Makeup and Beauty

Beans, Cabbage & Rose Water Toner:
Save the water you’ve cooked beans or cabbage in and use it as a vitamin-enriched face rinse. Or make a rosewater toner, take two handfuls of dark-scented rose petals. Put them into a large screwtop jar and pour over a litre of still mineral water and eight ounces of sugar. Close the top, shake vigorously and leave for two hours. Then shake it again, strain and store in the fridge.
For oily skin, mix a quarter of a cup of alcohol (such as vodka) with half a cup of rosewater. Into this put two tablespoons of rosemary leaves, the peel and pith of an orange quarter and a lemon half, and four sprigs of mint. Let it stand for at least 48 hours, shaking frequently, then strain and bottle.
Almonds & Lemon Cleansers:
For a general purpose cleanser, just pour a little oatmeal or ground almonds into the palm of your hand and add enough water to make a paste. Apply to the skin in circular movements, then rinse thoroughly. Watermelon juice makes a good cleanser for dry skin and is said to reduce wrinkles. Another face-washing tip is to add a handful of sugar to the lather when you use soap or a foaming cleanser, and massage for a couple of minutes. Rinse with warm water that has lemon juice added to it.
• Incorporate this five-minute body brush into your daily bathing routine to tone and soften skin and pep up circulation. Brush skin when it’s dry (before bathing), with a natural bristle body brush, and always towards your heart.
• After showering, massage and exfoliate wet skin to remove dead cells and boost circulation. Use a body scrub in upward, spiral motions. Concentrate on rough, dry skin, e.g, heels, knees and elbows.
• Rinse off and direct the shower head at zones that need toning such as thighs and upper arms. Towel-dry, leaving skin slightly damp, then smooth on moisturizer.
Base for Make-up:
If your skin lets you down, new complexion primers and foundations can help.
• Prime skin with a firming, moisturizing and protective gel or emulsion. Apply prefoundation products after cleansing, while skin is still warm. Leave to settle for a few minutes before putting on make-up.
• If your skin is up to scratch, use primer instead of foundation. Just add blusher, concealer and a dusting of loose powder on your nose.
• Mix foundation with moisturizer and a primer or facial spritzer for fast, easy application and to give skin a well-toned look.
• Prepare skin with a premake-up mask : add a dash of olive oil.

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Wash gently with a mild soap
Once or twice a day is usually sufficient to remove surface, oil, dead skin, and dirt. Always wash at bedtime and perhaps more often during the warm summer months. Since acne is not caused exclusively by dirt, washing with a strong soap or scrubbing violently may only cause undue irritation.
Avoid oil-base make-up
Cosmetics can make acne worse; the oil base plugs pores. Look for water-base make-up such as Almay and Allercreme foundations, which are available in a number of shades for both light and dark skins.
Eat a sensible diet
Specific foods have not been proven to affect acne, but good nutrition helps the body maintain healthy skin. Some scientists have suggested that caffeine products and excessively salty foods aggravate acne in certain individuals.
Avoid excessive exposure to the sun
Your August suntan may lead to late fall or winter skin problems. Most acne seems to improve during the summer months with increased exposure to the sun. However, sunburned or suntanned skin is actually damaged skin. As your skin rebuilds and repairs itself, it sheds the dead sun-damaged skin cells. This may cause dead skin debris to clog oil glands, leading to acne.
If you use over-the-counter medications, be wary of adverse reactions
Benzoyl peroxide the primary active ingredient of these remedies. Many people are allergic or sensitive to this chemical. These individuals may see little improvement or even a worsening of their skin condition when using products that contain benzoyl peroxide.

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