Food Masks
Have you ever thought about using food on the outside of your body? Seems silly, huh? Well, there are a lot of articles about food that you eat for your health but some food can actually be good when applied to the outside of your skin also. There are a couple of foods that really help the skin that I want to highlight.
Avocado is one great food for the outside of the skin as it is full of essential oils and B and E vitamins. It contains niacin which is an anti-inflammatory, meaning it will help with swelling and puffy, irritated skin. A home recipe for a face mask is ½ avocado, 1 cup Greek yogurt and 1 cup berries (any kind). Put all 3 ingredients in a blender, mix and then apply to your face, leaving it on for about 20 minutes. This helps brighten your skin for a fabulous day!
Rice is also a food to be used on the outside of your skin. Rice can be a way to naturally lighten brown spots on the skin. The rice starch helps smooth skin.
-Rice bran oil promotes the production of collagen in the skin and can be found in health food stores. It contains squalene which is a strong antioxidant. It can be used around the delicate part of the eye to help reduce wrinkles.
-Rice bran powder can be used as an exfoliant. Put the rice bran powder directly on a wet face cloth and use a circular motion to scrub away dead skin. Then rinse your face.
-Rice water can be used as a skin toner and is easy to make at home. Simply boil rice (not instant) until the rice is soft. Drain away the extra water and cool it in the refrigerator. Then apply with a cotton ball directly on your skin to smooth and tone your skin.
How about tomatoes? Tomatoes can be used on the outside of your skin to help reduce large pores and acne! To reduce large pores use 1 tbsp fresh tomato juice and 2 tbsp fresh lime juice. Mix and then use a cotton call to apply to the skin. Leave it on for 15 minutes then rinse your face with water.
For mild acne apply fresh cut tomatoes to the skin. The acid in the tomatoes helps to reduce dirt and clean acne. A combination of avocado and tomatoes can be used to help get rid of blackheads on the skin. Mix the two well together and use as a pack on the face for 20-30 minutes. If your skin is inflamed from sun or just red and irritated, combining ½ tomato with 2 tablespoons of yogurt is a good way to sooth the skin naturally. It may help reduce inflammation. Using tomato juice with honey is a way to get the skin fresh and glowing. Mix the two to make a paste and leave on the skin for 15 minutes.
How about cherries? A paste of mashed cherries on the skin is a wonderful way to give your skin a nice soft feel. Cherries are full of antioxidants. The acids in the cherries help to dissolve the human glue that keeps dead skin on the face. Just remember to get rid of the pits first before mashing!
Lemon juice is a natural antiseptic for the skin. I found a recipe with cold cooked oatmeal and lemon juice. Mix 1 cup oatmeal and 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice to make a paste. Leave it on the skin for 20 minutes then rinse with cool water. If your skin becomes too dry then don’t use this mask, try another one mentioned above as you may have dry skin. Lemon is good to remove dirt and oils form the skin.
Honey is also great to add to any mask for your face and has many benefits. it is a good cleanser, it’s antiseptic, it’s a good moisturizer, it can protect the skin from the sun and it helps prevent wrinkles. Honey can be added to other foods to make a mask like avocado, lemon, oatmeal and yogurt or be used alone.
So the next time you are in the grocery store, expand your grocery list to include some of the ingredients above for healthy, smooth skin. Remember to use products carefully as we all react differently. Also, be patient as natural products may show results slowly because they are natural.
That blender isn’t just for margaritas anymore!