How to have a homemade spa!
Masks are an essential boost to your daily skincare. They provide nourishing substances, deep cleanse, exfoliate dead cells to give your face a wonderful glow and are a relaxing treat after a long day's work. Masks can be simple and fuss free, made from 100% natural ingredients. You can give yourself a spa treatment right at your home. Spot lights, candles, essential oil burner and ambient music create a spa like atmosphere in a simple room or even a bathroom.. to relax even the most stressed individual..
You can give yourself a total body treatment, hair and facial treatment as often as you like with these all natural recipes inspired by asian spas..Enjoy!
*BODY SPA TREATMENTS*
Ingredients: 1/2 cup ground rice
2 tablespoons ground sandalwood1 tablespoon pure coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon essential oil: jasmine, rose, patchouli, ylang ylang...anything you like.
Mix the ingredients together in a clean container. To use, scoop about 4 tablespoons of this mixture and mix with water or yoghurt plus 1/2 lime juice to make into a smooth spreadable paste. wet body in the shower, with warm water. Massage the mixture into damp skin for a few minutes. Allow to dry. Massage once more to remove. Rinse with cool water.
Benefits: sandalwood has been used since ancient times by persians and indians as an ayurvedic treatment. It has anti aging benefits, it is cooling, has astringent qualities, whitening and toning. Leaves the skin glowing. Tumeric is a powerful antioxident and whitening properties. Rice exfoliates gently. Coconut oil is anti aging as it penetrates into the skin dermis and repairs collagen and elastin, deep cleanses, gently exfoliates due to lauric acid and is anti microbial, antifungal and even anti viral. Each essential oil has its own wonders.
Coconut body glow..
Ingredients:
Freshly grated 1/2 coconut
1/4 teaspoon tumeric
1 blended carrot plus 2 tablespoons set gelatin
Cling film
Mix the coconut and tumeric in a blender and blend till smooth. Add a liitle water if stiff.
Massage over body and wrap using a cling film. Leave on for 15 mins.
Drink a lot of water or fresh fruit juice because you will sweat.
After 15 mins, remove the wrap and wipe off the mixture using a towel and apply the carrot-gelatin mix. Let dry, then rinse off with cool water.
Sugar polish
This is a highly polishing smoothening body scrub ideal for the whole body, but not your face. A perfect treat for your feet and body ..
Ingredients:
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup olive oil/ sunflower oil/ coconut oil / jojoba oil/ avocado oil. You can also mix them in varying proportions.
1 tablespoon Palmers cocoa butter
few drops of essential oil e.g rose, jasmine, sandalwood, lemon, oregano, ylang ylang, geranium or your favorite perfume oil.
Mix the sugar with enough oil to make a stiff paste in which all the sugar crystals cling together.
Add essential oil drops and/or perfume oil drops and mix well.
To use: wet body with warm water then dry excess water with a towel . Massage the scrub gently on your slightly damp skin. Rinse off and wash using a mild soap. Rinse with cool water. You may not need to moisturize as the oils are enough.
Papaya body polish
Ingredients:
1 ripe papaya mashed
Cling film
Apply it all over body and wrap. Leave for 20 mins then rinse with cool water.
Benefits: Papaya contains a natural enzyme exfoliant called papain. This enzyme exfoliates and brightens dull skin hence is used in many whitening lotions, soaps and masks. A good papaya soap to use in the shower after using this mask is Likas papaya soap. To moisturize, apply a small amount of virgin or pure coconut oil on wet skin. Pat dry with a towel.
Bali kopi scrub
This is a bali (tropical indonesian island) inspired body scrub made of coffee beans, kaolin and pumice.
The coffee aroma is very appealing for those on-the-go youths. Males also benefit from this rather rugged scrub.
Ingredients:3 teaspoons kaolin
pinch of groung pumice stones
1 blended carrot plus 2 tablespoons of set gelatin
Mix the dry ingredients together and mix with water to make a paste. Use it to scrub the body for a few mins then leave it to dry. Then rub until it sloughs off. Apply the carrot-gelatin mix. Let dry, then rinse off with cool water.
*Extra treat: after off rinsing off with water, fill a bath tub with water and add the following: 1/2 cup rose water, rose oil drops, rose petals/ hibiscus/indian jasmine petals. For oily skin you can add 1/2 cup of witch hazel. Soak for 15 mins.
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*Facial spa treatments*
Masks for clear even toned complexion..
1- Azelaic acid mask: 3 parts clay mask (sea minerals, fruits, algae..) and 1 part azelaic acid 20% gel or cream. Mix well and apply on clean face. Let dry for 10 mins then rinse off with cool water. Rub an ice cube for a minute Use twice a week as it can be drying.
2- Yoghurt lime mask: 1 tablespoon yoghurt plus 1/2 a lime and a few drops rosewater. Apply and leave for 10 mins. Rinse with cool water and rub an ice cube for a minute. Use daily for optimum results.
3-Tumeric sandalwood mask: 1 tablespoon sandalwood + 1/4 teaspoon tumeric powder+ juice of 1/4 lime.
Mix and apply gently massaging. Leave for 15-20 mins. Wash with a mild soap to remove the yellow stain left by the tumeric.Rinse with cool water. Rub an ice cube for a minute. Use this mask daily to see results.
4-Banana coconut oil: Great for dry to normal skin. 1/2 mashed banana plus a teaspoon of coconut oil.mix well. Apply to clean face for 10 mins. Wash with cold water. and rub an ice cube.
5- Herbal glow:
