Facial skin care using things from your kitchen!

We all know how important it is to take care of our skin, and there are hundreds of skincare products on the market to not only help us take care of our skin but to also make us look younger and healthier. Many of these products are packed full of chemicals and preparations with names so long by the time you get to the end of it you have forgotten the beginning, and for some people this is enough to put them off. There is also the price of many of these skin care cream and products, as the more they claim to do and the bigger and more exclusive the brand name behind them the more expensive they are.

For those of us trying to cut down on the amount of chemicals we are exposed to on a daily basis, or those that wince at the prices of some skincare products, a simple trip to the kitchen is all that is needed to make some wonderful skin care products that are completely natural, very effective and best of all amazingly cheap.

A few basics to start with - honey is a fantastic cleanser, it draws dirt from pores and removes dead skin cells from the surface leaving your skin deep cleaned and renewed. Yoghurt is a wonderful moisturiser, but make sure it is full fat, low or no fat won't have the same effect. Baking soda helps to balance out blotchiness of skin tone, and is also great for whitening teeth. Strawberries have folic acid and Vitamin C in them and increase the metabolism of the skin while cleansing and closing dilated pores. Tomato pulp tightens skin. Cucumber slices are very cooling, soothing and refreshing when placed over the eyes (even better straight out of the fridge). Witch hazel makes a fantastic skin cleanser and toner, is also anti-bacterial and can also help "soak up" free radical from the skin. You can use almost any fruit or vegetable to make some kind of facial skin care product, and it can be great fun (and messy) experimenting.

We have all seen Retinol based skin care cream advertised, and they can have great results as Retinol is a tiny molecule that can penetrate the skins outer layer, regenerating the layers of our skin that contain collagen and elastin making skin smoother and more supple. Believe it or not Retinol can be found in the humble carrot, along with Co-enzyme Q10, which can be found in many anti-wrinkle preparations.

So lets start with a carrot based anti-aging mask - simply take some carrot juice, either store bought or home juiced, add a few drops of olive oil and an egg yolk. Mix well and apply to your face and neck and relax for about half an hour. Rinse with luke warm water.

For a good soother for dry and wrinkled skin, take a spoon of grated carrot, a teaspoon of honey and a few drops of olive oil. Mix well - apply to face and neck and relax for 15 minutes. Rinse with luke warm water.

For a good cleansing face mask take half a cup of plain full fat yoghurt, 2 tablespoons of honey, a bit of grapefruit zest and mix well. Apply to your face and relax for 15 minutes.

There is no reason to spend a fortune on skin care products when you have a whole facial skin care factory in your kitchen just waiting to be explored.

.