Herbal Skin Care

The surface of your skin needs to be kept moist as well as clean, to protect it from the harmful effects of drying wind, burning sun and environmental pollution. All preparations used either to cleanse, tone, moisturize or nourish the skin should be used in moderation. Always remember that your skin is alive, breathing and eliminating, and that its delicate balance of pH, moisture and immunity can easily be damaged by too much cleansing, toning, and moisturizing which clog the pores.
The preparations you use on your skin will vary according to your skin type, the time of year, your general health and the atmosphere you live in. When applying anything to your skin, always be gentle; do not drag the skin or rub it too vigorously. Avoid extremes of temperature such as facial saunas or cold water splashes to wake you up in the morning. Make-up is best avoided as far as possible as it tends to clog up the pores; it dries and ages the skin as well as making it look dull and lifeless.
Herbal ingredients can do much to help your skin to look and feel better. As the recipes show, you can use ingredients derived from plants to produce bracing astringents, soothing emollient lotions and creams, and deep-cleaning masks and steam facials. But remember that the health of your skin depends on a number of factors age, diet, heredity, stress, exercise, and sleeping habits as well as environmental influences such as humidity and sun exposure.

Sage astringent

This can be especially refreshing if kept in the refrigerator and applied while cold. Tincture of benzoin, a preservative, is sold by specialty druggists. This preparation is for external use only and should not be taken internally.

• 1/2 cup dried sage
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 4-5 drops tincture of benzoin

Put half the sage in a jar and pour the vodka over it. Cap the jar tightly and let it stand for a week. Strain, reserving the liquid and discarding the sage. Put the rest of the sage in the jar, add the liquid, and let it stand for another week. The liquid should have a strong herbal odor. If you would like it to be stronger, repeat the process, using another 1/4 cup sage. Strain the astringent into a clean bottle, using a fine filter, such as a coffee filter. Add the tincture of benzoin, cap the bottle tightly, and shake well. This astringent is even better made with fresh sage. Use about 1/2 cup, loosely packed, each time you fill the jar. A milder astringent. Dilute with distilled water or substitute a less astringent herb, such as chamomile. A more bracing astringent. Add from 2 to 4 tablespoons of witch hazel extract or substitute a more astringent herb, such as yarrow.

Rose water-glycerin lotion

Quite likely a favorite of your grandmother, this traditional mix makes an effective basic moisturizer and hand lotion. A version is sold at any drugstore, but if you make your own, you can vary the proportions to suit your skin and its seasonally changing condition.

• 1/2 cup rose water
• 1/4 cup glycerin

Use prepared rose water or make it by adding 1 teaspoon soluble rose oil to 1/2 cup distilled water. Blend the rose water with the glycerin until you have a smooth, creamy mixture. Pour it into a clean bottle and cap. A thinner lotion, for oily skin. Mix 2/3 cup rose water with 2 tablespoons glycerin. A thicker lotion, for dry skin. Mix V3 cup rose water with 1/3 cup or more glycerin. Rose water-glycerin gel. Dissolve I teaspoon plain gelatin in 1/2 cup hot water; blend in 1 teaspoon oil of rose and 3 tablespoons glycerin.

Aloe vera cold cream

Aloe adds an interesting texture to this traditional cleansing and moisturizing cream. An 18-century-old formula calls for expensive oil of roses, but olive oil and rose water make a good, moderate-priced substitute. Anhydrous (water-less) lanolin is available from specialty druggists. Beeswax can be found where sewing notions are sold. Pick a favorite essential oil for scent: oil of rose or lavender will heighten the cream's floral fragrance; oil of eucalyptus or peppermint will give it a refreshing, healthful smell.

• 1 tablespoon aloe vera gel
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white beeswax
• 2 tablespoons anhydrous lanolin
• 2 tablespoons rose water
• 2-3 drops essential oil (rose, lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint)

Use a wire whip or a blender to mix the aloe gel thoroughly into the oil. Set the mixture aside. Melt the beeswax with the lanolin in the top of a double boiler. Slowly stir in the oil mixture. Then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rose water and the essential oil. Keep stirring as the mixture cools and thickens. Just before it begins to solidify, pour it into a jar with a screw-on lid.

An herbal steam facial

Steaming moisturizes the skin, cleans out the pores, and increases the surface blood flow. Herbs can make it both more stimulating and soothing. For the ingredients below you can substitute other aromatic or astringent plants, such as dried sage and yarrow leaves, lavender flowers, and fresh or dried parsley. Make herbal steam baths in a large bowl instead of the sink; the herbs can clog the sink's drain.

• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon dried peppermint or dried spearmint
• 2 tablespoons dried chamomile flowers
• 1 tablespoon dried elderberry flowers
• 2 teaspoons powdered licorice root
• 1 quart boiling water

Crush the fennel seeds with a spoon. Then put them together with the other herbs in a large heat-proof bowl, and pour the water over them. Put your face over the bowl and cover your head with a towel, forming a tent. Keep your face about 12 inches from the water. Steam for 5 to 10 minutes. Then pat your face dry and apply a moisturizing cream to keep the absorbed moisture from evaporating.

Cleansing

Removing dirt and make-up is best done once a day at night, unless your skin is very oily, in which case it may be necessary to cleanse in the morning as well. Cleansing creams and lotions are preferable to water and most soaps, which can over-dry the skin and damage its pH, especially if your skin is dry and sensitive. However, unperfumed natural soaps and rainwater are suitable for many people for face washing.

CLEANSERS FOR OIL SKIN

For simple cleansers you can use tepid infusions of either elder flowers, yarrow, sage, lady's mantle, calendula or chamomile to rinse the face. Rose water is also useful. Cucumber is an ideal cleanser for oily skin. Mix a little cucumber puree with half a pint of milk and keep it in the refrigerator for up to three days. Shake well before use. Alternatively if you grate half a cucumber and boil it in half a pint of milk gently for three minutes, cool, sieve, and bottle it, it will keep for a week.
Fennel helps to remove dirt and impurities from oily skin. Bran, oatmeal, or cornmeal can be used daily as facial scrubs to help absorb excess oil on the skin. Take a small handful of fine oatmeal and mix a little water, milk or buttermilk with it to make a paste, and wash the face gently with it. This will help prevent blackheads.

Almond milk cleanser

• 2 teaspoons ground almonds
• 1/4 teaspoons rose water

Blend for 2 minutes, strain and bottle.

Buttermilk and fennel cleanser

• 1/2 cup (125 ml) buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds

Heat the milk and crushed fennel seed slowly for 30 minutes in a double boiler. Leave to cool and infuse for 2 hours. Stain and bottle; this keeps in a refrigerator for up to a week.

CLEANSERS FOR DRY SKIN

Apricot oil is nourishing and moisturizing and makes a good cleanser. Wash off any excess oil with a tepid infusion of chamomile or elderflower. Lemons will help restore the acid pH of the skin.

Chamomile cleansing milk

• 1/2 cup (125 ml) full fat milk
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) chamomile flowers

Heat together very gently in a double boiler for half an hour, but do not allow to boil. Leave to cool for 2 hours, strain, refrigerate and use within a week.

Lemon cleansing milk

• 1/2 small pot of natural yoghurt
• 1/2 tablespoon (7.5 ml) lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) safflower or almond oil

Blend the ingredients together and use within 3 days.

CLEANSERS FOR DRY TO NORMAL SKIN

Sweet almond oil is cleansing and nourishing and is excellent for removing dirt and make-up. Remove excess oil with elderflower or chamomile in tepid infusion.

Orange flower cleansing cream

• 1 oz (25 ml) Soya oil
• 1 oz (25 ml) almond oil
• 1 oz (25 ml) orange flower water
• 1 oz (25 g) cocoa butter
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) beeswax
• 5 drops essential oil of neroli

Mix and warm the oil. Melt the cocoa butter separately, then stir into the oils. Melt the beeswax and stir it into the oil mixture. Add the orange flower water, leave to thicken and cool. Stir in the essential oil as the mixture thickens; spoon into jars. Neroli stimulates the formation of new skin cells.

Glycerin and rose water cleansing cream

• 4 tablespoons (60 ml) lanolin
• 2 oz (50 ml) almond oil
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) glycerin
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) rose water
• 6 drops essential oil of rose

Melt the lanolin in one pan and heat the glycerin and almond oil to the same heat in another. Mix the two together, slowly stirring all the time. Add the rose water gradually, leave to cool and stir in the rose oil.

CLEANSERS FOR ANY SKIN

Buttermilk makes an excellent cleanser and can be mixed with juice or puree of lemons, strawberries, tomatoes, honey or beaten egg white.

Olive oil cleanser

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey

Mix together and apply; rinse off with a tepid infusion of chamomile or elderflower.

Sage cleanser lotion

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 drops cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sage infusion

Combine the oil and honey, and warm. Add warm sage infusion and the vinegar; stir well.

Toning

Regular toning after cleansing, a bath or facial steaming, is important to keep the skin firm and fine in texture. It counteracts any tendency to large pores, and sagging of the skin, and will help eliminate excessive oiliness and any residue left from the cleanser. Skin tonics are generally prepared from astringent fruits or herbs which have a refreshing and stimulating effect on the skin.

Cucumber juice

Wash a cucumber (organically grown for preference) and put it through a juice extractor (or in a blender, then strain off the juice). Wipe the juice over your face and leave it to dry.

Horsetail toner

• 1 tablespoon oatmeal
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) horsetail infusion

Simmer oats in a cup of water for 5 minutes. Strain and use the water as gruel. Combine one teaspoonful with horsetail infusion and bottle. Keep in a cool place for 2 - 4 days. Apply it to the face and neck and leave for 10 - 15 minutes. Rinse with tepid water or rose water, pat dry.

Rose water and witch hazel toning lotion

• 4 tablespoons (60 ml) lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons (60 ml) witch hazel
• 4 tablespoons (60 ml) rose water
• 3 drops essential oil of lavender

Mix all the ingredients together and bottle. Shake well before using. This lotion will help to restore the acid skin mantle, close the pores, tighten and freshen the skin

Several herbs can be used in tepid infusions as skin fresheners; these include chamomile, yarrow, sage, mint, lady's mantle, elderflowers and fennel. Add one or two drops of tincture of benzoin, to help preserve the lotion a little longer, per cup of infusion.

Moisturizing

Light oil, creams or lotions can be applied to the skin regularly to protect the skin from the effects of winds, sun, central heating, and environmental pollution. Avoid using heavy oils or creams as they do not allow the skin to breathe properly. It is best only to moisturize in the morning and leave the skin to breathe freely at night.
Simple moisturizes can be made using the oils of avocado, wheat germ, almond, safflower, apricot, sunflower, and olive which are all moisturizing and penetrating. Apply the oil lightly to the skin, leave to soak in for a few minutes and then wipe off any excess. Egg yolk, cream, melon juice, brewer's yeast, buttermilk, honey, oatmeal, almond meal and peach juice are also moisturizing.

MOISTURIZERS FOR OIL SKIN

Avocado and nettle moisturizer

• 1 teaspoon beeswax
• 2 teaspoons emulsifying wax
• 4 teaspoons (20 ml) avocado oil
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) strong nettle infusion
• 4 drops essential oil of cedarwood

Melt the waxes together, warm the oils and stir in to the waxes. Mix in the infusion. Allow to cool and mix in the essential oil.

Witch hazel and buttermilk moisturizer

• 4 tablespoons (60 ml) buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) witch hazel
• 1 teaspoon ( 5 ml) apricot oil
• 2 teaspoons almond oil

Put the ingredients in the jar, screw on the lid and shake well.

MOISTURIZERS FOR DRY TO NORMAL SKIN

Rose moisturizer

• 1 teaspoon beeswax
• 1 teaspoon lanolin
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) almond oil
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) wheat germ oil
• 3 tablespoon (45 ml) rose water
• 6 drops essential oil of rose or rose geranium

Melt the beeswax and lanolin together while stirring. Warm the oils and gradually mix into the wax mixture. Slowly add the warm rose water while stirring. As the mixture cools and thickens, stir in the oil of rose. Spoon into jars.

Avocado moisturizer

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• natural yoghurt

Put the stoned avocado in the blender, add the honey and lemon juice and enough yoghurt to make it into a stiff cream. Cool for half an hour, massage into the face and neck, leave on for a few hours then rinse.

MOISTURIZERS FOR ANY SKIN TYPE

Buttermilk and calendula lotion

• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) buttermilk
• 2 teaspoon apricot oil
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) almond oil
• 1 teaspoon calendula infusion (steep until cold)

Put the ingredients in a jar, screw the lid on and shake well.

Witch hazel and rose lotion

• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) almond oil
• 1 teaspoon rose water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (7.5 ml) witch hazel
• 1 teaspoon honey

Warm the ingredients and combine them in a glass jar, screw on the lid and shake well.

Elderflower and cucumber lotion

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) almond milk
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) almond oil
• 1 teaspoon cucumber juice
• 1 drop tincture of benzoin

Combine ingredients in a jar, screw on the lid and shake well.

Face masks

If you have normal to dry skin and keep it cleansed and toned regularly, you need only occasionally use face masks for deeper cleansing and conditioning. If your skin is particularly oily you could use a face mask about once a week to tone the skin, particularly after steaming the face. When you have chosen and made your recipe, spread the mask mixture evenly over clean skin, avoiding the delicate areas around the eyes and lips. Lie down and relax, leaving it on for about ten minutes or until it sets. Rinse off thoroughly with tepid water and apply toners or fresheners to enhance the tonic effect. Herbal infusions to suit your skin type can be mixed with fuller's earth to make "mud" packs.

An oatmeal face mask

This recipe combines two ingredients-oat-meal and almonds-traditionally regarded as deep-cleansing agents that are highly beneficial to the complexion. You can use prepared almond meal or you can make it by grinding almonds to a fine powder in a blender or food processor. For a smoother-textured mask, substitute the special colloidal oatmeal sold at the drugstore. Refrigerate the leftover infusion and use it as a face wash.

• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons regular oatmeal
• 1 tablespoon almond meal

Pour the boiling water over the rosemary, steep for 15 minutes, and strain. In a separate bowl, crumble the dried oatmeal with your fingers; then mix in the almond meal. Add just enough of the rosemary infusion to make a thick paste. To use the mask, first wash your face and steam it or apply a warm, wet washcloth for a few minutes. Gently spread the paste on your  face, avoiding the eyes and lips. Leave the mask on for 15 to 30 minutes, letting it dry completely. Wash it off with a soft cloth soaked in lukewarm water.

An astringent mask. For oily skin, substitute an astringent, tannin-rich herb such as agrimony, lady's-mantle, raspberry leaf, or yarrow for the rosemary.
A stimulating mask. Instead of rosemary, use peppermint, elderberry flower, eucalyptus leaf, or some other herb that has an invigorating effect on the skin.
A smoothing mask. To help soften rough, dry skin, heat 1 or 2 teaspoons flaxseed, kelp, or another mucilage-rich herb in water until it thickens. Then add it to the oatmeal-almond mixture instead of the rosemary infusion. Dampen the dry mixture with a little water first. Aloe vera gel can also be substituted.
A richer mask. For dry skin, substitute an egg yolk mixed with 1/4 cup honey for the rosemary infusion. If the mask is too thick to apply easily, add a little milk or yogurt.

Papaya skin treatment

The enzyme in papaya (a fruit that resembles a melon) helps remove dried flaky skin. Do not leave the papaya on your face too long, since it also tends to dry the skin.

• 1 wedge of papaya fruit

Cut a wedge from a ripe fruit and save the rest to eat. Scrape off the seeds. Scoop out the fruit pulp and mash it. Smooth the pulp over your face. After a couple of minutes, wipe it off with a washcloth. Splash your face with cool water.

MASKS FOR OIL SKIN

Egg white and lemon face mask

• 1 egg white
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Beat the egg white stiff, and add a few drops of lemon juice and the honey.

Brewer's yeast and witch hazel face mask

• 4 oz (120 g) brewer's yeast
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) witch hazel
• 2-3 drops peppermint oil

Mix together into a paste and apply.

Strawberry face mask

• 4 oz (120 g) mashed fresh strawberries
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) powdered milk
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

Mix together and apply. Rinse off with a little lemon juice or cider vinegar in warm water.

MASKS FOR DRY SKIN

Brewers yeast and comfrey face mask

• 3 teaspoons (15 ml) ml strong comfrey leaf infusion
• 1 teaspoon runny honey
• 1 teaspoon brewer's yeast
• 1 teaspoon natural yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon avocado or olive oil

Blend together the honey and yeast. Then add the yoghurt and comfrey, stirring until it makes a paste. Pat your face with the oil then apply the paste.

Egg yolk and olive oil face mask

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Beat the two ingredients together, and apply.

MASKS FOR ANY SKIN TYPE

Egg yolk and lemon face mask

• 1/2 lemon
• 1 egg yolk

Hollow out a space in the cut lemon just big enough to hold the egg yolk. Put the unbroken egg yolk in and leave overnight. Cover your face and neck with the egg yolk which will have absorbed some of the oils from the lemon. Leave for about 10-15 minutes. Rinse. This combination will cleanse, nourish and tone the complexion.

Comfrey face mask

• 4 tablespoons (60 ml) comfrey leaf infusion
• 1/2 teaspoon arrowroot
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) apricot oil

Stir the arrowroot into the warm comfrey infusion; heat in a bowl or jar in hot water until it thickens slightly. Remove from the heat, add the oil and shake well; cool. Apply to face and neck.

MASKS FOR SENSITIVE SKIN

Chamomile and honey face mask

• 2 tablespoons unprocessed bran
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) chamomile infusion
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) runny honey

Mix ingredients together and apply. After 10 minutes rinse off with chamomile infusion.

Marshmallow face mask

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) strong decoction of marshmallow root
• 2 tablespoons natural yoghurt
• fine oatmeal

Mix the infusion and yoghurt together. Stir in enough oatmeal to make a paste. Apply to the face.