Category — Homemade Tips

Let your face have its oatmeal for breakfast. Yup, you read it right. The face. Oatmeal. For breakfast.

Haven’t you noticed how many skin care brands are boasting boldly that their products contain oatmeal? Why is that? Simple. Oatmeal is a wonder grain. It does wonders for your skin and its properties have been known for ages. It’s a fantastic natural cleanser, scrubber, exfoliant, toner, soother, nourisher… you name it.

So, how exactly do we treat our skin with this divine delicacy?

First, buy some nice organic plain rolled oats. Of course I say organic cause this is an organic skin care site. But if by some strange chance you are still not into organics (oh, come on now!) but ended up on this site, just use regular oats. But please, no instants! And no flavored anything! Ok, now that we’ve sorted that out – buy organic plain rolled oats. Either whole or crashed. If you bought the biggish looking ones, grind them a bit in the coffee grinder or equivalent (I use Magic Bullet). Not so small that they turn into flour. You want little particles for the scrubbing. So just a few spins should do the trick.

Transfer the mix into a sealable container. Take the container into the bathroom where you do your morning face routine. Put it there. Wait till morning.

In the morning, as you are about to wash your lovely face, open the magic container. Splash some water on your face to give it a wet start. Take a fistful of oats (pour into your hand – don’t get all the other oats wet! Or dry your hands first…) and run a bit of water into it, so that it soaks and turns into a mush. (You can also soak it up in some other container. But I use my fist, cause I always forget to bring containers upstairs, and I’m too lazy to go looking for them in the morning.) Then gently massage the mixture into your skin, using small circular motions. Be tender. Don’t squeeze or rub. Avoid the eye area. Work a little more diligently on trouble areas (around the nose, forehead). You can leave it on for a little while (five minutes or so) or wash it right away. (I wash it off with lukewarm water, and then rinse my face with cool water.) After that apply your moisturizer.

This will gently exfoliate, clean, soothe and nourish your skin all at once. It will also brighten dark spots, lighten out freckles and marks, and tone down inflammations.

I have been diligently using this method for a few days now, trying to combat the dandruffy/pimply/look-at-me-I-am-so-red-I-want-a-job-as-a-stop-sign forehead atrocity. And guess what? This morning my husband commented that my skin looks so even, what am I up to? (He has noticed the oatmeal jar in the bathroom, but must’ve thought that it was there for my secret midnight snack…) In fact, at this rate of improvement, my face will soon be competing with my imaginary porcelain doll collection.

This method is good for all skin types. And all budgets. And all skill sets. And all ages.

So treat your skin to a healthy oatmeal breakfast. It will thank you.

I saw a commercial today touting the latest “skin care” innovation with a cucumber “essence”. Got me thinking – if an essence of cucumber is supposed to be so powerful, why not go for the source? The best organic cucumber skin care product is readily available in your local organic produce aisle. Next time you’re shopping, just pick an extra one, and experiment.

But first, here are some interesting facts about cucumbers:

• Cucumber’s official scientific name is “Cucumis sativus” and it belongs to the same family as squash.

• There are many beneficial nutrients (as well as fiber) in the tough cucumber skin. However, main-stream cucumbers you see in a regular produce isle are frequently covered in insect, animal or petroleum-based wax, which offsets the benefits in my books, especially given that you never know which one it is. (So buy organic!)

• Cucumber’s flesh is mostly water, but it also contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and caffeic acid – these nutrients help soothe skin irritations and reduce swelling. Which is the primary reason cucumber has been a “skin care” product since the beginning of time.

• Cucumber is a great source of silica, which is an essential component of healthy connective tissue. Cucumber juice (as a source of silica) is great for improving complexion and health of skin, plus it is naturally hydrating.

• Also, it is great at restoring your overall pH towards nicer alkalinity (for those of you interested in the pH dietary philosophy, here is a sample link http://www.snyderhealth.com/).

So, what can this green magician do for you? Here are some ideas:

• Cucumber is a natural cleanser. So next time you want to wash your face, mix half a cup of milk with one table spoon of cucumber juice and use it as a cleanser. This mixture can store for up to one day in a fridge. This will clean, tone, and refresh your skin all at once.

• Applying cucumber juice to your face can lighten the skin and minimize freckles (though I personally think that freckles are pretty… )

• If your face gets sweaty, wipe it with a cucumber slice periodically throughout the day.

• Slices of cucumber are indispensable for dark circles and especially under-eye bags (puffiness). Lie down, put couple of slices on your eyes, making sure they touch the puffy areas, and give it 10 – 15 minutes. This is a very old trick, and it still works (and always will).

• To soften tough skin, mix a table spoon of cucumber juice with a table spoon of almond butter (naturally, presuming you are not allergic to almonds). Spread the mass on your face, and then rinse it with lukewarm or cold water.

• Freeze some cucumber and then thaw it. Apply the resulting mush to deep wrinkles around the mouth, or other trouble spots.

• For a nourishing mask take one teaspoon of sour-cream, one teaspoon shredded cucumber and one egg yolk. Mix well and apply to your face for 10 - 15 minutes. Rinse with cool water.

See, you don’t always need the expensive “latest” inventions. A little ingenuity, and a simple cucumber will work wonders on your skin.

Of course, you can also eat it, and let it work the magic from the inside…