As I’m writing this, our country is in lockdown due to the rapidly spreading pandemic and we are all homebound. As a side effect, we may, all the chaos aside, have more time to spend on looking after ourselves. 

 

There’s no better time to focus on self care as a means to uplift the spirit and never has my own self care practice been more important than ever. And your messages tell me that you need it as much as I do. 

 

I’m deeply committed to providing you value and support and I want to make sure that you have all you need to feed and nourish your skin and soul during this challenging time. 

 

And this doesn’t mean a long list of products. When it comes to our skin, less is often more. I’m a big believer in simplicity and back to basics and I would like to share with you my favourite natural beauty and skin care tips and hacks using stuff that you will most likely find in your house.

1. Face exfoliation

 

Face scrubs, even the natural ones that contain hard granules may cause tiny skin tears undetected with the eye. Such face exfoliants may also be skin irritating, causing skin issues such as redness, broken capillaries and unexpected breakouts, especially if your skin is sensitive or problematic. Choose a soft exfoliator with fine grains such as oats or enzymatic exfoliators containing natural fruit enzymes. 

 

And did you know that a muslin cloth or in fact any soft cotton cloth is also perfect for face exfoliation? No skincare product needed. Use a damp cloth to gently brush over your face to remove dead skin avoiding the delicate eye area and remember to moisturise afterwards.

 

2. DIY face mask

 

This home made face mask will leave your skin really glowing.

 

What you need:⠀

1. Raw honey⠀

2. Fine turmeric powder ⠀

3. Sana Naturals oil SERUM or any oil from your pantry, preferably olive, sunflower or grape seed. Avoid coconut oil on the face if it's prone to breakouts as it's comedogenic that means that it may clog the pores.

 

Apply on your face avoiding the eye area. Don’t skip your neck and décolletage. Leave on for 20min and rinse off well while gently massaging. It’s important to remove this face mask thoroughly as any remnants may cause irritation. Removing the mask is messy so it’s best to do it in the shower. 

 

Enjoy the feel of your skin afterwards, it’s addictive. 

 

3. Sugar scrub for the body

 

No need to buy body scrubs. Any oil from your kitchen combined with caster sugar are all you need for a deeply nourishing and effective body scrub that your skin will love. I use it only on the body and not the face as it’s too strong for delicate complexions.

 

Note: The oil may leave your shower basin slippery so be careful not to slip. 

 

4. Oil for shaving 

 

You can use any oil for shaving your legs and armpits. It will help the razor slide smoothly on the skin and will also deeply nourish and hydrate your skin, unlike a commercial shaving mouse that may be harsh for the skin.

 

You can use any oil from your pantry, like olive, grape seed or sunflower oils.

 

Note: The oil may leave your shower basin slippery so be careful not to slip. 

 

5. Dry body brushing 

 

Benefits of dry body brushing:

🌿 skin exfoliation

🌿 encourages body detox by improving lymph drainage

🌿 improves blood circulation

🌿 helps get rid of cellulite

🌿 supports nervous system

 

Dry brush every day before showering using a natural bristle brush, soft to medium strength. Always brush towards your heart. It feels so good. 

 

Click here to watch how to dry brush your body.

 

6. Oil makeup removal

 

No need to buy an oil make up remover. Again, any oil from your pantry such as olive oil, grape seed oil or sunflower oil will effectively remove your makeup. 

 

Firstly wet your face, then apply the oil, add some water again and massage your face. Use a warm damp cloth to remove the oil and dirt throughly.

7. Face massage with an oil

 

Use an olive or grape seed oil for a skin rejuvenating face massage. These two oils are my favourite to use on the face as they won’t clog the pores. 

 

Click here to watch how to massage your face to smooth out laugh lines, click here to see how to smooth out wrinkles under eyes, and here to watch how to massage your face to help unblock your sinus.

8. Oil for eyebrows, eyelashes and taming frizz

 

Did you know that castor oil is excellent for hair growth and it works wonders to nourish the hair? Apply a droplet of castor oil or any other oil from your pantry on your eyebrows and eyelashes to encourage growth and nourish them deeply, and once your are at it, you can also use it to tame frizzy hair, especially if your hair is dry or curly.

9. Oil as body moisturiser

 

No body moisturiser? No worries. An oil from your pantry again will deeply nourish and hydrate your skin but the trick is to apply it on a slightly wet skin. That’s because the oil penetrates your skin and locks in the moisture using water particles. Click here find out more about how to use an oil in your skincare routine.

 

Note: The oil may leave your shower basin slippery so be careful not to slip. 

 

10. Lip exfoliation using a tooth brush 

 

You can use a soft tooth brush to gently exfoliate your lips. Remember to moisturise your lips afterwards. Watch here to see how it's done. You can also apply raw honey on your lips overnight for a deeply nourishing lip treatment. 

 

11. DYI deeply nourishing hair mask

 

Ran out of hair conditioner? Blend an avocado, natural yoghurt and raw honey and apply on your hair for minimum 30 min before washing. It will leave your hair deeply nourished and shiny. 

 

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