Natrual Products For Facials

Don't throw out that overripe banana on top of the fridge.
Mash it up and it's all you need for a soothing at-home facial that will make your skin feel great. Many fruits and vegetables are great ingredients for facials, says Stephanie Tourles, a natural living expert who has written extensively about home-blending natural beauty products.
Pick an ingredient from our list and follow her basic instructions for your food-based facial. For best results, give yourself a facial twice a week, Tourles suggests.
Beyond the edibles, another natural ingredient -- mud -- is also great for the entire body, says says Maxine Siegel, skincare expert for Ahava, an Israeli company that harvests Dead Sea minerals for its home spa products, including bath crystals, body masks and other products. She gives us tips for a full-body mineral mud treatment.

Photo courtesy of AHAVA

THE BASICS
1. Put your hair up or cover with a shower cap.
2. Cleanse your face and apply chosen mask.
3. Lie back and relax for 20 to 30 minutes.
4. At the sink, use a wash cloth dampened with warm water to gently remove mask.
5. Finish with your favorite moisturizer.
Note: Because of their natural acidity, papaya, lemon or raspberry should not be used in masks for sensitive, sunburned, wind-burned or irritated skin.

TAKE YOUR PICK

Cucumber (normal to oily skin) -- What's with the cucumber eye covers at the spa? With repeated use, the mild bleaching action of cucumbers can help reduce dark circles around the eyes and help even out a blotchy skin tone, Tourles says. "It also acts as a very gentle astringent, helping to remove excess oil from the skin." Chill those cucumber rounds and they will help you relax and reduce under-eye puffiness. But, Tourles says, a better option would be to drink a glass or fresh, raw cucumber juice. "It stimulates the kidneys to drain off any excess water retention in the body."

Avocado

Avocado (normal to dry or very dry skin) -- Those same good fats that make avocado a superior dietary option make it wonderful for a facial. It's also a good source of vitamin E.
"You can simply mash it in a bowl with a fork until it's like guacamole," says Tourles. As the avocado mask warms up on your skin, it tends to get a little runny. "So it's best to lie back, relax and let your skin drink up all the natural oils."
Try this treatment twice a week in the dry winter months. "It makes the skin very soft and supple," Tourles says.

Papaya

Papaya (oily to normal or slightly dry skin) -- Remove seeds, mash in a bowl. Apply to face as directed. A papaya mask will tingle a bit because of the fruit's acidity, which also will help rid dead skin.

Bananas (all skin types) -- Mash up a 2-inch chunk of very ripe banana for a skin-soothing facial. For dry skin, add a half teaspoon of heavy cream.

Honey

Honey (all skin types) -- Honey is a humectant, which means it draws moisture from the air to your skin. "I prefer raw honey because it's loaded with enzymes," says Tourles. "The enzymes will act as a mild exfoliant on a chemical level, helping to remove dead skin build-up." Pour a teaspoon of raw honey in your palm. With a couple of fingers, dab a very thin coating over your face and neck. "As time elapses, it really revs up the circulation," Tourles says. "You may see a glow or some peachiness coming up to the surface of your skin."

Lemon

Lemon -- Out of toner? Mix equal parts of fresh-squeezed juice and distilled water. Apply to skin as needed. Should not be used by people those with sensitive skin or citrus allergies.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal (all skin types) -- Most of us know that oatmeal is soothing to irritated or itchy skin. If you use a coffee mill or blender to grind it into a powder, it makes a silky base for a soothing facial.
Oatmeal mask
4 teaspoons ground oatmeal
5 teaspoons buttermilk

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and allow the mixture to thicken for a few minutes. Stir to remove any lumps.
Raspberries (normal to oily) -- These berries contain a natural lactic acid -- just like milk does -- which will gently exfoliates on a chemical level. The lactic acid in the raw fruit also has a gentle bleaching action.
Tourles uses raspberries in a refining mask from her book Organic Body Care Recipes (Storey Books, 2007, $18.95). It works for all skin types to gently exfoliate, tighten and bleach dull, slack, blotchy skin and leave behind a "raspberry radiance," she says.

Raspberry

Raspberry Refining Mask

1/4 cup fresh raspberries
purified water
2 teaspoons finely ground white clay (buy at health food stores or online)
2 teaspoons ground oatmeal

In a small bowl, mash raspberries with a fork until nearly smooth; seeds should be included. If the berries are on the dry side, add a little water until the pulp is quite juicy. Stir in clay and oats until a spreadable paste forms. Allow mixture to thicken for a minute or two. If the resulting mixture is too thick, add more water. If it's too thin, add more oats.

AHAVA Dead Sea Mineral Mud

DON'T EAT MUD
If giving yourself a facial is a great way to relieve stress and tension, try treating your entire body. Ahava's Dead Sea Mineral Mud can be used for facials, full-body treatment, manicures or pedicures.
Here are tips Maxine Siegel's a full-body treat: Heat Ahava's Dead Sea Mineral Mud in the microwave for 2 minutes. (Test the heat of mud before applying). Smooth mud all over the body and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse off thoroughly.

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