Oily Skin Care

Oily skin is characterized by skin that is shiny and oily to the touch and has large pores. Oily skin is caused by glands that overproduce secretions in the skin. This can lead to both black and white heads developing on the skin. The good news is that oily skin is generally strong and resistant and is less prone to wrinkle or develop expression lines. But just because you have oily skin doesn’t mean that you’re doomed to have acne forever. It just means following a healthy skin care routine that can help keep these extra secretions to a minimum. Here are a few tips on how to care for oily skin.

Basic care of oily skin begins with washing the face at least twice a day, and three times if possible. While oily skin may be resistant, many of the stronger ingredients in skin care products are not necessary and a regular cleanser can be used. If you are constantly fighting acne, you may wish to try a cleanser that has salicylic acid. Cleaning the face on a regular basis is more important that using a cleanser for oily skin. Still, soap and products with alcohol should be avoided. Soap can irritate the skin, while alcohol can over dry the skin.

A very important tip for those that suffer oily skin is to always remember to take off your makeup before going to bed. Leaving on the makeup keeps the skin from breathing properly and blocking the pores can lead to the development of pimples or black heads. No matter how late you get home or how tired you are, always get in the habit of removing your makeup at the end of the day.

 

If you’re in the habit of using a toner, you can continue as long as it doesn’t contain alcohol. The jury is out whether toner can help your skin or not, as many modern cleansers have ingredients that refresh the skin, but it can help eliminate residue from the cleanser and it does feel good on the skin.

Moisturizer is still important, even if you’re battling oily skin. Try to use a moisturizer formulated for your skin type, which will hydrate your skin after the other products have done their work to reduce the extra secretions.

Five steps for healthy skin

Step1: Cleansing

Good cleansing removes the impurities, bacteria and dead cells that accumulate on

the surface of the epidermis as well as any residue from makeup, while leaving as

much of the lubricating natural oil (or sebum) as possible. A cleanser should

therefore be gentle and natural. Use a non-lathering cleansing. Massage in circular

movements over the face and neck. Leave on for 1-2 minutes to dissolve grime and

old make-up. Then gently wipe off with cotton swabs. Rinse off with warm water.

Once in a while, or on a more regular basis for those with oily skin, a clay or fruit or

oat-based cleansing mask used for a deeper cleansing action. 

Step 2: Herbal facial steam

One traditional and very simple way to deep clean the skin is to steam your face for a few minutes. Steaming removes dirt and pollution very efficiently from the skin, but it removes important natural oils as well. So, although the technique brings excellent results on an oily skin or anyone suffering from acne, most skin types must bear in mind that in the long term it has a drying effect.
Steaming should therefore be used very occasionally on a dry or aging skin (once in a month is the maximum) and never for more than 2-3 minutes. On a oily skin, it can be done once a week, and for 5-8 minutes. For a combination skin, 2-3 minutes once a week is recommended maximum. A normal skin will benefit form an occasional steaming (every two weeks) as long as the exposure to steam is not prolonged (5minutes maximum). It is not recommended for extremely sensitive skins.


Select a herbal facial steam that's best for your skin type. 
 Bring the dry herbs (lavender, chamomile, lemon grass, rosemary, etc.) to a boil in a
large pot of water. Remove from heat source; steam for 5 minutes. A facial steam is
the best possible way for deep pore cleansing, and each of the herbs used in rich in
nutrients that nourish and tone the skin. Immediately after your facial steam, rinse
your face with cold water.

Step 3: Facials

Facials are excellent for stimulating circulation to the skin. It brings fresh blood to the skin. They promote deep pore cleansing and help heal blemishes and acne. Facials also help tone and firm the skin.
They are several kinds of facials available. You can try some homemade facial masks (clay mask, honey mask, egg mask, oats mask, fruits and vegetables mask, etc) to get a beautiful skin.

Step 4: Tonic astringents

When the facial is completely dry, rinse off with warm water. Be gentle to your skin while rinsing of the facial material. Use soft, circular motions. Massage your skin; do not scrub it. Immediately after rinsing the facial, apply an astringent preparation to tone and close the pores.

Step 5: Moisturizer

Dot the skin with moisturizer and gently massage it in smooth circular movements.
Try to do this slowly as it allows you to massage the skin and relax yourself. Apply
vitamin E oil or, a small amount of eye cream around the eyes and gently pat it in
with your finger. The tapping action helps relieve puffy eyelids and also stimulates
the acupressure points around the eyes.

Natural Foot Scrub & Lotion

Our feet are all too often hidden from view and neglected, especially during the colder winter months. Out of sight and out of mind - that is, until they start aching, flaking, cracking or getting sore! Perhaps we don't always appreciate the work our feet do until they're not working properly.
The simple fact is that we only have one pair of feet to last us a lifetime, and should pay them the respect they deserve for getting us around every day. And when summer arrives, it's a much better prospect to unveil a pair of perfectly pristine pedicured tootsies than two cracked-heeled and scaly feet!
The easiest solution to keeping your feet in tip-top condition is to make your own natural foot scrub and lotion, and apply regularly. The foot scrub will help to gently exfoliate the dead skin cells, whilst foot lotion will help to keep your foot's skin supple and soft.
Before applying this natural foot scrub and lotion recipe, you can give the especially hard skin areas on your feet a helping hand. After soaking in the bath, a pumice stone can be gently rubbed over the offending areas to help wear down thickened skin that commonly occurs on the heels. 

Foot Scrub Recipe 

Making your own foot scrub is so easy! The first simplest recipe you can use for a foot scrub is using sea salt and olive oil. Firstly soak your feet in warm water. Then simply add a teaspoon of sea salt to a few milliliters of olive oil, and massage over your feet before washing off. The olive oil is a fantastic skin moisturizer that helps to condition your toenails, whilst the sea salt gently exfoliates your skin.

However, there are more exotic recipes for foot scrubs that will leave your feet smelling gorgeous. For a more rejuvenating herbal recipe, you'll need:

• Peppermint Essential Oil
• Lavender Essential Oil
• Sweet Almond Oil
• Sea Salt

Firstly, you will need to measure out around one and a half cups of sea salt and add around 4 tablespoons of sweet almond oil. Make sure to combine the mixture evenly. Then simply add two or three drops of both the lavender and peppermint essential oils to the mixture.
Once you've soaked your feet in warm water for around 5 minutes, you can then gently massage the foot scrub all over your feet, before rinsing off. Again, the salt acts as a natural exfoliate, whilst the sweet almond oil gently softens, nourishes and moisturizes. The lavender essential oil adds a soothing tone, and the peppermint revives and revitalizes.

Foot Lotion Recipes

Foot lotion or cream tends to be thicker than general all-body moisturizers. It's therefore a good idea to make up a batch of your own natural foot lotion at home - so that you can focus on pampering your feet in the way that they deserve!
As above, you can use some basic natural ingredients in place of commercial lotions and moisturizers. Making your own foot lotion can be amazingly easy. For instance, almond oil, olive oil and jojoba oil are all great starter ingredients that will leave your feet irresistibly smooth.

Other foot 'foods' that nourish and moisturize the skin include mashed banana combined with honey and lemon juice. You can apply this mixture to your feet, put on a pair of old socks and leave overnight. In the morning remove the socks, wash your feet and hey presto - stunningly smooth skin!
Avocado is also another great natural ingredient in place of foot lotion. Simply mash and apply in the same way for exceptional results.