During summer my skin is normal while my face would be oily. Come winter, it goes to the other extremes. I decided to find some homemade remedies that can rectify these problems. Most of our pantries and refrigerators contain solutions to these problems. I have a few remedies that you can try out at home.
CHAPPED LIPS Chapped lips can be characterised by dry, flaking, splitting, painful or cracked lips. There are several causes for this, such as allergies, dry weather, dehydration, lip biting, vitamin deficiency, colds and flues, etc. Sometimes using lip balm is not as effective, as the lips may be cracked. The ingredients in the balm may result in infection as they may irritate the cracks in the lips further.
Vaseline and Honey Remedy:Vaseline is considered to be one of the skin’s best protectors while honey has amazing healing and antibacterial properties. ApplicationApply some honey to your lips and wait for it to dry.Put some Vaseline on top and wait 10-15 minutes.Remove in two swipes with an ear bud that has been dipped in hot water.Do this once daily for 5 days and your lips should be healed.
Water Therapy:It is cold so reaching for 2-3 litres of drinking water is not always appealing but since dehydration is one of the causes of chapped lips, drink away.
Sliced Cucumber Therapy:Rub sliced cucumber onto your lips for a few minutes, daily.
Excessive ChappingIn the case of excessive chapping, such as bleeding, swelling or inflammation, visit your general practitioner in order to prevent further infection.
CRACKED HEELSSoak your feet daily in any of the following soaks:
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Honey Soak:Add a cup of honey to 4 litres of warm water and soak your feet for 10-15 minutes.
Lemon Scrub:Soak your feet in warm soapy water then wash and dry feet. Add lemon juice to a teaspoon of Vaseline and massage thoroughly on feet until absorbed.
Banana Mask:Apply a ripe banana mask for 15 minutes and rinse off with warm and cold water alternatively. Moisturise your feet with the following mixtures before going to bed:Rosewater and GlycerineMix some glycerine and rosewater and massage your feet with it for 15 continuous days.
Olive OilRub olive oil into your heels daily before going to bed.
Thick layer of VaselineApply a generous layer of Vaseline.
After applying any of the above moisturisers, wear a thick pair of socks to bed and let the moisturiser go to work. Results should be noticeable after a few days.The cold weather means we use the heater a lot hence dehydrating our skin so we need to increase our water intake to ensure the skin remains hydrated. Even feet crack from lack of hydration. Also watch your diet to ensure that the dryness is not as a result of malnutrition or under-nutrition.
Face masks for dry skin
The dry weather truly wreaks havoc on our faces causing the skin to be dry, flaky and dull. Apply a face mask on clean skin. Wash your face and remove any make-up you may be wearing. It would be more beneficial to scrub your face with brown sugar and a few drops of olive oil or vitamin E oil before applying the face mask, in order to remove dead skin cells.
Fresh cream and turmeric maskl 1 Tablespoon (tbsp) Fresh creaml A pinch of TurmericApplicationMix the two into a paste and apply to your face. Leave it on for two hours. Rinse off thoroughly with warm water and wash face with mild soap until cream is totally gone. Do not use a white face cloth as it may be stained. Enjoy radiant and glowing skin.Egg yolk and honey maskl 1 tbsp Honeyl 1 tbsp Egg yolkl Few drops olive oil or vitamin E oilApplicationMix honey and egg yolk well then add oil. Spread on your face and allow to stay on for 1hour. Rinse and pat dry.
Avocado Mask (1)Avocadoes are full of nutrients such as vitamin A, potassium, iron, monounsaturated fats and many more. Using the avocado as a mask allows these nutrients to be absorbed into the skin, making it healthier.l 1 ripe avocadol 3-4 drops olive oil/vitamin E oil/ bio oil
ApplicationMash the avocado and mix it with the oil until it becomes consistent. Apply it to your face while massaging it gently. Leave it on for 30 minutes and then rinse off with tepid water.
Avocado Mask (2): Moisturisingl 1 ripe avocadol 1 teaspoon (tsp) vinegarl 1 egg whitel 3 tsp oil (olive or vitamin E)Mash avocado, add beaten egg white, and add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Apply to face and leave for 20 minutes. Rinse off. This mask will moisturise, soften and make skin elastic.You can alternate between the two avocado masks weekly. Remains of the mask may be refrigerated and reused.
