Facial care recipes

Here is a note from Jessica R.

Here are a couple of recipes that I found on Pinterest that I have started using for my facial routine. Very low cost & I love how it makes my face feel.  Especially the cleaner.  Thought with the pampering night we had a couple months ago, these might come in handy!

So I have made the following my nightly routine:

• Cleanse face with oil cleanser.
• Use Skin Brightening Toner
• Apply coconut oil to dryer parts of skin.

When I wake up I rinse my face, use the toner & apply coconut oil.

I sometimes use the eye make up remover if I have a waterproof mascara or something that is harder to get off.  Otherwise, the oil cleanser gets it off just fine. 



1. Homemade Eye Make Up Remover

Ingredients:
1 C water
1½ TBSP Baby Shampoo (tear free)
⅛ TSP Coconut Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Materials:
Mixing Bowl
Measuring cup/spoons
Bottle to put finished product in (I used an empty medicine bottle; an empty baby oil bottle would work GREAT)

Directions:

Combine ingredients.
Stir.Pour into specified containers.

Verdict:

It works PERFECT! Actually better than some super expensive brands I’ve tried!
It doesn’t leave a greasy film like most, and takes off the make up in one swipe.

 http://www.kristanlynn.com/2011/05/diy-clean-eyes.html  Website where it came from to explain a little more, if people want to see that.


2. How to Clean Your Face Naturally

Alright, it might sound a little odd to clean your face with an oil, especially if you have oily skin. But contrary to popular belief, oil does not cause oily skin or acne. That culprit is usually a combination of hormones, trapped bacteria, and dirt.
Like your hair, the sebum that the skin secretes is actually good for your skin — it’s there to protect it from the outside environment, and to keep harmful things from seeping in. Since water doesn’t break up oil, most commercial cleansers are marketed with the “oil free” stamp of approval, making them easy to splash off.
When skin’s natural oils are removed, the body’s reaction is to compensate by producing more oil, much like shampoo does with our hair. Or if your skin is dry, it’s because all the oil has been stripped away, and your body doesn’t compensate by replenishing it.

How to Get Started

1. Make your cleaner

Simply mix the oils together in a small bottle, give it a little shake, and you’ve got yourself a homemade, frugal facial cleanser. The most popular blend of oils for this cleansing method is castor oil and extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO). The castor oil draws out dirt and other gunk from your pores.)Can be found by the laxatives in a drug store.)  The EVOO is a brilliant moisturizer, helping heal and nourish the skin, & I've read that if rubbed into the temples, can help alleviate insomnia.

• For those with normal skin, you could start off with a one-to-one ratio of castor oil and EVOO.

• For those with acne-prone or oily skin, reduce the proportion of EVOO, and try three parts castor oil to one part EVOO.
• For those with drier skin, start off with one part castor oil to three parts EVOO. 

(I use half coconut oil & half EVOO, I found the EVOO was a bit too oily & my face didn't like that.)-This is Jessica's version.

Experiment, and find what ratio works for you. Just start off with a little bit, and then try it for a few days. I began with one teaspoon of castor oil and three teaspoons of EVOO in a little squeeze bottle.

2. Gently rub it in

Pour a quarter-sized amount into your palm, rub your hands together, and slowly massage your skin with your fingertips. Don’t splash your face with water first — apply it dry. Work the oil into your skin for about a minute, and enjoy the peaceful massage at work. Don’t scrub — just rub.

3. Steam your face

Next, wet a washcloth with hot water (but not scalding!), and put it over your face until it’s about room temperature. This is steaming out your pores, removing the impurities and the dead skin cells. It’ll take about a minute — enjoy the nearly-free facial.

4. Wipe off the oil

Take the washcloth, rinse and wring it, then gently wipe off the oil. Your skin will probably feel softer immediately.

Enjoy the benefits

Photo by Macarena Alejandra
• If you’re like me, your skin will feel softer and look a bit brighter. It won’t feel tight, but it won’t be greasy, either. Olive oil has the same pH as human skin, so it’s the perfect cleansing balancer.
• The OCM also brilliantly removes makeup. It works better than the Clinique makeup remover I had been using. Much cheaper, too.
• You also probably won’t need to do this more than once per day. I do this at night, just before bed. In the morning, I simply splash my face with cold water to wake up. Every now and then, I’ll dab on a little bit of moisturizer, but I hardly need that anymore. I never thought I’d see that day.

Other beneficial oils

Castor oil and EVOO are carrier oils and work well, but other people have found great success with jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, and flaxseed oil, especially if their skin is very oily. I haven’t tried these personally, though.
If your skin is on the dry side, almond oil and evening primrose oil are also good carrier oils.
Tea tree essential oil is a natural antiseptic, and is great for clearing up acne. Try a few drops into your OCM mixture. Only use a few drops — a little goes a long way.

Website where this was taken from:  http://simplemom.net/oil-cleansing-method/


3. Skin Brightening Toner

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Lemon juice (I like to use freshly squeezed lemon juice-then I strain it to get all the big chunks of pulp out)

1 Cup Water

2/3 Cup Witch hazel (can purchase at any drug store)

Plastic bottle or jar

Facial toner recipe for those with normal to dry skin.

*For oily skin add 2 Tablespoons Alcohol*

STEP ONE: Mix ingredients in a bottle or jar.

STEP TWO: Cleanse skin with facial cleanser and rinse.

STEP THREE: Apply toner with a cotton pad, sweep upward and outward over entire face and neck.

STEP FOUR: Apply moisturizer.

Benefits:

Witch Hazel: Tightens pores and reduces inflammation.

Lemon Juice: Reduce blemishes and lightens skin.

Use facial toner both morning and night for a deeper cleanse, smaller pores and bright, radiant skin!

website where this is taken from:  http://shwinandshwin.blogspot.com/2010/10/skin-brightening-toner.html

Jessica again:

So I have made the following my nightly routine: 

• Cleanse face with oil cleanser.
• Use Skin Brightening Toner
• Apply coconut oil to dryer parts of skin.

When I wake up I rinse my face, use the toner & apply coconut oil. 

I have found that my face is softer & younger looking. I have been doing this for about 2 1/2 months & love it! People are free to come & feel how soft my face is, just ask before placing hands on face.