As the largest organ in the body, the skin gives us appearance, protects us from heat and cold and from environmental assaults. Healthy skin begins with good nutrition, regular sun protection, and healthy lifestyle habits such as not smoking. Better-looking skin can be accomplished without expensive commercial products by making home remedies using commonly available ingredients.
Clean With Salt
Rubbing the skin with coarse salt helps improve blood flow to the skin and removes dead skin cells. A salt scrub stimulates the skin’s natural oil secretion. Your skin feels soft and firm following treatment. Use a salt scrub on hands, arms, legs and feet, avoiding the thinner skin on your face. To make a salt scrub, use 2 cups coarse sea salt mixed with 1/4 cup distilled water or oil such as grapeseed, almond, apricot, or olive oil. If you want, you can add six to eight drops of essential oil.
Because a salt scrub can be messy, you should perform the procedure in your bathtub. Wet your hands and arms and rub the salt vigorously over the skin. Follow your hand and arm scrub by wetting the torso, legs and feet and scrubbing each with the salt mixture. Fill the tub with warm water and brush off the residual salt. Sit quietly and relax for a few minutes in the warm water, and towel dry.
Exfoliate With Fruit
The acid in fruit exfoliates the skin by removing dead cells and leaving the surface glowing and soft. To make a fruit mask, mix a small amount of apples, oranges, strawberries, and grapes in a blender or food processor–about 1/2 cup of each. Clean your face and apply a thin coat of honey and the fruit mixture. Allow the mixture to set for 12 to 15 minutes and rinse. Transworld News suggests that a fruit-based exfoliant is safe for all skin types.
Moisten With Oil
If your skin is extremely dry, the Mayo Clinic suggests using a gentle oil such as baby oil after bathing. Oil stays on the skin longer than cream moisturizers. You can make your own oil mixture by combining 1/4 cup almond oil, 2 tbsp. each of lanolin and cocoa butter, 2 tsp. rose water and 1/2 tsp. honey. Heat the oil ingredients in a double boiler, cool, add honey and water, and mix thoroughly. Apply this at night before bed and store the excess in the refrigerator.
