How To Use Items From Your Kitchen For Your Skin And Hair
Posted: Monday, January 04, 2010
by Angela Carter
Coastal Health Information Services
The things you have in your pantry won't solve every skin problem, but they work for maintenance. &
Honey
Honey can be used as a simple mask to heal skin and draw moisture to it. Apply a thin layer of honey to your face, then sitting in front of a fan for 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse with warm water. Honey has natural antimicrobial agents that kills bacteria on the skin. Honey is loaded with minerals that nourish the skin and enzymes to slough off dead skin cells. It is good for every skin type. It doesn't have to be expensive, local honey works too and you will be supporting local honey producers.
Olive oil
Sophia Loren, and many women from the Mediterranean, use olive oil to keep their youthful, glowing skin. Ms Loren added it to her bath water and rubbed it into her skin every day. Olive oil has some big benefits for skin and hair, it's a natural moisturizer rich in anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agents. It also contains the lipid squalere, that is beneficial to dry skin. Olive oil can also be used as a deep-conditioning treatment for your hair and scalp by massaging it in and let it sit for about 20 minutes before you are to shower, then you shampoo your hair as usual.
You should choose a high-grade, organic extra-virgin olive oil, whether you are using it for cooking or skin and hair. The plant has come in contact with pesticides or industrial chemicals and the oils can concentrate any of these. You are multiplying your exposure when you don't choose organic because there are many olives in one tablespoon of olive oil.
Avocado
You should increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants for all around good health. You can have all of that, including vitamin E, with avocados. Naturally rich in nutrients, avocados get into your skin quickly when applied topically. There is so much oil in them that they make a great pick-me-up for dry or dehydrated skin. You can mash up half an avocado, stir in a tablespoon of honey and then apply the mixture onto clean skin for 10 minutes to 15 minutes. You will notice an instant glow.
Almonds
Peals or microdermabrasion damages the skin, and over time the skin will get thinner and weaker, or develop scar tissue. Ex-foliation is important and the key is to keep it gentle. Ground almonds are soft but abrasive enough to lift off the dead skin layer and they're full of a great deal of healthy oils. Want to make your own almond scrub? All you have to do is throw a few nuts into a coffee grinder and process until you have a semi-course meal. Then add a little water and honey and message the paste into clean skin, using a circular motion.
Lemon
Oily and acne-prone skin needs special care. Lemons contain alpha-hydroxy acids, that act like a gentle ex-foliate for oiler skins.
Cut the lemon juice with a little water to help protect the skin, apply the toning mixture directly to clean skin with a cotton ball. The acidic lemon can help maintain the skins proper pH level and restore the natural lipid barrier when the skin becomes to alkaline(dry) and its moisture barrier starts to break down.
Chamomile
Chamomile is a natural calming herb and when you make a tea and let it cool it works wonders on rosecia and sensitive skin. It also works on irritated skin that has been over ex-foliated or exposed to the elements. All you have to do is be sure you keep a spray bottle of the tea in the refrigerator and mist it on when you need to soothe your skin or freshen up your complexion. You can also use it on your hair as a clarifying rinse or soak cotton pads with the teal and place on your eye lids for a soothing eye treatment. Make sure you use purified water because chlorine from tap water will undo the good properties found in chamomile.
Rosemary
Rosemary has anti-inflammatory properties, and mixing 15 drops of essential oil of rosemary with 4 oz. of carrier oil, such as almond oil, you will get a massage oil that relieves the pain from arthritis and any other muscle ache you may have. I have fibromyalgia pain all over my body and when I use this massage oil my pain levels will ease completely. Rosemary essential oil, like Lavender oil, relaxes you and helps to ease you into sleep, so when you wake up, your pain has subsided considerably or possibly even gone.
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