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Skincare for self-care

MANDI MAKES

Natural Living Made Simple

MANDI MAKES

Winter Skincare Routine (Face)


My skin isn't usually a big fan of winter. Thankfully, there are a few very simple things I do in winter to save my skin from the drying effects of the winter air. Keep reading for my three-step skincare routine.

1. EXFOLIATE

This is great all year round of course, but I am particularly fond of making a really hydrating and nourishing exfoliator to use in the winter for my face and body. These are some of my favourite ingredients to use in a home made sugar scrub:

Lavender is a relaxing and calming scent and has a lot of skin benefits, which you can still obtain from the dried flower buds. Lavender is anti-inflammatory, detoxifies the skin and heals damaged skin just to name a few benefits.

Sugar has smaller granules than salt, especially caster sugar and brown sugar, which is why it is great to use in scrubs. It is gentler on your skin than the larger granules of salt, and has natural humectant properties meaning it helps to hydrate the skin, whereas salt can strip the healthy natural oils we have.

Sweet Almond Oil is full of vitamin E making it the perfect oil for all skin products. It promotes healthy skin cells, and the fatty acids help to retain moisture and heal dry skin.

Jojoba Oil is another one of those oils that is just perfect for all skin types. It resembles the skin's natural sebum, is soothing for irritated skin, and helps to provide essential moisture.

Aloe Vera is a staple for most people when dealing with the dreaded sun burn. It contains enzymes to help repair dead skin cells and has the ability to rebuild collagen. And, if that's not enough, the Polysaccharides in Aloe Vera create a moisturising barrier making it perfect for boosting your skins moisture and protecting it from drying out.

RECIPE

Ingredients

2 tbsp dried lavender buds

1 cup caster sugar

1 cup rapadura sugar (brown sugar)

1/4 cup sweet almond oil

1 tbsp rose infused water

1 tsp jojoba oil

1 tsp aloe vera juice

Essential oils (I like sweet orange and bergamot)

Method

1. Crush the lavender buds using a mortar and pestle.

2. Add the sugars to a clean, dry jar and mix.

3. Add the wet ingredients and gently mix. You want the scrub to have a wet consistency but not sloppy. Add more oil or sugar to adjust the scrub so it is moist.

4. Lastly, add essential oils of your choice to customise the fragrance.

2. HONEY FACE WASH

There are so many options out for face washes that it can be pretty overwhelming to try and find one that suits your skins needs. This recipe is suitable for all skin types, its gentle and effective at removing all make up but doesn't strip your skin of its necessary natural oils.

Like the name of this recipe suggests, the key ingredient in this face wash is Honey. It is jam packed full of antioxidants and antibacterial properties, meaning it is perfect for fighting impurities in the skin, slowing down ageing and boosting your complexion. What it makes it so good to use in winter, is also its ability to...you guessed it....MOISTURISE!

Distilled water is preferable in home made products that require water, as the minerals have been removed through the distillation process. This means that the self-life of products is significantly prolonged.

Castile Soap is obviously the "cleanser" part of this. Most people trying to make natural products get scared off by the "soap" part of the name, but this isn't like normal soap. Castile soap is made from natural vegetable oils making is safe and gentle for all skin types, as well as non-drying.

Ingredients

6 tbsp distilled water

2/3 cup Castile soap

1/4 cup honey

2 tbsp jojoba oil

Essential oils optional*

1. Mix all ingredients into a foaming pump dispenser (you can use a normal soap dispenser, it will just be a bit runny). Give the bottle a shake every few days so the honey stays mixed through.

*Essential oils - only use if you won't be using this cleanser to remove eye make up. For acne prone skin, use 10 drops tea tree oil and 10 drops lavender.

3. MOISTURISE

Kinda goes without saying really...but here is my usual routine for keeping my skin moisturised throughout winter. It's super simple, and inexpensive.

1. Mix a small amount of coconut oil and a drop of rose hip oil in your hands and gentle apply to the skin.

2. My new favourite skin product! I suffer from pasty white skin in the winter, so this face tan water by Eco Tan is a staple now. I use it every other night on my face, neck and chest. I feel like I can get away with less make up using this. WIN! Get yourself some from www.ecotan.com.au (NOT SPONSORED)

Watch the video below to watch me make and use these products. Happy rest of winter!

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Hi, I'm Mandi. A former primary teacher, Lifestyle Medicine graduate and current Diploma in Natural Skincare student with a passion for natural living.

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