I spent nearly 17 years working in the hair and skin care industry before studying science in college. My love for beauty and cosmetics meets my environmental science degree at the intersection of "DIY" and "natural beauty" care. In short—I love clean beauty. I love finding ways to make everyday things around my home into potions and concoctions for beautiful skin. I also used to do this as a child in the bathtub and make quite the mess--sorry Mom. But what I have learned through experience, working for various product companies, and studying the natural environment in college, gives me a unique understanding of skin, how it functions, and what natural care ingredients to combine.
Since I have always had problem skin—now aging problem skin—I am always looking for ways to make my skin more naturally beautiful and develop less of those irritating blemishes. You can bet if I wear make-up even for one day, my skin launches into a three-day binge of irritation, blemishes, or itching. Sensitive skin or acneic skin types, normal to dry or oily, aging, or a combination of it all—every skin type gets stressed from time to time. When your skin isn’t happy, it’s hard to hide it. Here’s how to put the happy back in your skin so you can put your best face forward.
Signs Your Skin is Under Duress
Just like your mind or your body can show signs of stress, so can your skin. Oftentimes those pesky bags under your eyes are the first signals that perhaps you are not at your best. When you are ill, under stress, or not getting enough os something your body needs, your face can take on a dull, tired, look or begin to show signs of stress.
Signs of Dehydration
Your skin is dull and has a lifeless look to it. When you press a fingertip to your face and release it, the skin doesn’t “bounce back” in a plump and healthy manner. The skin appears dark and dull beneath your eyes. Your skin may have patches of redness, itchiness, or flaking. These are all signs your skin is dehydrated and under-moisturized.
Signs of Sensitivity or Reaction
Your skin has patches of pink or redness. You may have itchy skin on your face, likely your cheeks. When you apply products to your skin, there is a burning, tingling, or itching sensation. You may have blemishes or acne marks across your t-zone and along your hairline. These are all signs your skin is sensitive or acneic.
Signs Your Skin is Out of Balance
Balanced skin is healthy skin. This means pH, sebum production, and a healthy supply and vitamins and nutrients that keep your skin healthy with normal cell turnover. You may have blemishes, uneven skin tone, or a dull and “dirty” appearance to the skin. Patches of cells may gather at the surface preventing any serums you use from penetrating the skin and delivering vital skin support. Your skin needs clarity and balance restored.
Tips to Calm Your Skin
When your skin is red, inflamed, irritated, itching, or needs refreshing, it is a good time to consider a skin-calming and soothing mask treatment. Sure, you can opt for fancy spa treatments but many of us don’t have the time or money to make that investment. You can do a nice, calming treatment for your skin right in the comforts of your home.
We’ll get to a recipe later in this article. But first, let’s go over some other things you can do to help support healthy skin.
Drink Plenty of Water
It is vital to your skin for you to drink plenty of water. Your skin cells need plenty of water in order to function properly and keep you looking your best. When cells become dehydrated they take on a dull and flattened appearance, decreasing the elasticity and vitality of your skin. Cell turnover--the process by which your skin renews itself--is drastically slowed, making you appear older and deepening any lines, wrinkles, and the appearance of scars.
Get More Sleep
Your body moves into “repair” mode when you are sleeping, and this includes your skin. This is why many night creams offer nutrients that support this reparative process. Keeping a regular sleep schedule with plenty of sleep will do wonders for tired and stressed-out skin. Ever notice that when you don’t sleep enough (or well enough) that you look tired around your eyes and your skin seems all droopy around your mouth? Your skin needs its beauty sleep, for sure.
Warm Compresses and Cold Rinses
One soothing technique you can do for tired, dull, or angry skin is to alternate warm wet compresses with a cool water splash. Wet a very soft cloth with warm (not hot) water and place it over your face. Breathe in the damp air and allow the warmth to open and sooth your pores. This process relaxes the muscles in your face and dampens the surface area skin cells for easy removal. Wash your face with a cleanser that is suited for your skin type (add in a teaspoon of brown sugar for exfoliation, and then rinse with cool water. This cool water rinse helps to tighten your pores and refresh your skin. Follow with a soft cotton ball of Witch Hazel and then spread on your perfect skin moisturizer to restore the pH of your skin and add back the crucial moisture levels your skin needs to stay healthy. Warm compresses followed by cool water splashes can be done at any time of the day to give your skin a refreshing boost.
Daily Skin Care for Your Skin Type
Daily skin care is very important to keep your skin clean, well-balanced, and to encourage cell turnover and collagen production. These things help to keep your skin blemish-free and looking younger.
Determine your skin type. There are lots of online questionnaires and aids to help you do this. Here’s one.
Choose a cleanser, toner, and moisturizer that is suitable for your skin type.
Serums should be applied before your moisturizer.
Choose a night cream (which is more than just a “heavier” version of your moisturizer. Night creams and moisturizers focus on two separate things: day cream=protective, night cream=restorative and reparative.)
Exfoliate once a week.
Masks once or twice a week.
Do your daily skin care routine morning and night.
Never sleep with a dirty face or with makeup on your face.
Keep your pillow case clean.
A Skin-Calming Face Mask You Can Make at Home
***Do not use if you are allergic to any of the ingredients.***
Ingredients:
Egg white
Tea tree essential oil (a few drops)
Rosehip oil (a few drops)
Coconut oil (organic, if possible, 1 teaspoon, melted)
Other optional additives:
1 tsp aloe vera juice
1 tsp honey (use locally produced if possible to support your local beekeepers)
Making your own face masks are quite easy if you know a little about your skin and what it needs. Today we are taking a look at stressed skin that needs calming and soothing.
About the ingredients:
Egg white: Shrinks and tightens pores, restorative proteins, an enzyme called lysozyme kills acne-causing bacteria, potassium for hydration, riboflavin to eliminate toxic free radicals, tones the skin, great for all skin types
Organic Coconut Oil: Moisturizes and calms redness or irritation, antimicrobial fatty acids which may help treat acne
Aloe vera juice: Moisturizes and helps clear up acne
Honey: Provides moisture, has antibacterial and antiseptic properties for keeping skin naturally clean and clear
Directions for Preparing and Using Your At-Home Face Mask
Mix the ingredients well in a small bowl using a small wire whisk. If you are using coconut oil, it may be in a creamy solid form. If so, place the oil in a small glass container and immerse the bottom of the container in warm water for a few minutes to melt down the coconut oil into a clear(ish) liquid. Do not heat it in the microwave.
Once all of your ingredients are combined and mixed well together, apply the mask to your face using a soft, clean cosmetic brush or your clean fingers. Avoid the eye area if you are using tea tree oil in your mixture as it could irritate the delicate skin of your eyelids and under eye. (Most cosmetics will say to avoid the eye area—this area is very delicate!)
Mask time: Approximately 15-20 minutes. If you are using coconut oil in your mask, you may massage the mask in gentle, circular motion or use a facial roller during this time to increase blood flow to the face. This is optional, but for me, it feels good to massage the skin during this mask.
Note: Without the coconut oil, the mask will harden and tighten. With the coconut oil in your mask, it will not.
After the allotted mask time has passed, rinse the mask off with cool water, and follow with your regular skin care cleansing routine. For oily and acneic skins, it is important to follow your mask with a cleanser to remove excess coconut oil from the skin. What is not absorbed during mask time can be cleansed away and your regular moisturizer will restore moisture balance.
Nutshell version:
Mix mask.
Apply mask in circular strokes avoiding the eye area.
Rinse mask off with cool water.
Follow with your normal skin care routine.
Thanks for reading today and I wish you the best in your natural beauty care routine. Take care of your skin and yourself! Share this article with your friends who may enjoy it.
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