Home facial using cucumbers

Before you start

Wash your hands with soap and water.

Wash all the bowls, whisk, utensils, spoons, cups and whatever equipment you will be using for this facial with soap and water. Sterilise these with boiling water. (Note: do not boil glass items as these can crack and the splinters can injure you. Certain plastics can melt if boiled so watch out for that). Make sure all surfaces you use for preparing this facial are clean. Remember. For home facials, hygiene and cleanliness is all important.

Slice a cucumber thinly with a sterilised knife.

Put 1 tablespoon of almond flour into a bowl.

Put a handful of rose petals into another bowl.

Fill a kettle with water and set that to boil.

Wear a hair band or shower cap to keep your hair off your face.

Get ready some cotton pads and a clean towel an 1 tablespoon of milk. (Skim milk if your skin is oily)

Now you are ready for your facial.

The facial

Dip a pair of clean cotton pads into the milk. Use these pads to wipe your makeup off your face. Discard leftover milk.

Wash off the milk with lots of water.

Mix 1 tablespoonful of rose water with the almond flour. Use that as a scrub to cleanse your face. Discard leftover scrub.

Wash off the scrub with lots of water.

Dry your face with a clean towel.

Pour boiling water into the bowl of rose petals.

With the towel forming a 'tent' over your head and the bowl, keep your face about 20cm above the bowl. (Caution: Skip this step if you are an asthmatic. The steam could trigger an attack. Skip this step if you have thread veins. The heat could worsen your condition )

Relax and let the steam cleanse your face for 10 minutes.

Place the cucumber slices over your face

Put 1 slice of cucumber over each eye

Relax for 10 minutes

Remove the cucumber

Wash your face with lots of water.

Dip 2 new cotton pads in the rose water and use it as a toner to clean your face further.

Apply pure (99% to 100% pure) Aloe Vera gel on your face as a moisturiser. Note that the area just below the surface of an aloe Vera leaf contains a yellow substance called Aloin. Aloin can cause skin irritation. If you plan to use the gel fresh from the leaf, be careful to use the gel only and avoid aloin totally. Alternatively, you could purchase good quality aloe Vera gel from health stores and use that instead. Fresh aloe Vera gel can keep for only 1 day in the refrigerator.

If that is too much trouble, or the aloin it too difficult to remove, try these soothing toners which are a steal at below retail prices.

Aloe vera itself is an astringent. Suitable on its own for oily skin. Aloe Vera products on the other hand can be formulated for all skin types. Check out the organic aloe vera beauty treats.

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