Almond & Mint Royal Face Treat
I love to pamper my face using wholesome ingredients from the kitchen.
I have almost bade farewell to beauty salons. My last few visits to beauty parlours – for a facial – have given me a headache and dull skin. Perhaps my skin didn’t like products they used or the massage was heavy-handed or combination of both. There was only one time when I have truly enjoyed facial and I was left with glowing skin for weeks. It was a salon in Andheri, Mumbai (I don’t remember the name, it’s been few years). The lady who did the facial had such a tender and loving touch, which I think made all the difference. Unfortunately I was there for a short stay and I couldn’t visit it again. And I haven’t come across anybody like her.
So now I prefer to do luxury face treats at home. I recently came across this face nourishing recipe in a health book. I tweaked it a bit and tried it on… The almond and mint face mask made my face sooo soft, and it brightened it up instantly, and it also smoothed out uneven skin tone around my face. I highly recommend it.
After just two applications I even received a few compliments – so it’s not just me hallucinating the benefits 🙂 My skin is combination type, but looking at the ingredients I believe it should work for all skin types. Also, they are pretty basic but effective and you should have most of them in your pantry.
Here’s the list of ingredients and what each has to offer:
Almond is rich in vitamin E and mono-unsaturated fatty acid, which easily absorbs into the skin to improve complexion. A wonderful natural moisturiser, it leaves your skin soft, supple and smooth.
Mint is cleansing, soothing and cooling and nourishes both dry and oily skin types. It is effective in treating blemishes and reducing puffiness.
Honey is a natural humectant, which means it will draw moisture from outside air and hydrate your skin. It has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties which help with acne and other skin problems.
Milk has natural lactic acid that helps to cleanse, exfoliate and soothe the skin. Milk contains protein, enzymes and antioxidants – all of these enhances smoothness and help to strengthen skin structure.
Lemon is detoxifying, astringent, antiseptic, and anti-fungal. It increases lustre of dull skin, and helps to fade blemishes and even out skin tone.
Frankincense essential oil is a balancing skin tonic, effective for dry and mature complexion, scars and wrinkles.
Almond & Mint Royal Face Treat
This is how I made mine:
- 2 tablespoon almond powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh mint leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried leaves)
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 4 teaspoon milk
- 2 drops of frankincense essential oil (optional, use for mature skin)
Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until you have a smooth and creamy mixture.
Notes:
- You can easily make the almond powder using coffee or nut grinder. You can also use soaked almonds (about 10 to 12), peel and blend with other ingredients.
- If you are not sure about using milk, then substitute it with yoghurt or rose-water or even plain water.
- Sandalwood oil can be used in place of frankincense oil.
- When it comes to selecting honey, always choose raw unrefined honey.
- If you are a vegan then substitute honey with plant glycerine or olive oil, and milk with rose-water or plain water.
How to apply:
Apply little by little to your clean face and neck, avoiding the eye area. Massage gently using your middle and ring finger, always moving upwards. Massage for 3 to 4 minutes.
Spread the remaining mixture evenly on your face and neck. For tired eyes, put cucumber slices or chamomile tea bags (used/chilled) on your eyes. Now lie down and relax for 15 to 20 minutes. Focus on your breath and let all your worries melt away. Wash off with warm water (you can also use a wash cloth/muslin cloth to remove the mask). Lastly, splash your face with cold water to seal and pores and all the nourishing goodness.
Massage tips:
- Your facial muscles are actually arranged diagonally in line with your cheekbones, so massage in a spiral motion from the center of the face outwards towards the temples – use diagonal upward movement. This will engage the small facial muscles and tighten up the skin.
- Pinching along your brows lifts the appearance of brows and stops the upper eyelid from sagging.
- Forehead massage: You can go either horizontally or upwards. Just don’t go downwards, as it will encourage more wrinkles.
- To finish off, take the fingertips of the two hands, and tap everywhere on the face and neck (using the natural weight of your fingers) to wake up the energy, and enhance the blood circulation.
How often should you apply this? Once or twice a week is sufficient to keep you glowing throughout the week.
Enjoy your soft, smooth and radiant skin 🙂
