Skin and Body Naturally Good

	Naturally Good
	Meditation can bring peace and clarity, helping us enjoy each moment to the fullest. When was the last time you felt truly peaceful, clear-headed and loving the moment all at the same time? Maybe it was when you were sitting on a beach watching the sunset, feeling serene and connected to nature. Or perhaps it was during prayer when you concentrated on every word and felt tranquil and close to God.

Make at Home Masks

The easiest and quickest facial treats to make for yourself are masks. Try one that fits your skin type. Generously apply the mask mixture to your face and neck after cleansing, avoiding the eye area, leave for 15-20 minutes and then rinse thoroughly.

• For oily skin: Whipped egg white dries and tightens. Yogurt makes a great natural cleansing and nourishing mask because it contains a form of lactic acid which is a natural exfoliant similar to the AHAS used in some commercial products. Mashed strawberry counteracts oiliness. Clay absorbs oil.
• For blemished skin: Experiment with a plum mask. Boil six plums (enough for one application), strain and leave to cool. Mash with a teaspoon of sweet almond oil.
• For dry or sensitive skin: Try egg yolk, crushed grapes, honey or glycerin because they moisturize. Sunflower or sesame oil soothes. Mashed avocado, rubbed into the face, counteracts the drying effect of the sun. Mayonnaise, straight from the jar, also works.
* For combination skin: Apply an oily skin mask on your T-zone (this oily area differs from person to person, but it generally includes forehead, nose and chin) and a dry skin mask elsewhere. Mix and match ingredients to find out what is best for you.
• A salad mask perks up any type of skin. Take fresh vegetables in any combination (e.g. cabbage, carrot, cucumber, tomato, lettuce, spinach) and blend in a blender. Add a few drops of jojoba oil if your skin is dry. Apply to clean face and leave for 15-20 minutes and then rinse.

Natural Beauty Secrets

• Forget expensive lotions. Instead of throwing away watermelon or banana peels, lie down and put them on your face for half an hour. It's incredibly reviving and feels great.
• For scaly elbows, cut a lemon in half, squeeze out the juice and rest your elbows in the lemon cups for 5-10 minutes. This has a gentle bleaching action and the fruit acid acts as an exfoliate.
• To make a wonderful body scrub, blend one cup of sea salt (try coarse salt if you can't find sea salt) with a spoon of almond oil and half a teaspoon of lemon. Massage into damp skin, rinse off with warm water, then pat skin dry and apply body lotion.
• Vegetable oil is a great cure for dry body skin. Rub a teaspoonful on dry skin before bedtime.
• Cucumber juice blended in the blender makes an excellent skin freshener.
• A slice of raw potato rubbed over the face is soothing, especially to irritated areas.
• For puffy eyes and bags under the eyes, apply a slice of cucumber, raw potato or a damp tea bag on each eye for two minutes.
• Combine glycerin and rose water (both available in most pharmacies) in a ratio of 3:1 to make a moisturizing lotion.
• Deep-clean dirty hands after gardening or dirty housework with a mixture of salt and a little olive oil.

Aromatherapy Magic

The advantages of using oils rather than creams are that oils penetrate more deeply into the dermis (the lower layer of skin) and while you are pampering your skin, the aromas awaken and soothe the brain.
Essential oils are concentrated essences of fragrant plants and flowers which are distilled into oils. For massage, the oils are mixed in minute quantities with carrier or base oils. Pure vegetable carrier oils are best for your face. All of these oils are available at an attar, a store specialized in herbs, although you may have to go to Khan Khalili for the best selection.
To make an aromatherapy oil treatment, mix 30ml of one of the carrier oils listed below with no more than 15 drops of a single essential oil, or a combination of no more than four oils (again not exceeding 15 drops total). To apply, put a little of the mixture in a small bowl. Dip your fingertips in the blend and gently massage your face working from the neck up to the hairline in small circles.

Did You Know...?

• About 60% of any substance applied to the skin is absorbed into the body. So you should choose your body care products with as much care as you do the food that you eat.
• The only way that you can ensure that your beauty products are 100% natural is to whip them up yourself in a blender at home.
• Some natural beauty treatments can't be put in a bottle. There's almost nothing better for your hair or face than egg yolk, but no one uses it in commercial products because the amount of preservative you need to keep egg yolks intact would outweigh the potential benefit.

Carrier/Base Oils

Choose the one which seems most applicable to your skin.
Peach kernel oil: rich in vitamin A - nourishing
Apricot kernel oil: rich in vitamin A - good for wrinkles as well as stretch marks on the body
Wheat germ oil: rich in vitamin E and phosphorous - soothes, heals, and helps to smooth out wrinkles and lines
Almond oil: good for sensitive and dry skin; lubricates and smoothes skin; reduces red veins
Coconut oil: good for oily skin; acts as a cleanser; can have a drying effect on skin

Essential Oils

Choose the oil or oils most appropriate for your skin or simply opt for the smell you like the best.
Benzoin: very good for dry skin; has a toning effect; acts as an antiseptic
Lavender: good for oily skin and spots; has a stimulating and antiseptic effect; helps heal blemishes
Patchouli: soothes dry, flaky skin
Frankincense: regenerates
Neroli: this is the only oil to use around the eyes; regenerates; very good for broken capillaries
Myrrh: nourishes mature skin (age spots); especially good for any areas of inflammation