Home facial using kelp

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. Sterilize 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.

Put 1 teaspoon of kelp powder. Add about 30ml of boiling water to the kelp powder to soften it and let it cool for at least half and hour. The kelp will absorb the water and expand.

Cut 2 thin slices of cucumber with a sterile knife on a sterile chopping board.

Put 1 teaspoon kelp powder 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 skim milk.

Now you are ready for your facial.

The facial

Dip a pair of clean cotton pads into the skin 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 distilled water with the kelp powder. Very gently, use that as a scrub on your face. It can be very abrasive, so let it soften 5 minutes before using it. Discard leftover scrub.

Wash off the scrub with lots of water.

Dry your face with a clean towel.

Pour boiling water into a clean bowl. Add 3 drops of lavender oil l to it.

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.

Mix 2 tablespoons of green clay or kaolin (from a pharmacy or chemist) Clay, Kaolin Powder with the kelp and water left to expand in a bowl. Mix well to form a paste. Apply this paste as a mask over your face, avoiding your eyes, mouth and nostrils.

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.

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.

For more articles for women, check out A Woman's Heart

Hey, La Mer contains Marine extracts.

If you want the benefits of marine extracts without forking out several hundred dollars for a jar of La Mer, try these kelp beauty products