Lavender Powder Face Mask for Inflammation

To get rid of inflammation on the face, and that red, ruddy complexion, look to the calming herbs. Lavender, which soothes the skin (smells divine), and also helps to balance an overly oily or overly dry complexion, is the key ingredient in this homemade face mask for inflammation. Rose and chamomile, which also have anti-inflammatory properties (as well as anti-bacterial action) back up the pure, powerful lavender powder in the form of essential oils.

This face mask is ideal for rosacea sufferers and for dry, sensitive skin. With so many different anti-bacterial ingredients (honey, lavender, rose, and chamomile) it is also useful for blemishes. For someone with redness and acne, well, it doesn't get any better than this calming, cooling facial.

To make this face mask to reduce inflammation, you will need:

• 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 1 tablespoon lavender powder
• 2 drops rose essential oil
• 2 drops chamomile essential oil

This skin treatment is incredibly easy to whip up. Stir the lavender powder and honey into the yogurt, mixing well. Add the essential oils and stir again. Spread over clean skin. Let the mask set for about 15 minutes. Rinse with tepid water. Finish with a spritz of your calming toner (lavender hydrosol is a great finishing touch to this mask!). And then moisturize. If your skin is red and sensitive, keeping skin cells protected with a lipid barrier is essential. Aside from using this face mask, try sticking with natural skin care products if you have problems with inflammation, rosacea or sensitive skin. 

Five Surprising Healthy Drinks for Skin

What is the secret to having beautiful skin? Well, there are dozens, but one of them is diet, which includes beverages. What are the best healthy drinks for skin? Aside from pure water and the obvious list of green tea and cleansing herbal teas, the following beverages may surprise you in their health perks for skin. They are absolutely packed with antioxidants to protect cells from damage, vitamin C to promote collagen production, and a few other benefits that you may not have thought of when it comes to creating a radiant complexion with hydrating, nourishing drinks.

Hot Cocoa

Not sugary hot chocolate mixes, but pure, minimally processed cocoa powder, is good for your skin. According to an article published in the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, the antioxidants in cocoa trump those found in red wine and green tea. These flavonoid compounds help to protect cells from breakdown, in other words aging — sagging, loose skin, fine lines, and wrinkles.

Treat yourself to a cup using pure, organic cocoa powder, raw honey or brown sugar, and soymilk. Soymilk is another great source of antioxidants and it is not as heavy on the digestive system as cow's milk (at least for me!). Or, try coconut or almond milk to make your skin healthy, antioxidant brimming cup of cocoa.
Carrot Juice

Not many people drink it. Everyone should. An 8-ounce glass of carrot juice has 700 percent of your daily requirement for vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. Just think what that can do for your skin! Vitamin A is known to help repair sun damaged skin. Could this mean less photoaging with a glass of carrot juice a day?

Banana Berry Smoothie

Make fresh fruit (and vegetable) smoothies for your skin. Not only do you get the antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, but you also get the fiber. A high-fiber diet helps to keep waste out of your body, and out of your skin. Try increasing your fiber intake and see if you have less problems with acne! Blend one banana, four strawberries, a handful of ice cubes, and a generous splash of orange juice for a glowing skin breakfast drink.

Black Tea

Green tea is great for your skin, but so is black tea. It may not have quite as many antioxidants, or even the same ones, but it is a healthy, protective drink for skin that shouldn't be overlooked. Drink black tea, green tea, oolong, and white, even kukicha, it's all from the same life-giving tree. 

Grape Juice

Fresh grape juice is highly recommended for flavonoids and that amazing antioxidant that is used in anti-aging skin care products, resveratrol. It is excellent for your heart and your beautiful face, helping to keep skin cells healthy. A glass of juice may not have a super high dose of resveratrol, but drinking down a sweet, juicy cup of anti-aging compounds is definitely a positive step for your complexion.

Don't go overboard with grape juice, or anything in life for that matter. Ten glasses of grape juice and seven cups of cocoa does not mean more skin benefits, it means way too much sugar for your body to handle. Word for the wise, a high-sugar diet makes wrinkles worse. Drink these beverages in moderation to have plumper, more radiant skin. Drink lots of water too, and you still have to eat a healthy diet.

Lime Water and French Green Clay Balancing Face Mask for Blemished Skin

Lime hydrosol and French green clay are two of the best skin care ingredients for blemished skin. Lime water balances pH. It increases circulation to the skin, acts as a toner, and helps to reduce breakouts. French green clay sucks out impurities while also replenishing the skin with a wealth of nutrients. Try this simple balancing face mask to help sop up oil and leave the skin feeling clean and refreshed. I add a little extra antiseptic action with tea tree oil to help fight pimples.

To make this mask you will need:

• 2 tablespoons French green clay powder
• 2 + tablespoons of lime hydrosol (not lime juice!), enough to make a paste with the clay
• 3 drops of tea tree essential oil

Mix together and smear over clean skin. Leave it on for 10 to 20 minutes. I like leaving on my clay masks until my skin feels very tight, but go ahead and rinse it off if the drying clay feels uncomfortable. Pat the face dry and finish by dabbing the skin with the lime hydrosol. Follow with a light facial moisturizer. If you don't have French green clay, try bentonite, white, or rose clay powder.

For a great oil-cutting toner, try mixing equal parts of lime water and rose water in a small spray bottle. Spritz the skin throughout the day for a calming, refreshing skin lift for oily skin. 

Peach, Argan Oil, and Rose Face Mask for Aging Skin

When you want to pamper aging skin, go for argan oil. It is rich in restorative vitamin E, softening fatty acids, and protective antioxidants for skin, including phenols and carotenes. Use it in a face mask for aging skin to help prevent wrinkles and to deeply hydrate dull, dry skin.

To optimize this homemade anti-wrinkle skin treatment I love using peach puree (steam and puree two fresh peaches and have plenty of vitamin A and vitamin C rich puree for homemade face masks and as a healthy topping for yogurt and waffles!). It gently exfoliates as a natural source of alpha hydroxy acids while also providing skin vitamins to help promote skin repair. I also use two of the best anti-aging essential oils — frankincense to promote cellular regeneration and rose to calm and tone the skin.

To make this aging skin face mask you will need:

• 1 tablespoon argan oil
• 2 tablespoon peach puree
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 1 tablespoon oat flour
• 2 drops frankincense essential oil
• 2 drops rose essential oil

Combine everything in a ceramic or glass bowl. Start by cleansing with your facial cleanser. Spread the mask over the skin. Leave on for 30 minutes. This is a great time to sip a cup of herbal tea to plump the skin, and to listen to some meditative music (stress is bad for your skin!) After rinsing off the mask, dry and moisturize.

When skin looks really dull and ruddy, try using this mask three or four times in a week and drinking lots of water and tea. When I let my skin go this really helps to get some of that youthful glow back.

Five Amazing Essential Oils for Dry Skin

Adding three or four drops of essential oil to your favorite face mask recipe doesn't just add a unique fragrance to your skin treatment. Essential oils have amazing benefits for your skin, especially for a dry complexion. Try these essential oils for dry skin to help balance, moisturize, and protect your skin. Add them to any hydrating skin treatment. Substitute them for one another in custom face mask recipes. They are that little extra touch that can turn a basic honey or clay mask into an incredibly therapeutic treatment for your skin.

The five best essential oils to use for dry skin problems are:

1. patchouli — a tonic for the skin, promoting tissue regeneration and a great astringent
2. lavender — calms inflammation while also normalizing skin conditions
3. rose — gentle astringent, calms the skin, has a hydrating effect
4. sandalwood — skin moisturizer, perfect for mature skin
5. ylang-ylang — balances overly dry skin, or overly oily skin, a good choice for dry, combination skin

For a basic dry skin face mask with the essential oils  use:

• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 1 tablespoon coconut milk
• 4 drops essential oils of choice

Stir together all the ingredients. Try combining the oils for a dynamic moisturizing effect, such as two drops of rose and two of sandalwood. Apply to a clean face and leave the mask on for 15 minutes. Rinse, pat dry, and follow with your hydrating cream.

Use the same oils in your next bath for a soothing, moisturizing soak. Try 10 drops in a cup of milk. Sit in your aromatherapy bath while wearing your mask. It's an instant home spa for dry skin. 

3 Amazing Coconut Face Masks for Different Skin Types

I love the way that coconut makes my skin feel — plump, soft, and supple. While ideal for dry and aging skin (virgin coconut oil is great for smoothing wrinkles!), even acne-prone skin can benefit from a coconut face mask. Try one of these homemade skin care recipes, whichever one is best for your skin type. Also, try adding coconut milk to smoothie recipes (coconut milk, cocoa powder, banana, raw honey, and ice is a personal favorite) and using nourishing coconut oil in place of butter for baking. Coconuts have vitamin C and E as well as zinc, all important beauty nutrients.

For a coconut mask for dry skin and for defeating fine lines use:

• 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
• 1 inch of a ripe banana, mashed
• 3 drops of frankincense essential oil

Whip all ingredients together with a fork or spoon and apply to a clean face. The banana adds some antioxidant action while the frankincense is good for cellular regeneration. Rinse off after 20 minutes, pat dry, and moisturize.

For a coconut face mask for acne, combine the anti-bacterial action of virgin coconut oil, raw honey, and tea tree.

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 2 drops tea tree essential oil

For a powerful mask, use extra virgin coconut oil and manuka honey. Manuka is expensive, but it has strong anti-bacterial properties and plenty of amino acids and other nutrients to feed the skin and promote healing.

For sensitive skin use,

• 1 tablespoon of pure (not light) coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon oat flour (or enough to make a soft paste)
• 3 drops of lavender essential oil

Stir all the ingredients together. Start by gently cleansing and patting the face dry, then apply. Leave the mask on for 10 minutes, letting your skin drink in some serious coconut milk moisture. Oat and lavender both act to calm and soothe. Rinse with cool water and put on your facial moisturizer. Remember, for all coconut face masks, make sure your milk or oil is at room temperature before preparing.

How to Make a Lavender Lemongrass Facial Steam for Oily Skin

Facial steams are great skin treatments to use to open pores and stimulate the skin before using a face mask. Or you can use a therapeutic steam treatment for skin on its own to deep clean pores and loosen debris. How to make a facial steam for oily skin and acne? Use the powerful anti-bacterial astringent combination of lavender and lemongrass. Both of these healthy skin herbs will fight bacteria. Lavender will calm and normalize the skin. Lemongrass will tone. The two together have a beautiful, uplifting aroma.

To make this oily skin facial steam, you will need:

• 1 quart of boiled water, use distilled, spring, or filtered, not tap unless you live in an area where you are comfortable with the tap water, I don't
• 2 tablespoons dried lavender
• 2 tablespoons dried lemongrass

Boil the water before adding the herbs. If you have a glass ceramic pan, use it, otherwise metal is fine. Reduce the heat to a simmer and then add all of the dried herbs. Simmer for three to five minutes and then place your pan and simmering herbs on a table where you can sit comfortably over the steam. Make a canopy over your head with a towel and hold your face over the rising steam for 15 minutes.

This treatment is refreshing for skin and perfect for normalizing an oily complexion. Try it before a clay mask for a super potent anti-acne skin treatment. Finish by dabbing distilled witch hazel on the skin to close pores, or even some of the infusion, as long as it is no longer hot.