Soapwort

Soothing and healing, a strong brew can be made from soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) by boiling up a potful of roots, stems, flowers and le wes with enough water to cover. Boil for 10 m nutes, stand, cool and strain. It can be used as a face wash, a hair wash and hair conditioner, and can also be dabbed onto eczema.

Tomato and Lemon Oily Skin Cleanser

Both tomato and lemon are astringent and nourishing for the skin. Chop up, roughly, 1 medium-sized ripe tomato and squeeze out the juice. Add the pulp of 1 lemon. Liquidise for 2-3 minutes. Spread this thin paste on the face, working it in gently with the fingers. Wash off with tepid water. This is an excellent cleanser for oily skin and should be applied two or three times a week. Save any excess and store in the refrigerator.

Herbal Steam Cleansers

Herbal Beauty

Particularly good in the dry South African climate, herbal steam cuts down external grease and deep cleanses the pores. If you have thread veins on your face, however, you should avoid steaming. In a large bowl, place 1/2 cup of one or two of the following herbs: elder flowers, chamomile leaves and flowers, scented geranium leaves, lavender leaves and flowers, rosemary leaves and flowers, yarrow leaves and flowers, peppermint sprigs, eucalyptus leaves. Pour 500-750 ml (2-3 cups) boiling water over the herb. Improvise a towel tent and hold your face over the bowl for about 7-10 minutes. Pat dry, then splash or dab on an astringent to close the pores.

Soap

Always choose a pure soap for your face. Chemists offer a range of excellent beauty soaps — aloe vera and herbs, honey and goatmilk, buttermilk and cucumber. It is largely a matter of personal choice. Select with care the best for your skin and ask the pharmacist for advice if you are hesitant.

Cleansing Cream

If you use heavy make-up you will need a heavy cream to remove it, particularly in the case ofeye make-up. The following is a simple recipe that is pure and natural. It costs very little to make and is just as good as the more expensive creams on the market. It also makes an excellent night cream.

1 measure anhydrous lanolin

3 measures almond oil

1 measure rose-water (availablefrom chemists) 1/2 measure water soluble cream, such as aqueous cream

In a double boiler slowly melt together the lanolin and the soluble cream, stirring all the time. Add the almond oil and the rose-water. Remove from heat. Pour the mixture into an opaque jar. A few drops of flower oil can be added as it cools to give it an aroma, but this is optional.

Cleansing Cream

15 g white Vaseline* 15g beeswax

50g almond oil 20g rose-water

Heat the vaseline and beeswax in a double boiler. Heat the rose-water and almond oil over a low heat. Remove from the heat and combine by adding a little of the rose-water and almond oil mixture to the melted vaseline and beeswax, whisking all the time. Continue whisking until it cools. Half a cup of calendula petals infused in 125 ml (1/2 cup) boiling water can be added to the almond oil and rose-water to make a pouring cream (strain before adding to the lanolin and beeswax). Pour into screw-top jars. Label and date.

Problem Skin: Pimples, Spots, Acne

The most important aspect of skin care is diet. Drink lots of water, eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and avoid fatty, fried foods, chocolate and refined sugars, flours, carbonated drinks, coffee, peanuts and iodised salt. Fresh salads daily, with lots of green, chlorophyll-rich ingredients, are essential.

There are certain herbs known as depuratives, which cleanse the system by purifying the blood, and this in turn helps ensure a clear skin. Borage and watercress are two depuratives, lemons and oranges are another two. Four common weeds which make excellent blood cleansers are plantain, chickweed, sow’s thistle and dandelion. The young leaves of these weeds can be finely chopped and added to salads. Also effective are infusions, which can be drunk or used as a wash. Lavender, calendula petals, sage, borage leaves and flowers, and dandelion leaves can all be used — 60 ml (1/4 cup) herb to 250 ml (1 cup) boiling water.

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Herbal Facial Skin Care Treatments part 2