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Miss Bodyline's advice column

Home made beauty treatment

It’s the festive season again and social gatherings and parties are doing the rounds. Of course you want to look your best. Hence, it is a good idea to keep sometime to give yourself a home facial. It helps to keep the skin in a good condition and also to counteract the effects of pollution and dirt.
Here is an excellent home facial to refresh and rejuvenate your skin.
First take a head band or scarf, place it just above the forehead, along the hairline and tie it at the back just above the neck. This is to protect the hair.
Start by cleansing the skin thoroughly. Choose the cleanser according to your skin type - gel/cream cleanser for normal to dry skin; cleansing milk or lotion for normal to oily and combination skin. Apply it on the face. Take cotton wool pads, wet them and squeeze out the water. Using these, wipe your skin with upwards and outwards strokes. On the forehead, use strokes from just above the bridge of the nose, going on either side towards the temples, following a gentle arc. Pay special attention to the corners of the nostrils and don’t forget the neck area. Wash the face with plenty of water.
While the face is still damp, apply a facial scrub for deep pore cleansing. This is particularly good for oily skins and blackheads. However, if you have spots, pimples, acne, rashes or any eruptions, avoid using a scrub. Facial scrubs are easily available nowadays. You can also use home ingredients, like almond meal, oats, or rice flour. Add a little rose water and apply on the skin. Rub the skin gently with it and wash the face with plain water.
If you have a normal to dry skin, nourishing should come next. Apply the nourishing cream with wet hands and massage the cream into the skin, using outwards and upwards strokes. Use extremely gentle strokes for the area around the eyes, using only your ring finger. The motion should be outwards and care should be taken to see that the skin is not pulled or stretched. For the neck, use strokes from the chin downwards. Continue the massage for three to four minutes and wipe your skin with damp cotton wool or a clean, moist face towel. Avoid applying cream if the skin is oily, but nourish the neck area.
Next, apply a face mask. Mix together two teaspoons ground almonds, half-teaspoon rose water, half-teaspoon curd and half-teaspoon honey into a paste. This is suitable for all skin types. However, do not apply the mask if there is acne. Apply this on the face, leaving out the area around the eyes. Take two cotton wool pads and soak them in rosewater, for eye pads. While the mask dries, lie down, close your eyes and put the eye pads on the eyelids. Allow your body to relax. This kind of relaxation is a beauty treatment in itself.
After 20 to 30 minutes, wash off the face mask with water. Next, soak cotton wool pads in rosewater and wipe the skin with it. Stroke the skin too, with the rose water pads and pat your skin briskly with it. This helps to tone the skin. Then wrap an ice cube in a clean cloth and apply this on the face, just wiping the face gently with it. Do not apply ice directly on the skin, or keep it on one spot for long.


 

Until next time,
Miss Bodyline.