Egg on Your Face

Redlands Daily Facts Health Section
Staff Writer

Q:: Are Store Bought facial products better for your skin than homemade?

Mimi: Many homemade products are inexpensive and safe to use on your skin. There are a few essential items that must be purchased. Every day, you need an active treatment. This will be a Vitamin C, Vitamin A (like retinol), AHA, or Salicylic acid product. Plus, every morning you MUST apply a sun block on your face, neck, chest, fore arms and if you have short hair apply to the tops of your ears and back of the neck. On your forehead, apply all the way to the hairline. This means that if you are bald, apply to your entire head.

Following are recipes for homemade skin care products. Remember that these recipes are from all fresh ingredients and have no preservatives. Mix up in small quantities, usually only what will be used immediately. Some will keep if stored in the refrigerator.

CLEANSERS AND EXFOLIANTS

Olive Oil removes heavy makeup from dry skin. Dampen your skin with warm water them massage in the oil. Rinse off with warm water and a washcloth.

Use corn meal mixed with a little warm water, oil, or mild facial cleaner as an exfoliating scrub to whisk away dead skin on your face or all over your body.

Ground almonds mixed with honey has been used by all the great beauties throughout the centuries as an excellent exfoliating cleanser

Baby shampoo with sugar added cleanses and scrubs well.

TONERS

Mix 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or strained FRESH lemon juice in one cup of water. Apply after cleansing.

Apply fresh lemon juice to acne blemishes, allow to dry, and rinse off.

Mix vodka and water half and half for an oily skin astringent

Apply cool tea to calm sensitive skin after cleansing.

SPRITZERS

Pour any ONE of the following in a spray bottle to spritz with:

Rose water (available at Trader Joe's or a health food store)

"Tea": Make a strong infusion by steeping any of the following herbs: chamomile, rosemary, or marjoram to relax or mint to stimulate and invigorate. Strain the "tea" and pour into a spray bottle.

Refreshing Citrus. To make citrus "tea," cut citrus rinds in little pieces. Boil and steep in water and allow to cool. Strain. Run the used citrus rind down the garbage disposal to sweeten it.

Lemon & Lavender to sooth, sedate, and de-stress: Prepare lemon rinds as above adding an equal amount of lavender buds to the infusion. Strain

MASQUES

Egg on Your Face: For acne, separate an egg. Beat the yolk until frothy. Every night, apply to clean skin and allow to dry, and then rinse off with cool water. Do NOT use hot water. It will cook the egg.

For normal skin, separate and egg. Beat the white until frothy. Beat the yolk until frothy and add one tablespoon olive oil. Spread the egg yolk masque on your cleansed face, neck, and decollete. Avoid the eye area. Rest for 10 minutes. Remove with cool water. Follow with the egg white masque. This can be applied close to the eyes. Good on eyebrows, crow's feet, and under-eye bags. Rest for 10 minutes. Remove with cold water. Your skin will be tightened and glow.

Meringue masque: Crepey skin will tighten with this masque: Beat an egg white until frothy. Beat in 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch. Apply to clean skin. Don't talk or smile while it dries. Rinse with cool water.

Avocado Trio: For deep moisturizing, mash half a ripe avocado, adding one of the following ingredients: 1 teaspoon salad oil (for dry skin), 1 Tablespoon plain yogurt (for dry to normal skin), or 1 teaspoon lemon juice (for normal skin). Slather all over your face and any other part of your body that you want to be soft. Leave on as long as you can without eating it (no chips allowed), and then rinse off with warm water.

California Salad face and scalp treatment; Mash 1 avocado with 1/4 cup mayonnaise. Apply to clean skin and dry hair. Leave on for 10 minutes. Rinse face with warm water. Rinse hair and shampoo.

EXFOLIATING ENZYME MASQUES

Pumpkin Pie: Pumpkin has naturally occurring Alpha Hydroxy Acids and enzymes in it that actually digest the dead skin. Cut the flesh from a pumpkin. Cut into tiny pieces. Put into a food processor and blend until mushy. Add a little HOT water. OR (easier and tidier) open a can of plain pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling) and mush it with a fork. Cleanse your face, neck, and decollete. Apply the pumpkin masque. Avoid eye area. Leave on for 10 minutes and rinse off.

Turkey Stuffing Herb Masque for Acne. Mix together 3 tablespoons sage, 1 tablespoon marjoram, 1 tablespoon thyme (optional) and 2 tablespoons of UNFLAVORED meat tenderizer that contains papaya or papain. Whir together in a blender or pulverize with a mortar and pestle. Having this as a fine powder is best. But if you can't pulverize it, don't worry, it will still work. Warm 2 tablespoons PLAIN yogurt to room temperature. Add the herbs. Apply to clean skin. Rest for 10 minutes; scrub slightly, and rinse off. Use daily for clearer skin.

EYE TREATMENTS

Lie down with your feet up and use one of these treats to relieve puffy, tired eyes:

Lay slices of thinly sliced cucumber on your eyes.

Damp, used tea bags, or cotton squares dampened with cool tea will make your eyes sparkle.

On top of the cucumber or tea compresses, lay an unopened bag of frozen peas over your eyes. This is an old trick from plastic surgeons to reduce swelling after eye surgery.

NATURAL ALPHA HYDROXY ACIDS

Cleopatra bathed in sour milk (lactic acid) to keep her skin smooth.

The lactic acid in yogurt smoothes fine wrinkles.

The women of the French court put sour wine on their faces (tartaric acid) to smooth away lines.

Lemon Lightener: When your elbows are rough, darkened, and dry, cut a lemon in half and lean your elbows into the cut side of the lemon halves to bleach and soften them (citric acid).

Buttermilk Bleaching: To bleach freckles, mix room temperature buttermilk with enough rolled oats to make a paste. Apply the mask to clean skin, and allow to dry. Scrub off for an exfoliant or rinse with warm water. This can be done twice a week, and sunscreen must be worn every day.

Mimi Barre is the owner of International Day Spa, 325 Cajon St., Redlands. Send your skin care questions to her at MimiB@INTLdayspa.com. She and her estheticians are available for personal consultations, (909) 793-9080.