Home Truths

beauty@fashionindia.net
It never fails. Just when you thought youd seen the last of
the face invaders, theyre back and larger than life!
Suddenly, you feel like an alien, and the only thing you want
to do moveto another planet. ut wait! Instead of waging
war on you skin by blasting blemishes wit supersonic !it
creams and harsh scrubbing, take the kinder, gentler
approach, "ust like the women from the past who made good
use of everyday items like fruits, vegetables, nuts and
cereals for enhancing their beauty. #randmas recipes
obviously work, because even the most e$otic spas of
%urope are veering towards herbal and natural therapies.
&he best part' (ou can whip these up in seconds using
things that are sitting in the refrigerator or on the kitchen
shelf. )asks, facials, packs and cleansers made of
homegrown stuff all work in gentle, natural ways to soothe,
stimulate, rela$, tone or clear the skin. &hough you may go
according to different or problem skin types, a tutti*frutti
approach may be better+ everyones skin is a combination of
oily and dry elements. (ou might want to use a mask for oily
skin on the nose, forehead and chin and mask for dry skin
everywhere else.
(ou can even take a ,hinese restaurant approach, and
combine, say honey with egg in the same skin category.
-owever, you can cook up your mask, apply it to a cleansed
skin and let it do the good work for fifteen or twenty minutes
while you rela$. .eet up on the pillows or resting on the
slant board will double the benefits of any helper you put on
the skin. /emember, skin is an all*over affair. 0ont stop
with "ust nourishing your face 1 spread the good work to
hands, to the throats and shoulders. 2fter twenty minutes,
splash away the facial with cool or lukewarm water.
3hat is your skin type' #et a headstart on the road to a
dear comple$ion by understanding the basics+
4ily sin usually has a shiny surface, visible pores and is
prone to breakouts.
0ry skin often feels taut, slightly rough and tends to
chap and flake.
,ombination skin is oily at the &*!one 5the forehead,
nose and chin6 and drier on the cheeks.
Sensitive skin is thin, delicate and easily irritated. It
has a red and blotchy.

Natural Masks
reak two large bananas, toss into a blender along with
half of the peel and one tablespoon of raw honey. lend to
li7uefy, pat on, let dry for 89 minutes.
)i$ e7ual proportions of honey, fresh cream, or oats
and almond paste. :at on, let dry for 89 minutes.
:eel and pit an avocado, li7uefy in the blender with one
tablespoon of raw honey. :at on, let dry for 89 minutes.
/inse off with cool water.

Oily Skin Masks
3ash and core two crisp apples, but do not peel,
li7uefy the whole thing into the blender. :at on, let dry for
89 minutes. Splash on with cool water.
3ash a big, ripe tomato and li7uefy the whole thing in
the blender. :at on, let dry for 89 minutes, splash off with
cool water.

Two nourishing masks for all skin types:
lend two egg yolks, two tablespoons of honey, three
drops of almond oil. :at on, let dry for 89 minutes. /inse off
with cool water.
#rind half a cup of yellow mustard seeds, adding 8
litres of water in it. 2lso grind in a few rose petals. 2pply on
skin. ;et dry for 89 minutes. /inse well.

One Clarifying faial mask! good for all skins "to be
used oassionally#:
&his does with gentle natural en!ymes what skin*slouching
creams, peelers and e$foliating lotions do with chemical 1 it
removes dead, dry skin cells on the surface to e$pose fresh
clear skin.
:eel a ripe banana and puree in the blender. :at on the
fruit, let dry for 89 minutes. /inse off with cool water.

Two leansing and bleahing masks "for faded! end of
summer tans as well as winter$drab or season$
hange sallow skin#
2dd the "uice of two lemons to one cup of buttermilk.
blend, pat on, let dry for 89 minutes. Splash off with cool
water.

;i7uefy one whole lemon 5washed, not peeled6 and half
an orange 5washed, not peeled6 in the blender, add one cup
of plain yoghurt. blend, pat on, let dry for 89 minutes. /nse
off with cool water.

Here are a few more any$time masks
.or a glowing skin, cucumber mi$ed with fresh coconut
water gives remarkable results.

use mashed bananas and strawberries as a pack to
freshen up the comple$ion.

.or curing pimples, apply a mi$ture of haldi 5turmeric6
and sandalwood on the face.

:imples can also be cured with a light massage of rose
and sevti flowers e$tract. &he e$tract is easily prepared by
distilling a number of flowers in a distilling apparatus. &he
e$tract should be applied on the pimples three times a day.

,ompiled from 3edding 2ffair