DRY SKIN CARE AND MASK

by Jeanne Rose

How To Care for Dry Skin
Cleanse gently by rinsing first with plenty of warm water. Then wash with a good quality handmade soap. When washing your face, Touch face gently, pat up using tiny feathery strokes. Follow a bath or a shower with a mild application of Calendula infused oil.

Beauty Mask for Dry Skin
Once a week, use a facial mask to clarify the skin and remove dull, dry surface skin cells. Apply the mixture to your face, avoiding the eye area. Leave it on for five-fifteen minutes, and then rinse well with lukewarm water. While your skin is still slightly damp, apply a Calendula infused oil. A simple mask can be made with a bit of egg, 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and Rose hydrosol or Owyhee hydrosol. I have also used Cacao powder (antioxidant), milk powder and a touch of clay. Mix the ingredients thoroughly, apply with gentle pats, take your shower, and rinse off with warm water.

Milk Bath - Once a week take a milk bath. It will nourish and smoothen your skin. Read Kitchen Cosmetics for more bath recipes. As much as possible, stay out of the sun. Wear a hat. Always apply a good sunscreen to all exposed areas of skin if you must be in the sun.

Calendula and Comfrey herb have skin-softening properties. They can be used in a facial sauna or to make herbal or floral waters. Comfrey also reduces redness and soothes irritated skin. Add water from making your breakfast oatmeal for additional skin conditioning.

Herbal Facial Sauna (See pages 170-171 and 234-235 in The Herbal Body Book)
A weekly facial sauna using the herbs Chamomile, Lavender, and Calendula is good for dry skin. Conifer needles are available now and can be added to the pot.

Using a glass or enameled pot, bring to a boil 1 quart of water; add 2 to 4 tablespoons of dried or fresh herbs. When the pot is steaming, place it on thick potholder on a table, and sit with your face at a comfortable distance over the steam for fifteen minutes. You can use a towel to trap the steam if you wish. After fifteen minutes, splash your face with cold water and allow your skin to air-dry or pat it dry with a towel. After the sauna, you can allow the herbal water to cool and save it for use as a toning lotion for the next day or two to be dabbed on your face with a cotton ball after cleansing.

Diet Recommendations for Dry Skin

• Eat a well-balanced diet that includes fish, vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, and nuts, especially walnuts.

• Consume plenty of dark green and yellow vegetables. These are high in beta-carotene, an antioxidant. Carrots are especially good.

• Take an Omega-3 supplement for your skin as well as for a healthy heart. Salmon oil or Flax seed oil is a good oil as it contains the essential fatty acids omega-3, alpha linolenic acid, and others. These fatty acids are converted in the body into hormone-like substances called prostaglandins that support skin health.

• Eat foods that are rich in the vitamins A and C for dry skin because they are important for a supple, smooth skin. Eat one apple, one orange, one carrot and one tomato every day. Eat foods wholes fruits not juices. There are many components to the whole fruit and vegetable that is not in the juice alone.

• Drink a good quality mineral water every day to keep the skin hydrated.

Essential Oils For Dry Skin
Chamomile, Christmas Fir, Geranium, Lavender and Owyhee and others are all good essential oils for dry skin. The oils that are contained in the Women’s Kit is especially good for the support of healthy skin.

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Source List:

• The Aromatherapy Studies Course is especially useful for learning about the skin and aromatic health.

• [Jeanne Rose has special skin care soap only available for her students. Contains a gentle citrus blend and Owyhee essential oil. Cost is $5 per bar includes S&H.]

• Write for a catalog. Jeanne Rose Aromatherapy is at 219 Carl St., San Francisco, CA 94117 or e-mail us at info@jeannerose.net or check out the website for books, products, seminars, and education at http://www.jeannerose.net

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AUTHOR:

Jeanne Rose has been teaching and researching natural remedies for 33 years, beginning with her first book, Herbs & Things, now in its second edition.  To get in touch, to purchase the books, to understand aromatherapy, herbalism, hydrosols and essential oils, to sign up for the in-person Seminars with Jeanne Rose, visit her website at www.jeannerose.net or e-mail for information at info@jeannerose.net.  Jeanne Rose also teaches a distance learning program, home-study courses both in Herbalism and Aromatherapy. She is Executive Director of the Aromatic Plant Project and can be reached at info@hydrosols.net.  You may also call 415/564-6785.

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