Mercredi: The Art of Beauty

Fresh skin is always beautiful and one of the best ways to encourage those new cells to do their thing is to get rid of the old ones. I always look at a facial mask as a sort of spring cleaning for your face. You don’t do it every day, but once in a while it can really make a difference. With that philosophy in mind I’m offering my favorite masks for dry, oily and sensitive skin over the course of the next few Wednesdays. Today, dry skin says goodbye.

There are all kinds of (very expensive) masks available on store shelves for dry and “mature” skin that probably work as well on your face as they do on your wallet. Personally, though, I believe the only way to ensure that a skin treatment is made with natural ingredients and – more importantly – that it works specifically for you is to make it yourself. Today’s dry skin helper gets a boost from fat-rich avocado, cooling yogurt and healing, hydrating honey.

½ ripe avocado, peeled
1 tbsp plain yogurt
1 tbsp honey
1000 mg evening primrose oil capsule
5 drops vanilla essential oil
Enough rice flour to bring the mixture to the consistency of paste

Mash the avocado in a bowl and then add the yogurt, honey and oils. Mix this thoroughly, until it is free of lumps. Add the rice flour in handfuls and mix until you have a paste. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about half an hour.

Remove the mask from the frig and let it stand a few minutes uncovered. Remix gently and, after washing and drying your face, neck and décolleté, apply a generous layer to all. Relax for about fifteen minutes, preferably lying on your back or perhaps reclining in the bath. Rinse your face thoroughly with warm water. You’ll be surprised how soft your skin, particularly in very dry areas like your cheeks, feels. Be sure to moisturize after rinsing. A votre santé ~

Header: The Sisters by W.M. Paxton c 1897