With harsh environmental factors giving our skin a beating all winter long, it’s time to give it a little tender loving care with some intensive natural remedies. Pamper your skin at least once a week with this anti-wrinkle regimen to rehydrate and rejuvenate in time for spring.
Eye area care
Whisk an egg white thoroughly and dab around the eyes. Leave on for 20-30 minutes. Rinse with tepid water. The proteins in the egg whites help decrease the appearance of wrinkles and tighten up the skin.
Face and neck care
Exfoliator
Lemons are great exfoliators because of their high acidity. Juice half a lemon and use a cotton ball to dab two tablespoons of the juice around the face. It helps slough off dead skin while also softening it at the same time, making it a great wrinkle fader.
Cleanser
A combination of honey and castile soap is a great way to hydrate your skin and freshen it at the same time. Honey contains glycolic acid, which is a key ingredient in many over-the-counter skincare products for its wrinkle-fighting capacity.
Combine ¹∕₃ cup of each: water or lime juice, raw honey and castile soap (with coconut oil). Apply to face (if you have extra just be sure to use it up within a day or so). The castile soap should make the mixture frothy enough to lather onto face and neck. Remove with a wet wash cloth for an exfoliating effect, or just rinse with cool water.
Mask
Both bananas and yoghurt are incredibly moisturising. Mix them together and they make for a super face mask. Combine one mashed banana with one tablespoon of whole-milk yoghurt in a bowl. Spread small amounts on face and neck until fully covered. Leave on for twenty minutes, then remove with a washcloth and warm water. Follow up with an all-natural toner.
Also, another mask consisting of one mashed avocado with a teaspoon of raw honey will do wonders for skin in need of repair. Both ingredients are excellent at repairing skin damage. Simply massage the mix onto face and neck. Leave for 10-15 minutes and then rinse with cool water.
Toner
For dry winter skin, apple cider vinegar is a surprisingly good ingredient to finish off a daily or nightly skincare regimen. It contains alpha hydroxy acids which prevent the build-up of dead skin that lead to the creation of fine lines and wrinkles. Mix one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with four tablespoons of water. Using a cotton ball, simply dab a small amount all over face after each cleansing. Do not rinse. Follow up with moisturiser.
A small aloe plant is as valuable in a kitchen as it is on your vanity table. Cut one small leaf at its fattest part and squeeze out the rubbery flesh, known as the aloe vera. Rub all over face or directly to wrinkles to help repair damaged cells and smooth out any wrinkles. Rinse with cool water and follow up with moisturiser.
Moisturiser
Moisturisers don’t have to be complicated, but they do need to work. Two of the best ones for the face and neck are coconut oil and olive oil. Measure one tablespoon of either oil and massage into face and neck. Add a dash of Vitamin E oil around the eyes, which is a powerful antioxidant with skin-repair qualities. Blot out any excess oil with tissues.
Yvonne Maffei is a food writer, recipe developer and culinary consultant at MyHalalKitchen.com
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