Natural Secrets of Beauty — Part 2

Adapted from “Secrets of Youth and Beauty” by Daniele Ryman.

There are lots of things that can go wrong with the face, whether it’s naturally pretty or not.

For example, broken capillaries or spider veins can be particularly visible on the cheeks. If you have this problem, avoid hot baths and showers, hot facials, too much sun and especially alcohol, as these cause capillaries to dilate.

Vitamin C in your diet is important, as is rutin, a bioflavanoid found in the pith of citrus fruits. These can often be found together in supplements. Both are good for strengthening vein walls.

Also, parsley is an effective essential oil which slows down the spread of broken capillaries and moderates their appearance.

Another essential oil for this problem is oil of chamomile. So are violet leaves and orange oils.

Here’s a recipe for a face oil for broken capillaries you can make up yourself at home:

30ml (2 tbspn) rose masqueta oil
10ml (1 dspn) argan oil
2 capsules borage oil
2 capsules wheatgerm oil
6 drops essential oil of parsley
2 drops essential oil of chamomile, violet leaves or orange
50ml bottle

Mix together in the bottle and it’s ready for use.

Apply to the face after cleansing, preferably in the morning. After ten minutes, remove surplus.

The oil will keep for two to three months.

Modern women are beginning to realize the dangers of overloading their skin with products, especially sensitive facial skin. And yet, we’re told to moisturize twice a day after cleansing. Is this wise?

Tracey Chappell, a skin expert, says, “The idea that we should moisturize twice a day is traditional beauty lore and does apply to a great many of us. But it’s not necessarily the best thing for everyone.

“The belief probably came about because our desire for squeaky clean skin has meant that traditionally cleansers are quite stripping and leave skin feeling tight and dry, making us reach for the moisturizer both morning and night after we wash our faces.

“Only you can know what your skin feels like on a day-to-day basis. Occasionally it is wise to let the skin breathe, particularly as over-using creams that are too rich can make the skin “lazy”, taking over from its natural functions and leaving us dependent on lotions and potions.

“We get trapped in a vicious cycle.”

Almay’s new 15 Minute Facial is an exfoliant scrub, a moisturizer and a facial mask all in one. Get the benefits of a total facial in only 15 minutes.

The product is first applied to damp skin in circular motions like a scrub, cleansing clogged pores and exfoliating dead skin cells. Then instead of washing it off, let the product set on the face for 10-15 minutes and it becomes a facial mask. The product is then rinsed off with warm water.

15 Minute Facial is hypoallergenic. It retails for about $6.99, which is a great price for a total facial.