This has been a hard winter for my skin. My skin has always been a bit sensitive and dry particularly in the colder months. I recently tried using Dr. Hauschka skin care products after a convincing and beautifully skinned consultant sold me on the quality and homeopathic nature of the line. I am not going to review it just yet but so far my skin has been screaming for more moisture. However, the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database doesn’t shine too favorable on most of the Haushka line. If you are not familiar, this agency reviews cosmetics based on the ingredients and the toxicity of each one, then it ranks them from 1 to 10 based on the danger level to your health. Since the cosmetics industry is a wholly unregulated industry it’s tough to know what claims to believe and which are hog wash. This database helps decipher that. The Dr. Hauschka line promotes a belief that skin can heal itself and no cream should be used at night to prompt the skin to produce its own oils. So, I am going to put it aside for now (except for the toned day crème which I really like) and try to rehydrate my skin. It should be said here that drinking plenty water and running a vaporizer are also important for dry winter skin, both of which I do.
Continuing my theme to live sustainably and naturally I decided to do some research on natural dry skin cures that I could make at home. I found several recipes but wanted to search out specific ingredients to help my skin repair and rehydrate. I settled on honey, milk, olive oil, and oatmeal.
Honey has antibacterial properties and is a recommended to kill germs and diminish acne. It is also a humectant, which means it draws moisture from the air onto the skin and holds moisture. It has been used for thousands of years and is rumored to have been used by Cleopatra in conjunction with milk for baths.
Milk has vitamin A and lactic acids. It can heal dry skin and even sooth minor burns. It also softens dead skin cells. The lactic acid in milk can also lighten dark circles under the eyes sooth puffiness. It’s important to use a fatty source of milk here: whole milk, cream, sour cream, yogurt, you get the idea.
Olive Oil contains vitamin E which is a very important ingredient for supple skin. It also is able to help cells regenerate faster by absorbing UV radiation and being a powerful antioxidant.
Last, oatmeal absorbs impurities and sloughs off dead skin cells all the while soothing and replenishing dry skin.
With all these wonderful natural skin care treatments at home why do we as a nation spend the millions of dollars each year on skin care? Well, effective marketing, busy schedules, and the disbelief that we can make something ourselves as miraculous as the big companies claim their products are. My recipe took me less than 5 minutes to make, all the items were in my pantry or fridge and it was pennies to produce! You can find recipes all over the web to deal with various skin issues here is mine:
Dry Skin Mask
¼ cup dry oatmeal (ground in a coffee bean grinder until fine)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons full fat milk product
2 tablespoons honey
Mix into a dough like consistency and store in the refrigerator. To use take a dollop onto your hands and mix in a little warm tap water spread onto your face, do not scrub, and leave for 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse with luke warm water and follow with a natural remedy moisturizer if needed.
Natural Face Moisturizer
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
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