Oct 17, 2014

One Trick For A Slimmer, V-shaped face



You have an occasion later, or none at all. You want to look beautiful and have that confidence that radiates from within. But wait, you wake up with a puffy face. These things happen,
so take heart for there is a solution. Using no products or expensive tightening facials. Just a simple, elegant home-made mask. You probably already have what you need at home!


This mask is suitable for all skin types. Even for those with sensitive skin or oily skin (which I happen to have both). 


Ingredients :

1. Half a tablespoon of yogurt ( any is fine, though I'd personally avoid the favoured ones)

2. Half to one teaspoon of instant coffee granules or left-over coffee grinds 

3. 3 quarters to 1 tablespoon of oatmeal 

Optional: 

4. Half a teaspoon of honey 

The benefits:





Yogurt

Yogurt is rich in lactic acid. I have raved about it again and again in my Innisfree Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask, Philosphy Brand Impression, Philosophy Part 2. It is such an inexpensive and effective way to deliver this AHA into the skin. It is also for this reason that I believe that the Philosophy products are so overpriced. For those new to my blog, lactic acid is a gentle alpha-hydroxy acid, in comparison to the conventional AHA: Glycolic acid. It acts as a gentle exfoliator to slough off the outermost dead skin cells on your skin. This is also commonly used in anti-ageing products as it leaves your skin smoother and even reduce appearances of fine lines. In case you didn't already know, I am a huge fan of this and I can't get enough.


Oatmeal

Ah, the common ingredient those with sensitive skin are well acquainted with. It gentle exfoliates the skin while calming any irritation on the skin. I personally use this to soothe my skin during an angry acne outbreak. Ouch.


Coffee

The magic ingredient is caffeine. Why caffeine you may ask? Caffeine is readily absorbed into the skin to instantly de-puff the face. It works by constricting the blood vessels in your face, leaving you with a slimmer looking face. It's effect lingers for half to a full day. However, a word of caution for those sensitive to caffeine intake. You will absorb the caffeine through your skin and you might want to seek the advice from your doctor on this.

Actually, many slimming creams on the market, especially those 'instant ones' have added caffeine in it. Even products completely unrelated to that, like a sunscreen eg. Philosophy's Take Shelter, which I also talked about in Philosphy Part 2, have it as well. But who needs those creams when you have this mask! It's easier, so much cheaper and you wouldn't have to worry about it feeling greasy later on for that special occasion. 


Honey

The use of honey has been very well known for its moisturising abilities. What many are unaware of is its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. This is especially useful if your skin is prone to breakouts or suffering from any irritation. According to some, the darker the honey, the better the anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties. That being said, you don't have to purchase expensive manuka honey. I have used the cheapest ones on the market and it works great.

Additionally, I found that adding honey to the mask dramatically changes the way the mask dries on the skin. The mask stays moist longer, which is great because the longer your mask sits on the skin, the more your skin absorbs! You could probably get away with having this mask on for 20 minutes without having the yogurt crackle on your skin.


Directions: 

Mix them well in a clean dry bowl until all the coffee granules have dissolved in the yogurt. Apply it directly on your clean dry face. I use the same spoon that I used for mixing the ingredients to apply the mask. After 10-15 minutes, rinse off under tap water.Then carry on with your normal facial cleanser to ensure that all traces of yogurt and oatmeal residues are removed. Then sit back, and enjoy the results.

*Although it might seem subtle in the mirror, I saw great results when I saw the pictures taken for the event.


Note:

The ingredients and utensils used should be clean. Personally, I would buy a separate small tub of yogurt, honey and oatmeal specially for the face. As for utensils, I would not use utensils that have been used for consumption. If there was no alternative ( eg. bowls), I would sterilise them by pouring bowling water over it for a couple of minutes. I know this might sound like I'm going a little overboard, but my acne-prone skin is just so sensitive I dare not take the risk. Of course, feel free to leave this step out.


The measurements can also be changed to your preference. Alternating the yogurt to oatmeal ratio would allow you to control the consistency of your mask. I like mine thick enough to hold its form so that it doesn't drip down my neck. There might be leftovers as well, which I would use it on my jawline and neck, just because there's no harm in a slimmer jawline.


Another tip is to do this mask before a shower! The coffee might stain your clothes if you're not careful. Having a T-shirt on while doing this is also a complete nightmare, trust me I've been there. I've learnt the hard way to put this mask in my bathrobe or towel, and I would then wash it off in the shower. Alternatively, I have also used wet cotton pads to swipe off the mask to avoid having to wash down those oats down the shower.


Overall, I found this mask to be very effective in slimming down my face. It becomes really convenient to make this once you have the items stocked too.



So good luck and have fun!

Don't forget to share this on Google+, Facebook or Twitter if you've found this useful!

-C

Liked this post? Read on about how I customise my masks to cater to my skin's needs with tumeric, lemon or honey in my Customise Your Masks: Instantly Brighten, Reduce Redness and Whiten

*image taken from http://www.ultimate-guide-to-greek-food.com/greek-yogurt.html


1 comment :

  1. Thanks for sharing with us! I was not aware of the acid in the yoghurt being the same as in exfoliating masks. Next time I buy yoghurt I will try this out.

    ReplyDelete