Sometimes your skin just needs a boost and no matter what you try, it just doesn't help. I can definitely sympathize with that feeling. Sometimes the best products for the skin are all-natural and found right at home.
- Green tea bag
- Pot of water to boil
- Handful of oatmeal
- Mud or clay mask
- Witch hazel toner
- Clean, empty bottle/jar/container
Step 1: Boil the pot of water and let the green tea bag steep in the water. Wait until it gets a little bit cooler to steam your face because you don’t want to burn yourself with the hot water. While waiting you should cleanse your face so it is free of dirt and oil. Draping a towel over your head, lean above the pot of green tea and let the steam open up your pores. Make sure you keep an appropriate distance away and to evenly steam your entire face. Green tea is packed full of antioxidants that are helpful in maintaining fresh, clear skin. It also helps to fight aging and detoxifies your skin. When steamed these antioxidants diffuse into the water and some of the steam gets onto your face and opens up your pores.Step 2: After steaming for about 5 minutes, wipe not wash the excess moisture that has accumulated on your face. Then generously apply your clay or mud mask to your entire face, avoiding eye and mouth area of course. Wait for it to dry and leave it on for 15 minutes.
Step 3: While waiting mix some of the green tea and witch hazel in your empty container. This can be a small mason jar, plastic bottle or even a tub-like container with a rubber top. You want to add at least a few ounces of witch hazel and then 2 parts of green tea. This mixture will be refrigerated and depending on how much you mix, it can be kept for up to 2 weeks. I recommend mixing enough to last you for a week since you do want to keep it fresh.
Step 4: Wash off your mask gently in circular motions making sure to rub it in. Taking a handful of oatmeal, run it underwater until it becomes damp and press it with your thumb to make sure a milky-like liquid is present. Apply that milky liquid to your face generously and after it has coated your entire face, start rubbing in the oatmeal as well. Using the same circular motions rub the oatmeal over your entire face, making sure there’s an even distribution over your face.
The oatmeal should provide gentle exfoliation and also works to calm and soothe the skin, such as irritations and inflammation. This gets very messy so it’s best if you do it in the shower or over a large sink.
Step 5: Wash off the oatmeal as you would normally wash off a cleanser, making sure to take care of the excess fallout. Pat your face dry and head for the green tea and witch hazel toner you've just made. You want to shake it up to make sure everything has been mixed evenly. Put it on a cotton pad and apply it to your entire face.Step 6: After your toner has dried, you should follow up with your moisturizer, cream, eye cream, and whatever else you normally use in your skincare routine. Your skin should feel softer and smoother and look brighter as well.