Celebrate Halloween with a Pumpkin Facial
Fall is always one of my favorite times of the year. The leaves are changing, the holidays are just around the corner and my local coffee shop is serving up Pumpkin Lattes. To get into the spirit, pumpkins can be used to make a homemade mask tailored to almost any skin type.
Pumpkins are naturally high in vitamins A, C, and zinc. Vitamin A helps to gently dissolve dead skin cells, vitamin C acts an anti-oxidant to protect the skin against free radical damage, and zinc helps boost the skin's healing properties. To make your own pumpkin face mask at home, whisk together ¼ cup of pureed fresh or canned pumpkin with one egg as a base. The egg helps tighten the skin and bind the mask together. From here, the next step is to customize your mask to your individual skin type. Those with dry or irritated skin can add a single serving pouch of plain oatmeal or ¼ teaspoon of heavy whipping cream. The oatmeal will help soothe the skin and the heavy whipping cream will add moisturizing lipids and exfoliating alpha-hydroxy acids. Those with oily skin can add ¼ teaspoon of apple cider which is a natural alpha-hydroxy acid and regulates the surface pH of the skin. Those with aging or sun-damaged skin can add ½ teaspoon of applesauce. Applesauce has anti-aging properties due to the natural fruit acids, pectin and tannin, which aid in skin turnover and rejuvenation. For added exfoliation, mix in ½ teaspoon of brown sugar or wheat germ as a scrub and gently massage your face in a circular motion just before it is time to remove the mask.
To apply, slather a light layer onto your face being careful to avoid the eye area. Leave the mixture on for 10 to 15 minutes, rinse off with warm water, and pat dry with a clean towel.