JOIN USExotic natural ingredients are very much a part of modern skin care. For example, wine can be used in face packs.
Recent research has highlighted the health and beauty benefits of wine. While the red grape variety is most commonly used in skin care, spiced wines with fennel or fruit like oranges, cherries and strawberries can also be considered for beauty treatments.
Wine contains vitamins A, B-Complex, C and E, flavonoids, amino acids and minerals like zinc and selenium. Rich in such antioxidants, wine is known to rejuvenate the skin.
Wine facials and masks, therefore, help delay visible signs of ageing. Mix honey, yoghurt and a few tablespoons of red wine. Apply this on the face and leave it on for 20 minutes. Rinse with plain water. This softens and moisturises the skin, removes tan and also brings you a glow.
If you have oily skin, mix red wine and green tea with multani mitti into a paste. Apply on the face, avoiding the lips and the area around the eyes. Wash it off when it dries.
For dry skin, add red wine to aloe vera gel and milk powder. Apply on the face and wash it off after 20 minutes.
Vodka
Vodka, made from fermented rye (grain), potatoes or molasses, helps tighten the pores. It has an antiseptic effect and cleanses the skin while restoring the pH balance. And there’s nothing like a vodka pack for acne-prone skin.
Add half a teaspoon of vodka and rose water to multani mitti to make a paste. Apply on normal to oily skin, avoiding the lips and the area around the eyes. Wash it off when it dries. To make your skin glow, add one teaspoon vodka to honey and yoghurt. Apply on the face and wash off with plain water after 20 minutes.
Chocolate
Chocolate face packs can be made at home with cocoa powder, cocoa butter, yoghurt, honey and vegetable oils, in order to nourish and moisturise the skin.
Mix three teaspoons of cocoa powder and two teaspoons of oats with egg white and one teaspoon each of honey and yoghurt. Adjust the ingredients so that it is a thick paste that does not drip. If it is too thin, add more cocoa powder. To make it thinner, add more yoghurt or milk.
For dry skin, add egg yolk, instead of egg white. First cleanse the skin and then apply the mask, avoiding the lips and area around eyes. Wash it off after 20 to 30 minutes with plain water.
Kiwi
Kiwi is a fruit. It is rich in vitamins and citric acid. It cleanses deeply and revitalises the skin, also moisturising it. Make a pulp of the fruit, add to it one teaspoon of olive oil and egg. Apply on the face and wash it off after half an hour.
Wheat-germ oil
Mix half a teaspoon of wheat-germ oil and two drops of geranium essential oil. Add two teaspoons of oats, one teaspoon of ground almonds and orange juice. Apart from being a powerful antioxidant, wheat-germ oil is the richest source of vitamin E and also contains vitamins A and D, protein and lecithin. When applied externally, it is extremely beneficial for the skin.
Geranium is also is beneficial for dry skin, as it makes it radiant and youthful. Ground almonds and oats remove dead cells and make the skin translucent. They also nourish the skin. So does orange juice, as it is a rich source of vitamin C.