As a mum who is interested in providing the best for my family without all the chemicals, I find that one of the best places to start when looking at self-care is in the kitchen.
There are so many common ingredients found in the average household kitchen that can do wonders for your skin!
Some of the top 7 ingredients (in my opinion) that are fantastic for your skin include:
Honey
Eggs
Milk
Oats
Chickpea (Besan) Flour
Kelp
Chamomile Tea
Honey
Honey is a fantastic option when you need to inject a dose of softness and moisture into your skin.
Honey contains antimicrobial enzymes which help to heal your skin while also working as a natural humectant to keep the moisture in where you want it the most.
Eggs
Eggs contain natural fats, protein, and amino acids which are highly beneficial for your skin. The yolks are the best source of fat and protein to help keep your skin hydrated and healthy, whilst the whites are fantastic when you feel like you just need a little lift or tightening effect.
Milk
Milk contains lactic acid which is classified as an Alpha Hydroxy Acid or AHA. This particular acid is brilliant at softening and brightening your skin, whilst stimulating collagen production and minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The lactic acid not only softens your skin but also acts as a polishing agent to ensure radiant skin after using milk in a face mask.
Oats
Oats are known as an anti-inflammatory by nature and are extremely beneficial for soothing irritated skin. The key benefit of oats is that they produce an almost mucus-like gel when combined with moisture. This brings out their softening and soothing qualities, whilst still being easy to use.
Chickpea (Besan) Flour
Chickpea (a.k.a Besan, Channa, or Gram) Flour is known as the wonder ingredient for Ayurveda skincare. It is widely used across India to get smooth skin and blemish-free, with an even glowing radiance.
Besan has exfoliating properties and is a fantastic deep cleanser that absorbs excess oil when required.
Due to the deep cleaning properties of Besan, you can expect your pores to tighten up with daily use. This wonder ingredient not only exfoliates, cleans, and softens your skin but with continued consistent use, you can expect marks, dark spots, or blemishes to eventually fade as well.
Kelp
One of the more uncommon ingredients that you may or may not find in your kitchen is Kelp.
Kelp is an absolute powerhouse of nutrition for your skin and body by providing:
iron
manganese
calcium
magnesium
copper
zinc
riboflavin
niacin
thiamin
vitamins A, B-12, B-6, and C
Not only does Kelp provide maximum nutrition for your skin and body, but it is high in antioxidants as well. Over 80% of premature aging is caused by external factors, such as UVA rays, harmful pollutants, and other external aggressors. Kelp's antioxidant-rich composition helps to protect your skin from these forces whilst working as a potent anti-aging formula to ensure that your skin is at its best for longer.
Iodine calms and soothes dry skin, whilst the other minerals work to help your skin retain moisture for longer. Kelp is naturally anti-inflammatory and removes toxins with its rich mineral content. This works to reduce redness and heal any blemishes quickly, resulting in much clearer skin.
Chamomile
Chamomile is a long-revered flower that was used as far back as ancient Roman, Greek, and Egyptian times. It can be found in most kitchens these days as a relaxing tea commonly used to help people get to sleep at night.
Chamomile is particularly useful as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, mildly astringent, and healing medicine. Due to its hypoallergenic nature, it can comfortably be used for a wide variety of uses. It has a specific blend of flavonoids and essential oils which allows penetration below the skin surface, into the deeper layer of the dermis. This makes chamomile effective as topical anti-inflammatory agents which are about 60% as effective as 0.25% hydrocortisone creams. It is also known as a valuable aid in drying out wounds and speeding up epithelialization (new skin generation).
Chamomile is commonly used to help treat:
wounds
ulcers
eczema
bruises
sunburns
scalds
diaper rash
chickenpox
skin irritation
acne
If you have trouble sourcing chamomile tea or flowers, you can always grow your own at home. For more info on how to do this, you can check out our friends at Happy DIY Home. You can read their fantastic article about additional benefits and how to grow your chamomile at home here https://happydiyhome.com/chamomile-plant/
By combining some of the ingredients in this article into masks or washes, you can do wonders for your skin without breaking the bank.
Some combinations that I love are a mask made from Chickpea, Milk, and Honey, or a mask made with chamomile, kelp, and eggs. They are so easy to do and leave your skin feeling fabulous afterward.
To make the Chickpea, Milk, and honey mask you will need:
1 teaspoon honey
1 large spoon besan flour
2T milk
Simply combine 1 teaspoon honey with 1 large spoon of Besan flour. Add a couple of tablespoons of Milk (you may need slightly more than this depending on humidity levels where you are) and mix to a smooth paste. Apply and leave to dry for 15 to 20 minutes.
Rinse off with warm water when dry.
The chamomile, kelp, and egg mask is a little different in that you blend it all after brewing your chamomile tea but the effects are the same...beautifully soft, moisturized skin that you can't stop touching!
You will need:
1 chamomile teabag (or 1 T chamomile flowers)
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon kelp powder
Simply brew a mug of chamomile tea and when cool enough to touch comfortably, blend in the egg and kelp powder.
Using a clean brush or hands, apply to your face and let dry for 15 minutes. Your skin will feel a tightening feeling as this one dries.
Rinse off with warm water once done.
Please note that this post is purely based on my personal opinion and experience. Each person has their own unique physical composition so may experience varying results.