DIY Spa Series Week 2 – Classic Milk Mask
Take The Milky Way
We love milk. Whether it’s in a glass, with our favorite cereal or added to tea and coffee, we love its health benefits and we’re simply blown away by its amazing uses! But most of all, we love it because it can give us beautiful skin! Milk contains the right proportions of fat and moisture to feed and soothe our skin. For centuries, women and men alike have taken advantage of the beautifying properties of milk for softer, more radiant skin. So today we’d like you to take advantage of some “milky” goodness!
If you’ve been living green and healthy, that’s well and good. But if you feel you need to make up for those late nights and unhealthy food and beverages, try giving your skin a treat – use milk! Milk contains lactic acid, a gentle exfoliant, and is a good source of vitamins A and D which nourishes the complexion. Milk also has natural moisturizing properties and is easily absorbed by the skin, preventing it from drying. Milk by itself or in its various forms, (e. g. buttermilk, cream, yogurt) or in a combination with many other things, is an excellent all-natural skin care product. We love how it can also help you achieve a glowing complexion! Try mixing the cream of milk (malai) with a little flour and make it into a smooth paste. You can then rub this mixture on your face, arms, neck and massage gently till the flour crumbles off leaving the cream behind! There are so many uses for milk (Google it and we’re sure you’ll be amazed!), but for your face alone, it can do wonders! There’s just so much goodness in milk!
The Problem Of Dry Skin
So you have dry skin? Don’t fret, many suffer from this problem and the good news is, milk can help! If your face looks dry, this means that your skin has a low level of sebum and can be prone to sensitivity. The skin has a parched look caused by its inability to retain moisture. Dry skin usually feels tight and uncomfortable after washing, unless you apply a moisturizer or skin cream (which can be very expensive!). Dryness is exacerbated by wind, extremes of temperature and air-conditioning, all of which cause the skin to flake, chap and feel tight. Dry skin needs plenty of thorough but gentle cleansing, regular stimulation through massage and generous quantities of oil and moisture. Thanks to milk, you can now take care of your skin and protect it from drying! Ditch the soap and water routine because although it may remove grime, it also removes the natural oils protecting the skin!
There are plenty of interesting milk facial recipes out there, but we decided to share with you two of our favorites recipes which are ideal for dry skin: the Classic Milk Mask and the Milk and Honey Facial Mask. (The combination of milk and honey are terrific in skin care because they’re both soothing and nourishing for the skin. Both of them have natural properties that help alleviate redness and calm irritated skin, are hydrating and provide gentle, skin-renewing exfoliation. We love honey because it’s an amazing moisturizer, and because its unique texture has an amazing benefit — it’s so thick and occlusive — locks moisture in!)
Classic Milk Mask
Ingredients:
1 tsp. powdered milk
1 tbsp. runny honey
1 tsp. aloe vera gel
2 drops essential oil
1 tbsp. pulverized almonds
Directions:
1. Mix all the ingredients well in a bowl.
2. Apply to freshly cleaned face and leave on for 15 minutes.
3. Wash off with warm water and pat dry.
Milk & Honey Facial Mask
Ingredients:
4 tbsp. powdered milk
1-2 tbsp. warm water
2 tbsp. honey
Directions:
1. Combine the powdered milk with enough water to make a paste-like texture.
2. Blend in the honey until smooth.
3. Wet the washcloth with as hot water. (only as much as you can stand)
4. Spread mixture over face and relax with the washcloth over your face for 10-15 minutes.
5. To finish, remove mask with washcloth and pat dry.
Download this recipe!
Next week: Hate oil? We’re picking the best recipes for that no-good, shiny face!
Friday, February 12th, 2010 at 4:00 amand is filed under DIY Spa Series. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.