These natural, nourishing facial and body DIY skincare treatments each take a maximum of five minutes to prepare. Using food for skincare is not new, it is a great fun way to connect with your teenager for a homemade pamper session, as I did with these homemade lavender soap. Check out the cupboards and you will find many of the ingredients that you need for homemade skincare.
Creating one’s own delectable, effective and natural DIY skincare treatments using food for skincare like bananas, papaya, sugar, aloe vera, avocado, lemongrass, and honey will be faster than the time needed to read this article. Plus these homemade skincare recipes are additive-free and are also cheap to make and use. Plus you know exactly what you are putting in your DIY skincare treatments.
Knowing what you are putting on your skin is really important so choose wisely. Natural is always best and this includes Skin Care By Alana
Tip: Tie hair back or wrap head in a towel before applying DIY skincare homemade face masks to keep hair clean. Prepare a towel on the bed or a deck chair for lying down during facials. This post helps with clear skin too.
Food For Skincare
Bananas
As well as being friendly to irritable bowels, ripened bananas make an excellent moisturizer for dry or tired skin.
How: Peel one banana. Smash it with the back of a spoon in a bowl until it is lump-free. If desired, squeeze a few drops of lemon juice into the mix. Apply the sticky mixture to face or any exposed skin that needs moisturizing and lie down for fifteen minutes and relax. Wash mixture off after fifteen minutes and pat skin dry with a clean towel. Feel the effects of rehydrated, supple skin after this homemade skincare treatment.
Sugar
Sugar granules make an excellent base for a skin exfoliant. White sugar granules scrub dead skin cells to leave the skin smooth and clean.
How: To make a DIY facial scrub, place a tablespoon of white sugar in a bowl. Add any of the following to create a paste consistency: a tablespoon of honey, mashed papaya, or olive oil. Mix sugar with the wet ingredient. Dampen face or other body parts and scrub with gentle, circular movements. Wash scrub off with water and pat dry with a clean towel.
Adding lavender or rosemary oil or chopped fresh herbs will give a delicious scent to the mixture and sooth the skin.
The sugar mixed with honey or with olive oil mixture can be refrigerated for one week.
Honey
Another sweet skincare treat, honey is an essential ingredient for the home facial armory. Honey both moisturizes and when mixed with oatmeal, it also exfoliates.
How: To create a gentle, natural DIY exfoliating mask, mix 2 tablespoons of honey with 1 tablespoon of oatmeal until the two ingredients form a paste. This is sufficient for a lovely, soothing scrub. Apply to face and lie down for ten minutes, smile, and relax. Wash face and pat dry with a clean towel. Throw the “waste” outside for some soon-to-be happy birds. Who knew that food for skincare was so easy!
Aloe
Arguably the “king” of natural skincare ingredients, aloe is also a constituent of many manufactured skincare products. Fresh aloe is particularly effective applied to acne or troubled skin over several days. Its antiseptic and healing properties will also soothe sunburn and minor itches.
How: Split open one a piece of aloe leaf and rub over affected skin. It can feel itchy, initially, but this will subside in a few minutes. There is no need to wash the aloe off.
Mix one mashed aloe leaf with a one-two teaspoons of a nut oil or olive oil to create a moisturizer. Apply to face. This homemade skincare mix will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.
Papaya
If aloe is king, then papaya is the queen of natural skincare. Its royal secret is its amino acids which, when applied to skin, exfoliate dead skin and help heal troubled acne-prone skin, leaving it unbelievably smooth. The results can be seen for days as “problem” areas begin to clean up. Papaya is a great weapon for treating troubled skin.
How: Only a small piece is needed for one facial. Slice a papaya and discard the seeds (the seeds contain anti-parasitic properties, actually, and can be crushed and taken to rid the body of parasites). Slice a piece from one half of the fruit and mash in a small bowl. Apply the smooth fruit to the face or affected area. Lie down somewhere quiet for fifteen minutes and let the acids work their magic. Wash, pat face dry and leave skin alone. Watch what happens over the next twenty-four hours as problem skin begins to heal and renew itself.
Lemongrass
Essential to the cuisines of Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia, Lemongrass (called “fevergrass” in parts of Africa) is used in both skincare preparations and also to fight flu.
How: To make a homemade skincare foot or body scrub, mix two tablespoons of white sugar with two tablespoons of honey or olive oil and add three stalks of chopped lemongrass. Mix well then scrub over your damp or wet body as desired. It’s lovely to do this in the shower.
To ease the pain of a cold or fever, place a handful of chopped lemongrass in a large bowl or pot of how water and inhale the steam. Alternatively, to bring relief to sore throats, make and drink lemon grass tea by steeping a tablespoon of chopped lemongrass in hot water for two minutes. This is a common cold remedy in South East Asia.
Avocado
A silky avocado face mask will hydrate and plump the most exhausted skin. It tastes yummy too.
How: Mash a slice of fresh avocado to a smooth paste in a small bowl. It can be used straight, like this. Or, add a teaspoon of honey or a few drops of lemon or lime and mix then apply to face or neck. Lie back and relax for fifteen minutes. Wash face gently. Pat dry with a clean towel.
These homemade skincare recipes will leave your skin feeling great and revitalised. This is a fun activity to do with your teenager and a great way to promote some chat and bonding time. Using food for skincare is not new but we do forget that made superfoods have a positive effect on the outside of our body as well as the inside!
