Oh you, natural beauty!

Women all over the world have been using commercially-produced beauty products containing harmful ingredients, toxins and chemicals that can cause more harm than good.

Plant products and natural substances are ideal for beauty care and have been used as beauty aid since ancient times. Not only they are a storehouse of valuable vitamins and minerals but have definite curative and beauty enhancing properties. Natural ingredients can also be related to individual skin types and needs.

Cleansing and exfoliation
For cleansing normal to dry skin, add olive oil to warm milk. Apply on the face and wipe off with moist cotton wool. It removes impurities without disturbing the moisture balance of the skin.

To cleanse normal to oily skin, mix rose water and lemon juice in equal quantities. Apply it on the face and wipe off with moist cotton wool.

Scrub
Take one teaspoon ground dry orange and lemon peels, one teaspoon oatmeal and one teaspoon ground almonds. Add one teaspoon rose water. Apply on the face and rub gently with circular movements. Then wash off with water.

Toning
You can also make your own skin tonic, with rosewater and witch-hazel. For normal skin, mix together three-fourth cup rose water with one-fourth cup witch-hazel. For oily skin or oily areas on combination skin, mix rose water and witch-hazel in equal quantities. For dry skin, mix three-fourth cup rose water with one-fourth cup witch-hazel and half teaspoon honey. Keep the lotion in a tightly closed glass jar in the refrigerator.

Mask
Clay masks can be made with Fuller’s Earth or Multani Mitti and are useful for oily skins, as they absorb excess oil. They also tighten the skin and stimulate blood circulation of the surface. One tablespoon Fuller’s Earth can be mixed with rose water and used on oily skin.

For oily skin, one teaspoon honey can be mixed with egg white and lemon juice and enough Fuller’s Earth to mix into a paste. Apply for 20 minutes and wash off with water.

For dry skin mix Kaolin with aloe vera gel and rose water. Add a teaspoon of honey or almond oil. The paste should be applied on the face and rinsed off after 20 to 30 minutes.