Wax and Bubbles

With the combination of cucumber, lavender essential oil and yogurt to cool the skin, this combination of ingredients helps soothe blemished skin and help ease the pain of blemishes. Cosmetic clay helps to draw out the impurities that lay under the skin, and the essential oil of juniper helps to rid the skin of bacteria. The main cause of blemishes on the skin is bacteria and what is the main reason for bacteria? Dirty skin. The most dirt on the skin surface the more bacteria. The more bacteria the more breakouts happen. The more breakouts the more there is of skin inflammation. The first step to help correct this issue is to cleanse the face throughly. always rinse with lukewarm water. This ensures you don’t inflame what is already flared. Pat your face dry and apply a soothing cucumber-melon mask to soothe the inflammation additionally. Here’s how to make this wonderful facial mask for problem skin.

Soothing Cucumber-Melon Facial Mask:

• 1 tablepsoon finely grated cucumber (without the seeds)
• 1 tablespoon finely grated cantaloupe (without any seeds)
• 1 tablespoon plain lowfat yogurt
• 2 teaspoons white cosmetic clay or green french clay (can be found at health food stores)
• 4 drops lavender essential oil
• 3 drops juniper essential oil
• 2 drops tea tree essential oil

Combine all the ingredients in a small glass bowl and mix throughly with a whisk. Apply the cucumber mask to clean skin, taking special attention not to get too close to the delicate eye area. Leave the mask on your face for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with luke-warm soaked soft washcloth. Pat dry with a soft towel. Do this just before bed for smoothe-textured skin all night. Be sure and was your face every morning and every night to avoid additional breakouts to the skin.

This mask is also great for older skin as well. When we age we loose water in our skin. In addition, we loose elasticity. So in order to help the skin retain moisture, use a water based mask to help the skin retain water.

**Keeping up with The Office? Now with the writers strike in effect, the writers have left us with the short-end of the rope. “Maybe it was on purpose”, says Christopher Gabel over at Grid Effect. Makes you wonder. Read the whole story by Christopher here.**

FUTURE POST LOOK-ON:

• Sore Muscle Soak

• Chocolate Facial Mask

• Herbal Facial Steam

• Herbal Massage Oil

• Antiseptic Mouth Wash

Blemishes are one of the main problems people complain about in skin care. To get rid of them you have to figure out the problem in why you are getting them first. Is it your diet, is it your heritage, or is it the simple fact that you just don’t have a good skin care process. If the last one is the case then why not try yogurt as a skin cleanser? Yogurt is rich in natural alpha-hydroxy acids, and lemon blam (Melissa officinalis) and lavender (Lavandula augustifolia) added to that calm the immflamation that most suffer from when blemishes arrive on our skin. Thyme (Thmus spp.) also helps fight the bacteria that causes the breakouts.

Try this Lemon Balm-Lavender Yogurt Cleanser and see if your skin makes a change.

1/2 cup plain lowfat yogurt
1/2 cup water
1 tbs. dried lemon balm leaves
1 tbs. dried leavender flowers
1 tbs. dried thyme leaves

Put yogurt and water into a wide-mouth pint jar and stir well. Add herbs and stir till well blended. Leave mixture in the wide-mouth jar in the refrigerator overnight. Strain herbs from the mixture in the morning, and pour into a container with a tight fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week while using the mixture.

To use, dampen your face with warm water. Soak a cotton ball in the cleasing mixture and gently wipe your face with the cotton ball. Repeat until the skin is throughly cleansed. Rinse well with warm water and pat your face dry. Never rub your face with a towel or rag when you have acne on your skin. The acne can become inflammed and at times it may cause the blemish to bleed and become larger.

**Think those energy packed snacks are good for your body? Think again. Stephanie over at Elementary Chef tells why they aren’t and how it’s better to grab an organic apple instead. Read the whole story here.**

FUTURE POST LOOK-ON:

•Making decorative candles from things in your own yard.

•Coffee Wake-up scrub.

•Sore muscle soak.

•Candles made from soy.

•How to make your own lip balm for this winter.