Our faces have to cope with a lot of problems, from damaging free facials – found in pollution, cigarette smoke, and pesticides – to oiliness and everyday stress, all of which take their toll on skin. Don’t despair. Daily cleansing and care helps manage troubled skin. Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, and E are powerful allies that can help protect against free-radical damage.
The basic steps of face care are valid for any skin care regimen. Everyone’s skin is unique and it’s important to use products that compliment your skin type. Treatments that contain tee tree oil are especially good for oily and acne prone skin.
Tee tree oil has been called a first aid kit in a bottle. Historically, tea tree oil has been used to treat everything from sunburns and stings to gum infections and athlete’s feet. It’s deep cleansing and anti-bacterial properties make it especially good for controlling blemishes.
What you’ll need:
Facial cleanser, facial scrub, hot water, rose essential oil, vitamin C moisturizer and a fluffy towel.
Tee Tree Wash and Exfoliation:
Splash your face with tepid water. Using a tea tree face wash, massage the cleanser all over your face and neck, using small circular motions. Rinse with tepid water. Use a gentle scrub, one that contains tee tree oil as an active ingredient, to further cleanse and exfoliate your skin. Once again use gentle circular motions as you exfoliate and deeply cleanse your face, rinse again with tepid water.
Oil Control Mask:
Spread a thin, even layer of a tee tree-based facial mask over your face, avoiding the lip and eye areas. Leave the mask on for ten minutes, (these asks do not generally dry to the touch) then remove the mask by splashing your face with warm water and wiping away the mask with your fingers or a moistened cotton pad.
Moisturizing Gel:
Even if you have oily skin, be careful of over drying. Oily skin needs moisturizing, too. A tea tree moisturizing gel softens and hydrates your skin without irritation, while antibacterial agents help soothe blemishes. Apply a quarter-sized squeeze of gel to your fingers and massage it gently into your skin.
Antioxidant Cleanse: Wet your face and disperse a dime-sized amount of facial cleanser onto two fingers (try one with vitamin C). Rub your fingers together, using gentle circular motions. Massage the cleaner over your entire face and neck. Always rinse with tepid water and pat your face dry. (Hot water can damage tiny blood tissues)
Face Scrub:
Gently exfoliate your skin to remove dead cells, impurities and sebum, speeding cell renewal and allowing smooth new skin to shine. Use a small dollop of your favorite facial scrub (fruit based facial scrubs are a good choice as their natural enzymes are great defoliators). Lightly rub your fingers in circles over the entire face, avoiding the eye area. Rinse and pat dry.
Essential Steam:
Fill a large bowl with boiling water. Add three drops rose essential oil agitate the water to activate the oil and release its vapors. Lean over the bowl keeping your face 10 to 12 inches away from the water. Put a bath towel over your head and tent it around the bowl to trap the vapors. Steam your face for 5 to 10 minutes. Rose oil helps irritated or dry skin; use lavender essential oil for dry-to-normal skin, or lemon for oily skin. (Note the rose essential oil is quite expensive so most commercially available oils are diluted.)
Vitamin C Mask and Moisturizer:
A vitamin C mask can help restore the skin’s lipid barrier, the intercellular material the regulates the flow of water through skin layers. Spread a small amount over your face in a thin, even layer; leave it on for 10 to 20 minutes, then remove it with a wet cloth and pat dry. Apply a vitamin C moisturizer while your skin is still damp to seal in moisture and fortify skin.
Good Morning Divas 