Do-It-Yourself: Winter Facials

By Danielle Miller, GalTime.com

Facials that you can do yourself AND perfect for the winter dryness!
Facials that you can do yourself AND perfect for the winter dryness!

Winter weather, we have a love/hate relationship. The cold, dry air is good for my hair but bad for my skin. In honor of winter dryness, my daily skin care and facial routines have changed drastically - where once (not too long ago) it was sufficient to wash, cleanse, and moisturize my skin twice a day, I now find myself standing in front of the mirror for a good twenty minutes to the tune of wash (very delicately), cleanse (very, very delicately), and slather myself in moisturizer (to excess).

Even after applying all of this extra moisturizer it doesn't take long for my skin to feel dry again. So, rather than bankrupt myself buying overpriced, brand name moisturizers at the department store, I started asking skin care professionals if there were any winter skin remedies I could find in my own kitchen. It turns out there are several effective ingredients you may already have in your refrigerator or pantry that, when combined, work wonders on dry skin.

Dr. Ava Shamban, author of Heal Your Skin , offers a couple of soothing remedies for dry skin that you can easily make at home:



Avocado Refreshing & Soothing Mask

:
½ Avocado
1 tbls yogurt
½ tsp honey
½ tsp olive oil, coconut oil or almond oil
Directions: Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Apply to damp skin and leave on for ten to
fifteen minutes. Rinse off with room-temperature water. Pat dry and follow
with a non-comedogenic moisturizer.

Related: Kick Off Your Stilettos for a High Heel Spa Treatment


Milky Cleanser:
2 tbls milk or cream
1 tbls almond oil
2 tsp almond meal
1 tsp honey
Directions: Mix all ingredients in a glass dish. Dampen your face and dip a cotton pad
in a cleanser. Gently wipe your face, and then rinse off with warm water.

Vanessa Somerset, owner and creator of Sevansa Spa, recommends the following recipe for A Moisturizing Mask.



½ banana
¼ cup oatmeal
¼ cup water
1 tsp olive oil
Directions: Mash all ingredients together with a potato masher and store unused portion in fridge for later use. Apply to face and leave on for 10-15 minutes, then rinse.

Related: How Often Should I Get a Facial?


Jasmina Aganovic, creator of the all-natural, anti-aging skincare line Stages of Beauty, recommends her Grape & Honey Regenerative Mask:
4-6 ripe grapes, crushed (powerful antioxidant that helps to reduce discoloration brought on by slowed cellular regeneration and tightens pores)
1 tbls honey (this helps the skin retain moisture and hydration)
2 tbls yogurt (this is a source of lactic acid, a milder form of AHAs which stimulate natural exfoliation)
1 tbls lemon (Vitamin C, antioxidants and enzymes brighten the skin)
Directions: Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and using your fingers, spread onto the face. Let the mixture sit on the face for 15-20 minutes. Gently wash off with warm water and pat the face dry.

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