants. And if you want to eat healthy on a budget, read Julie’s post on how to do so.

8. Drink plenty of water. It’s the best moisturizer yet invented.

9. Eat almonds. Small wonder that so many under-eye creams use almond butter as a key ingredient. It’s a proven anti-wrinkle warrior. For greatest effect soak them overnight in pure water. This makes them easier to digest.

10. Get plenty of fresh air (but use sunscreen, of course).

11. To prevent wrinkles, gently rub your face with an ice cube in the morning. Yes, it’s probably an advice from your grandma’s days, but it still works.

12. Remind yourself over and over again that perfect skin on magazine photos are an illusion. They are heavily photoshopped. Just look at this photo magic. Nobody looks that flawless. So don’t kill yourself over it.

I hope these tips are going going to help you pamper yourself without feeling guilty. And if you have more ideas, be sure to share them in the comments section!