Before you use any of these receipts, wash your face normally. Look at your face and if you see the problems that these concoctions are designed to help, go for it. Otherwise, do not over tax your skin with these or any other preparations. Soap and water for most people is the best way to help your skin clean and healthy. If you see dry skin, oily skin or a combination problem, go for it. By the way, oily skin sometimes likes the oil and dry skin sometimes likes the oatmeal. Have fun!
For combination skin with little flakies
Honey, lemon juice and rose water-
Heat 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to where it is just uncomfortable to your finger. Stir in 1 tablespoon of honey until it dissolves. If it does not dissolve completely, do not worry. Stir in 1 teaspoon of rosewater. As the mixture is cooling, take a washcloth and soak it in a bowl of warm water. Steaming water will work better, but is not necessary.
Place the washcloth over your face. It might help to be sitting for this. When the cloth cools, warm it in the water again. Place the cloth over your face again, moving it whenever you warm it to another part of your face or neck. If you want to, put some rosewater in the bowl of water to help the cleansing, but it is not necessary.
After you have used the washcloth over all of your face, check the honey mixture. If it is cool to the touch, it is ready to use. Start spreading it over your face and neck with your fingers or a corner of the washcloth. Try not to get any in your hair. It is impossible to get out without washing your hair. When you have spread it over your face, let it sit for at least five minutes. If it feels as though it is running down your face, just pat it back until the five minutes has elapsed.
You will need as hot of a water as you can get in the bowl. Let it cool until you can stand it. use the washcloth, or a clean one, the same way you did before, placing the steaming cloth over your face and wiping off the honey mixture. Do not miss any of it or else when it dries it will feel awful. Do not ‘scrub’ at any place on your face! It will encourage oil and bacteria.
When you have removed all of the honey mixture (it may take ten to twenty minutes), rinse the cloth in cold water and place it over you face as before. The heat opened your pores, the cold closes them. The honey has enzymes in it to soften the skin, the lemon juice balances the pH of your skin and encourages the pores to close and the rose water is slightly drying without being overly so. If you want to, wash your face and neck as usual. Do not use this wash more than once a week. Also, do not go out immediately after using this concoction into city air, it will attack your clean skin.
Very oily skin-strawberries and oatmeal and milk (whey)
Use fresh strawberries for this receipt. If you use frozen, they usually have lots of sugar which will not help you and your pores. The oatmeal can be instant, but steel-cut or other oatmeal will work. If you cannot get a hold of whey, like curds and whey, regular 1% or 2% milk will do. Do not use skim or whole milk. If you make your own cream cheese, use the whey from that.
Soak the oatmeal, about 1/2 cup, in 1 and a half cup of whey until it is mushy. Do not cook or heat in any way. Crush the strawberries either with a spoon or in a blender. You will need about 1/2 cup of strawberry goop to use. Mix the strawberries into the oatmeal mush until it is as smooth as you can get.
Steam your face with a washcloth. Use as warm of a water as you can stand without hurting yourself. Steam your face and neck. If you want, put in a little rose water into your steaming water.
Using your fingers (a spoon will not work as well), spread the mixture over your face and neck. It will be messy. Use an old towel or clothes to limit the mess. Keep massaging gently after you get all of it on your face and neck until about ten minutes has elapsed. Try not to snack on it, but it will not do you any harm if you do eat some.
Wipe off the oatmeal mixture with a dry cloth. It might be good to take a shower or bath at this point. If you do not, steam your face as you did before to prepare the surface of your face. Then place a cold washcloth over your face to close the pores. You should do this even if you do take a shower.
The heat opens your pores to let the oil and dirt out. The oatmeal soaks up the oil and also has softening agents in it. The milk also softens skin and whey has a slightly drying and bleaching action. The strawberries are very acidic and get rid of low level bacterial infections in pores, but only if it is used sparingly and with FRESH berries. The cold cloth at the end closes the pores.
Very dry skin-olive oil and honey
Heat about 1 cup of olive oil to just where it is uncomfortable to put a finger in. Do not let it burn or turn color. If it has, do not use for a facial wash. Try stir-fry. Take about 1/2 tablespoon of honey and mix into the olive oil to dissolve. Do not continue to heat once the honey is in the olive oil. It will cook, not making a good facial anything.
Wash your face as usual, using cold or tepid water. Using your fingers, pat the olive oil on your face where it is driest. Start there and spread the olive oil around your face and neck until you have a light layer on your face. Do not try to layer anymore on, it will just drip. Let it sit for about five minutes and wash your face again. At the same time you are doing your face, do your hands, legs, feet, whatever seems to be dry right then. Wash the oil off well without ‘scrubbing’ the skin.
Wipe with a cold washcloth to keep your pores closed. The oil, being warmed, soaks into your skin easier than cold oil. It softens your skin and is known not to clog pores too much. If you have a problem after you have used this for a few times, do not use it again until you can talk with a doctor, midwife or herbalist. You might not actually be subject to dry skin, just drying soaps. The honey softens the skin and keeps the balance of the skin.
Have fun with these and remember to be careful with these or any receipts for health and beauty.
Chef Rena