Sliced aloe vera
Once you have the right tools and ingredients, you can create your own nature-based creams, lotions, masks, toners, and scrubs—products that are custom made for your skin’s specific requirements.
Before you begin preparing your own skin-care treatments, you need to determine what sort of skin you have. People generally have one of four types: dry, oily, combination, and normal. Excessively dry skin, also known as xerosis, can be sensitive, flaky, scaly, rough, red, itchy, sagging, or tired looking. Dry skin can be caused by cold weather, wind, central heating, overcleansing, aging, and disease. People deficient in essential nutrients such as beta-carotene, the B-complex vitamins, and vitamins C and E often suffer from dry skin.
Sliced aloe vera
Oily skin is cause by excess sebum production; the complexion will be shiny and often experiences breakouts. Even people who think they have normal skin may have oily spots in the oil-gland-heavy T-zone, made up of the forehead, nose, and chin. This is combination skin and it may require two types of treatment.
THE pH FACTOR
Human skin has a light protective layer called the acid mantle. It is composed of sebum—free fatty acids—that mixes with lactic and amino acids from sweat to create a pH reading of about 5.5. This is the level that supports beneficial facial flora. (On the pH scale, 1 is the most acidic, 14 is the most alkaline.) If the skin’s pH is not in balance due to diet, skin products, smoking, air or water pollution, or too much sun, the result can be acne breakouts, infections, and even wrinkles. Most commercial soaps and cleansers are too alkaline, stripping away natural oils. Some ingredients, such as alpha hydroxy acids and retinoic acids, can be too acidic, weakening the skin’s defenses against bacteria. You can apply topical antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, and E and green tea that help maintain the acid mantle, just don’t use vitamin C with other acidic products. Aging skin also experiences a decrease in oil production. This can be rectified by masks based on olive, jojoba, argan, or coconut oils.
Natural skincare products, aromatherapy oil, and salt
By creating skin-care products at home, you can be assured that your skin will be getting the appropriate cleansers, toners, and lotions for your precise complexion needs.
TOOL KIT SUGGESTIONS:
For preparing your own beauty products, you will need the items listed below. Keep all the smaller items together in a basket or bin.
• A number of small lidded glass jars (baby food jars are ideal)
• 3 or 4 lidded mason jars
• A plastic medicine dropper
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons
• Mixing bowls in several sizes
• Carrier oils such as olive, almond, and coconut
• A double boiler or two pots that create the same effect
• A supply of your favorite essential oils as well as some medicinal standbys, such as lavender, lemon balm, rosemary, and tea tree oil