Creating care for your skin can be as simple as walking through the garden picking flowers and herbs, then making a smoothie.
This recipe is based on my first ever skin mask, created in my teens as I experimented with hands-on herbs. It’s great fun to do with children or grandchildren too.
Also - it’s not just for feminine faces!
Use it for bald heads, shaving rash skin or over-gardened hands.
Don’t have ANY of the herbs below right now? Hit reply and ask me what the herbs or flowers you DO have on hand will do for you!
Ingredients
¼ cup oats; rolled for convenience. Oats contain beta-glucans, soothing and calming polysaccharides.
¼ cup acidophilus yoghurt: yoghurt contains lactic acid, which relaxes wrinkles and helps dissolve dead skin cells, while balancing pH. It also contains probiotics to support the natural immune microbiota of the skin. It’s gentle astringent action makes it helpful for oily skin too.
1 handful Fresh herb:
Here’s where you customise it!
Use Rosefor a softening, astringent mask
UseMintto relax underlying tense muscles and stimulate circulation
UseRosemary for tired, pale dry skin
UseStrawberries for flushed, congested skin
Use Calendula flowers for inflamed or sun-damaged skin
UseParsleyand Violet leaves for sun-spots and weathered skin.
1/ Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. I use a mortar and pestle if I’m feeling particularly energetic!
2/ Lay a towel on your pillow...or if you’re masking hands, just have it ready on the bed.
3/ Have a shower to open pores and stimulate the capillaries underlying the skin.
4/ Put on some music
5/ Set a 15 minute timer
6/ Apply the mask. If it’s to your face, avoid the eye area. Consider adding a classic twist and apply teabags to your closed eyes...
7/ Lie down and focus on breathing long, slow breaths through your nose, to activate the sympathetic nervous system, which will relax and dilate your peripheral blood vessels as well as the muscles underlying the area you’re masking
8/ When the timer goes off, get up and wash away the mask with lukewarm water
9/ Admire the relaxed glowing skin
10/ Apply, at the least, a moisturiser. Or, apply a toner to increase hydration, a serum to add more oils and a moisturizer to lock them all in.
