Exfoliate and Nourish Your Skin

Ten Foods You Can Use to Exfoliate and Nourish Your Skin

This week’s article is for all you ladies out there… Do you ever wonder why a man’s face doesn’t seem to age as quickly as a woman’s? Why do we fight the fine lines, and men just don’t? It’s because they shave every day (well, most of them do), and they exfoliate their skin by shaving! Today I want to share with you ten foods you can use to exfoliate and nourish your skin.

What exactly is exfoliation? Simply put, it’s the removal of the outermost layer of dead skin cells on the skin’s surface. Those dead skin cells are what make our skin look dull, and they are the cells that are most likely to show fine lines and aging.

Let’s face it, another issue is that our skin can get dry…sometimes you need a quick way to fix that problem. The good news is you can just go into your kitchen and find natural items which are just as great (or better) for your skin as any lotion or exfoliating products you can find in stores. Here are ten of the best foods to use on your skin to help it look its best!

1. Strawberries — There are two easy ways to apply strawberries to your face. One way is to mash the strawberries and apply them to your face as a mask. Another method is to rub the whole strawberries over your skin. Working as an antioxidant, the strawberries will get rid of any oils on your face which will result in brighter skin tone.
2. Eggs — You can use either the whole egg or just the egg white. Using the whole egg offers your skin more moisturizer than the egg white will offer. The egg white will tighten your pores, however, and that will help your skin look and feel firmer. Simply rub the egg or egg white on your clean skin, forming a simple egg mask.
3. Baking Soda — Baking soda is one of the best and least expensive ways to get rid of any dead skin cells on your face. To get the best results, start off with freshly cleaned skin. Gently scrub your face with a paste of baking soda and distilled water for about 10 minutes.
4. Lemon Juice — Lemon juice is a great thing to add to any mask. It brightens your skin, tightens your pores, and cuts through the oil on your face. You can apply it right onto your face for about five minutes or just add it to an egg white mask. Leave the mask on until it dries and then rinse with warm water.
5. Honey — Honey can be applied similarly to the lemon juice. It can either be used by itself or can be mixed with another mask. It can be used as a moisturizer and will even help control breakouts (it’s anti-bacterial). You can put it on your face and leave it there as long as you wish.
6. Bananas — Use bananas that have some brown in the skin as they will be the most effective. Bananas can exfoliate your skin and will give dull skin a greater glow. They will moisturize and are great for all skin types. Mash up the bananas and rub them over your face — add a bit of honey if you’d like. Leave on for about 10 minutes, and then rinse.
7. Oats — Grind them into a powder and add water. The oats with the added water will make a great moisturizing scrub. Substituting milk for the water can soothe dry or sunburned skin.
8. Yogurt — The lactic acid in yogurt is a great way to leave your skin feeling fresh and exfoliated. Yogurt can be used as a brightener and also as a moisturizer.
9. Almonds — Like oats, you should grind up the almonds and turn them into a powder. They will moisturize, exfoliate, and cleanse your skin. Make sure the almonds are finely ground however.
10. Olive Oil — Olive Oil is a great moisturizer for your face. Obviously more geared toward dry skin or drier areas of the face. Avoid the oily areas such as the “T” zone of forehead nose and chin.

I hope you’ll try one or more of these great skin care ideas to exfoliate and nourish your skin available right there in your kitchen. Your skin care “product” will be fresh and won’t contain any added preservatives or fragrances!

Helping You Achieve Major Wellness!

Cheryl A Major, CNWC

Certified Nutrition & Wellness Consultant

I’m Cheryl A Major, and I work with people of all ages and challenges to help them understand how and what to eat to get healthy quickly and deliciously. Download your 10 Tips for Healthy Eating on a Budget, and get started right away!