It's that time of the year when you can feel metamorphosis in the air. The chill is transitioning to a slight nip, the weather is getting warmer and our gardens are filling up with blooming spring flowers. It's time when you want to shed the layering of sweaters and shawls and start to feel your skin become smooth and healthy again! It's time to do a thorough spring cleaning of your house and at the same time treat your body to the same process. We're talking about spring cleaning your body! So how does one go about spring cleaning their bodies? It involves paying attention to our neglected areas first, so knees, elbows and feet are some of the areas to start with.
Spring Skin Care: A Detailed Guide To Readying Your Skin For The Summers:
Spring Clean Your Limbs
If you wish to have a smooth, hair-free feel, begin by hair removal from arms and legs. A clean feel post-hair removal is something we're all looking for. So whether you use wax, a depilatory cream or an epilator or even simply shave, you should do it now. During the long winter months, your covered up skin can become dry and rough. So in order to fix that, you can make the following mix and apply it to your limbs.
Hydrating Spring Mask
Ingredients:
- 1 Avacado (mashed)
- 4 tbsp Oatmeal
- The juice of 1 Lemon
- 2 tpsp Honey
- A little Milk (to make a smooth paste)
Method:
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and apply it to the knees, elbows and the feet. Leave on for a minimum of 10 minutes and then scrub it off. Not only will this slough off dead skin but also smoothen and remove tan revealing super spring cleaned skin naturally.
I have very often felt that we don't look after our hands enough and a manicure once in a while will do these hard working slaves a world of good but, it's still doesn't suffice. Moisturise your hands with the following all-natural hand cream, every alternate day to get perfectly soft and nourished hands.
Natural Hand Cream
Ingredients:
- 2 tpsp Honey
- 1 tsp Glycerin
- 1 tsp Milk
- 1 Lemon (Halved)
- 1 Tsp Granulated Sugar
Method:
Mix the three ingredients and massage your hands with it. After that, take the two halved lemons and one teaspoon of sugar, dip the lemon halves in the sugar and then scrub gently onto the skin until the sugar has melted and the skin has soaked up the lemon juice. This superb combination will work like magic for your hands and keep them moisturised and soft throughout the day.
Spring Clean Your Neck
You next area of focus can be the skin on your neck. Besides scrubbing our necks while bathing, there's not much we do to keep it soft and healthy. The skin back of the neck can especially accumulate dead skin, unless it is tended to. To make a neck-care mask, you can mix healthy oils like coconut and almond oil, and massage the entire neck area properly with this for about five to seven minutes a day. Here's an all-natural scrub that can refresh the skin on your neck area.
All-Natural Neck Scrub
Ingredients:
- 2 Tsp crushed chiraunji
- 2 Tsp almond powder
- 2 Tsp lemon peel powder
- Little bit of Milk
Method:
Apply this scrub on your neck and massage the skin gently. Leave it on for about five minutes and then scrub it off. Your neck will instantly look and feel better. A lot of people also experience fine lines, wrinkles and sagging skin in the neck area. To remedy that, you can apply the following mask: Take 2 teaspoons of China clay, 2 teaspoons of honey, 1 egg white and a teaspoon of sandalwood powder. Mix all the ingredients together and apply it on the neck and behind the neck. Let this skin-tightening mask dry off completely and then wash it off with cold water and pat dry.
Spring Clean Your Back
Ever thought of spring cleaning your back? It's not as difficult as it may seem. You can use a loofah while bathing and scrub the skin on your back, with a sea salt scrub to help dislodge any dead dry skin. If you have a patchy back, then you can treat it with a relaxing seed and sandalwood oil mix, followed with a natural scrub made from the following ingredients. This back mask will not only help smooth and lighten the skin but also remedy any blackheads that may have appeared.
All-Natural Back Scrub And Smoothening Mask
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp Dried Orange Peel
- 2 tbsp Green Moong Dal (powdered)
- 2 tbsp Rice Powder
- 2 tsp Sea Foam Powder
- 1 tsp Whole Wheat Flour (Atta)
- 1 tsp Fuller's Earth (Multani Mitti)
- Milk to make a smooth paste
Method:
Mix all the ingredients well and apply the resultant paste to the back area and leave until completely dry. Scrub the mask off to reveal a smooth and healthy skin on your back.
Spring Clean Your Midriff
Midriffs are neglected until they are seen and cleaning the midriff is definitely important especially if you wear sarees, tank tops and other garments that expose the curve around your waistlines. Check for cellulitis build up in the area and massage with olive oil or cocoa butter to remedy that. The navel also needs to be cleaned and the best way to do it, is to use a soft cotton bud dipped in almond oil and gently wipe the inside of the navel. You can use a sugar scrub to smoothen and clean the midriff by mixing the following ingredients.
Midriff Scrub
Ingredients:
- 5 tbsp Sugar
- Quarter cup of Almond Oil
- 3 Drops Lavender Essential Oil
- 2 Drops Geranium Oil
Method:
Mix all these ingredients well to make a paste and apply it gently all over the skin on your midriff. You will have a super smooth and glistening midriff in no time at all!
So get together you spring cleaning tools and pamper your body to nourish, soften and smoothen your skin this spring!
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