When you find yourself with an unexpected night to yourself, a spa treatment and chick flick might be just what the evening calls for. While you can order dinner in, you may hard pressed to find a spa that delivers. Don’t let that stop you from a rejuvenating evening. Open your pantry and refrigerator and discover a fresh take on beauty treatments.
Cleaners
You can use a number of ingredients from your kitchen to strip your skin of impurities and scrub it of dead skin cells and stubborn dirt. Fruit juices with vitamin C are acidic and dissolve grime. The vitamin C also delivers healing properties to the skin. Puree your favorite smelling, or tasting, fruits, such as lemon, orange, kiwi, apples or other seasonal options. You can add some honey, which is a natural antibacterial agent. To exfoliate, grind some nuts, such as almonds, or some whole oats. Mix this with the fruit mixture. Rub down the face with this gentle cleanser. Remember that the fruit in this mix will ferment and go bad quickly so keep it in the refrigerator. If there is too much, you can always pour it over some yogurt for a snack while you let it sit on your face for 10 to 20 minutes. Rinse with cool water.
Moisturizers
After removing all the junk from your face, it is important that you moisturize to prevent drying. This is especially useful in the winter or in a dry climate. The honey in your cleansing agent will help you keep your skin moist. Fresh aloe vera will also accomplish this task of both cleaning and moistening. Avocados and bananas are nutritious, soft snacks that can smoothed onto your face after a good scrubbing. Smash them together and cover your face. Close your eyes and place a cucumber on each eye. Relax to your favorite music and take a quick 20-to-30 minute nap. By the time you wake up, your face will be moisturized and refreshed. Gently rinse or wipe the moisturizer from your face and pat your face dry.
Other Body Parts
For a tougher exfoliant, mix table salt or sugar with a moistening agent, such as your favorite oil, until you make a paste. During your shower or bath, scrub down your elbows, knees, feet, hands and any other callused places. Rinse away the scrub. Cover those spots in your avocado and banana mixture if you have some leftover. You can also make a simple moisturizer with olive or coconut oil. Drop in a few drops of your favorite essential, be it lavender, rose or mint. Moisturize your skin with this mixture whenever it starts to feel dry.
Photo Credit
- Avocado image by Silvia Bogdanski from Fotolia.com
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