Because I am on a low-buy, I am trying to think of new things to help improve my skin. As mentioned before, I'm one of the luckier ones. I'm not prone to break-outs. Even when the moon turns the tide, I get maybe one or two pimples and that's a lot. Usually, my blackheads will just raise up a bit and because I am not smart, I will attempt to pop them. This in turn, irritates my skin which may or may not mean a facial is in order. If I a not being lazy, I will do it.
For the next 7 nights, I am going to attempt a bevy of different tomato facials and report to you how each one works. Why tomatoes? Because:
1. It's got cooling and astringent properties.
2. It's rich in Vitamin C which is great for acne. It also helps brighten your skin. That's probably why so many daily facial creams promote the addition of Vitamin C.
3. It has naturally acidic properties which not only eats away the dead skin sells, but it also helps balance your skin's pH level.
4. It's got Vitamin A which is a big requirement for building healthy skin. If you're gonna buy facial creams, make sure it's got Vitamin A.
5. These fruits also possess antioxidants; an addition that makes them free radical fighters. This does not mean you shouldn't wear some sort of sunscreen on your face. Always, ALWAYS wear some sort of sun protection on your face.
6. It's cheap and it feels so freaking fantastic. Especially if you've chilled your slices and you're rubbing them on your face after a nice clay facial or a hot shower or both (preferably the hot shower first, then the clay facial) - oh my gosh. Just did a shower and clay facial combo last night. Rubbing that slice of tomato on my face gave it the right amount of tingle.
I love vine tomatoes because they're cheap and yummy. I uses to hate them because my dad grew them every summer. I hate turning away food so I ate and ate. Then I just couldn't do it anymore. Now, I'm slowly going back to my tomato roots. :)
Since I don't wanna buy anything special just for these purposes, I will stick with recipes that contains ingredients that I know I'll cook with in the future:
1. Chop one tomato and combine in a food processor or blender with 1 tsp. lemon juice and 1 tbsp. oatmeal. Blend to a smooth paste. Cleanse face and neck. Apply the tomato facial to blemished skin, leaving on for 10 minutes. Gently remove with a warm washcloth and rinse skin with warm water to remove all residue. Source.
2. Mix one cup oatmeal with 3 tbsp. non-fat dry milk, moistening all the oats. Chop one tomato and puree it in a blender. Add that to the oatmeal-milk mixture, stirring to incorporate all ingredients well. Apply to cleansed face and neck skin with the fingertips, keeping free of the eye area. Leave on the skin for 45 minutes. Use a warm washcloth to remove the facial and splash face with warm water. Source.
3. Blend 1 tbsp. powdered brewer's yeast with 1/2 tbsp. plain, unflavored yogurt, 1 tsp. each of lemon juice, tomato juice, carrot juice and olive oil. Mix by hand or in a food processor or blender to form a smooth paste. Cleanse face and neck and apply the facial mixture with fingertips, but not near the eyes. After 15 minutes, remove the mask with a warm washcloth and rinse skin with warm water. Source.
4. Slice a tomato up and rub the slices on your skin. I am going to keep this day completely low key since my GMAT is the following morning.
5. This mask is good for people with combination skin because it combines the astringent, blackhead removing and oil reducing properties of tomato with the antiseptic and hydrating properties of avocado. The mask also contains vitamins A, C and E and has a soothing and cooling feel. To make the mask, mash one small tomato and one small avocado. Mix them together well, and smooth the mixture on your face. Rinse after 20 to 30 minutes with tepid water. Source.
6. Mash 1 large skinned peach (or nectarine) and 3 tsp. honey together, and add 2 tbsp. yogurt until you have a workable paste. Pat evenly over your face and neck and around your eyes. Lie back and relax for about 10 minutes. Rinse well with warm water, tone and moisturize. I am replacing the peach with a tomato. Source.
7. Combine 1 egg yolk, 2 tsp. almond oil, and 1 ripe banana in a bowl and mash into a paste with a fork. Apply to face and neck and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse with cool water, pat dry, tone and moisturize. I am replacing the banana with a tomato but I'm super tempted to just do it with a banana since this sounds like it would smell FANTASTIC. Source.
It was surprisingly hard to find different renditions of a tomato-based facial. That's why you're seeing some other fruit facial recipes but as mentioned, the tomatoes will take their place. I don't know how well it'll work and there will probably be some ingredient fixing. All in all, a fun time to be had. :D
