Super Simple Skin Care By Nancy Welker Copyright 2012 by Nancy Welker Smashwords Edition This free ebook is my way of thanking all of the women who have come to my websites over the past four years. I’ve heard from thousands of you in that time, and have learned what women want from skin care, along with exercise and diet. The one thing women would have asked most about regarding their skin is how they can use easy, simple, methods to get the complexion they desire. In this little book, that will not take you much time to read through, you can learn how to make your own skin treatments at home, using common ingredients you may already have on hand. Of course, salon, spa and medical offices will always offer you services that bring about much more dramatic results. However, even with using any treatments from professionals, you will still benefit from adopting effective at-home practices that keep your skin looking beautiful. Once again, many thanks to all of you! Now, on to the methods: First, You Must Determine Your Skin Type You'll find yourself in one of the four main skin-type categories: oily skin, dry skin, normal skin and where many women fall, combination skin. This is essentially determined by the amount of sebum your skin produces, but can also be influenced by hormones, stress, health and environment. As you have probably learned, some people are far more prone to oiliness than others. Pore size is also relevant, as enlarged pores can lead to an increase in breakouts. When deciding about facial treatments, you'll want to be sure of your type so that you get the best results possible.  It really does make a big difference! How to do this Thoroughly cleanse your face, and then wait for about 30 minutes, without applying any toner or moisturizer. This will give your skin enough time to settle into its natural state.  After 30 minutes have passed, take a tissue and dab the following areas of your face: the forehead, the nose, the chin and the cheeks. Oiliness will obviously leave a spot on the tissue.  The more oil you see, the more likely you are to be classified in the oily skin category.   Dry areas will not leave any oil residue on the tissue at all.  If this is the case, also note the way your skin feels without the benefit of any moisturizer. If it is tight, itchy, pink or red, or you can see increased signs of lines and wrinkles, then you are likely to be in the dry skin/sensitive skin category.   Combination skin will have both of these issues, with the oily areas typically in the T-zone of forehead, nose and chin, and the dry areas on the cheeks and around the eyes.   If you see a only a small amount of oil on the tissue and no tightness or dryness anywhere on your face at all, then you are falling into the normal skin category.   Use this simple method to get a better idea of what skin type you have, and use treatments that are specifically made for that type. Do this test once a year or whenever you see changes in your skin, as you may actually change skin type categories throughout your life.   Work With Mother Nature Use these recipes to give your body chemistry a hand when it comes to cell production. This is the most important function our body has, and when it comes to our skin it's vital to getting and maintaining a beautiful complexion. Our skin absorbs what is applied to it, and in the following recipes you’ll find vitamins and nutrients that support healthy cell production in your skin. Basic Instructions For Any Mask Combine any of these recipes with a quality moisturizer as a base. I suggest the original Nivea cream as it's easy to come by and works very well. Leave these masks on for a minimum of 15 minutes (or follow what I note specifically). Remember that applying a warm, damp towel to the skin on top of your mask takes the benefits to the next level. Rinse off the mask thoroughly, use toner (preferably chilled), serum and moisturizer. You should be lying down while using any of these masks. Laying a piece of cheesecloth or gauze on top helps to prevent dripping. A towel with a velcro closure, or a terry robe is ideal for home skin treatments. The Recipes: The Dry Skin Soother Mix 1 tablespoon of sesame seed oil, 1 cup of mashed pumpkin and 1 tablespoon of sweet almond oil. Apply the mixture to your entire face, neck and décolleté. Massage the mask well so it can penetrate deeper into the skin, and drive the ingredients down to the dermis. How It’s Good For You Sesame seed oil is beneficial due to its capability to make the skin more elastic. It also quickly rejuvenates and plumps the dermis. Mashed pumpkin is a excellent source of exfoliating enzymes. These are the enzymes that can break the bonds of dead skin cells to the dermis. They also enable the exfoliating process without employing abrasive ingredients. Almond oil is a good source of copper. Copper is a trace mineral that can create peptides. Peptides assist in boosting collagen production. Using this mask three times per week or more, can increase the firmness and elasticity of your skin, and create a more youthful contour. The Vitamin Blast For Normal and Dry Skin Types Grate one medium-sized carrot and add to your blender pitcher. Add 1/4 cup of orange juice and one tablespoon of olive oil. Process until the ingredients are well mixed and smooth. Apply the mask to your face, neck and décolleté. Cover with gauze or cheesecloth. How It’s Good for You Carrots are excellent sources of beta-carotene. This is a derivative of Vitamin A, and is necessary to help heal damaged collagen fibers. It also increases elasticity. Orange juice can instantly refresh your dermis by giving your skin a healthy dose of Vitamin C. It also works in sloughing off dead skin cells which speeds up the body’s natural process of replacing the old and damaged layers of the skin. Olive oil can increase the permeability of the dermis, and allow the nutrients to absorb in more efficiently. It instantly hydrates the skin. Use this mask two to three times per week to see fresher, brighter, skin. Love For Normal To Oily Skin Mix a cup of milk with a tablespoon of safflower oil and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Apply directly to your face, neck and décolleté. You should use gauze or cheesecloth, as this may be runny. How It’s Good For You Milk contains 8 kinds of amino acids, which are the building blocks of complex proteins. These proteins are needed for the production of keratin, which is vital to skin renewal and overall skin health. Without these complex proteins, the body's collagen production will be greatly compromised, and you’ll see thinner skin that is prone to wrinkles and sagging. Safflower oil is an excellent source of linoleic acid. This speeds up the regeneration of damaged skin tissues, by way of increasing the cell turnover rate. Lemon juice can immediately brighten your skin. It also contains vitamin C that supports collagen production. Use this masks twice to four times per week for the best results. Targeting The Neckline In this next section, I concentrate on treatments for the décolleté. This is oftentimes an overlooked part of our body, as much of the skin care advice you see in print focuses on the face and neck. I always include the décolleté in my instructions for using facials, as well as applying serum and moisturizer, due to the fact that this area of our body can be especially prone to sun damage, dry skin in general, and can show signs of aging before our time. The following recipe contains more ingredients that in the previous section, but they should be easy to find either at local natural markets or from health and vitamin stores online. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you need help finding any of them! How To Make An Effective Neckline Cream When preparing this recipe, do not allow the ingredients to boil. Overheating may cause granules to form in the cream, creating lumps and separation of the ingredients. What you'll need: 1 tbsp. sweet almond oil 2 tbsp. grapeseed oil 1 tbsp. cocoa butter 2 tsp. beeswax 3 tsp. orange blossom water 20 drops neroli oil 4-ounce glass jar with tight-fitting lid (you can use a wide mouthed spice jar you find in the kitchen and bath stores) Double boiler Small saucepot How To Make This Cream Combine the sweet almond and grapeseed oils with the cocoa butter and beeswax in a double boiler. Heat just until the beeswax and cocoa butter have melted. Blend the mixture thoroughly. In the small saucepot, mix the orange blossom water with the hot sweet almond oil mixture, stirring constantly until it forms a creamy emulsion. Let the cream cool until it feels just barely warm to the touch, then stir in the neroli oil and mix thoroughly. Transfer the cream to a 4-oz. glass jar. Store in the refrigerator, for up to four months. How To Use This Cream Apply a moderate to generous amount of the neckline cream to your entire décolleté as a specific treatment for this area. Place a warm, wet towel over the top, and lay down for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse off and apply toner, serum and moisturizer. These products should be dry-skin type formulas. Using Strawberries For Radiant Skin Strawberries make a wonderful cleansing and skin softening facial mask mainly because they contain salicylic acid. This purifies the skin, and also helps get rid of dead cells, allowing for improved moisture absorption and getting your complexion looking healthy and radiant. Suitable for most skin types, strawberry-based masks are a snap to make, smell incredible, and in addition to supporting cell turnover, give your skin a nice boost of anti-oxidants that help reduce damage caused by exposure to the sun and from the onslaught of free radicals. All the way around, strawberries are great for your skin! The Basic Strawberry Mask For normal skin ½ cup of very ripe strawberries ¼ cup cornstarch Mix the strawberries and cornstarch together to make a paste. Apply the facial mixture to the face. Leave it on for 30 minutes and then rinse with cool water. Strawberry Honey Mask # 1 A dry skin quencher Crush a handful of strawberries and mix well with 1 teaspoon honey. Apply to face and let set for about 15 minutes. Gently wipe off with a damp wash cloth. Strawberry Honey Mask # 2 For dry or combination skin Using a fork mash strawberries into a pulp, add 1 tsp. honey and 2 tblsp. witch hazel. Mix. Don't over blend or it will be runny. Apply directly to the skin, allow it to absorb in for three minutes, then rinse off. Frozen Strawberry Mask For most skin types For a single facial mask, thaw three whole frozen strawberries in a small cup in the microwave. Frozen strawberries are good to use for this recipe because they release lots of juice when thawed. Mash the slightly warm strawberries to a pulp and stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt to form a smooth paste. Slather the paste on your face and neck and allow to absorb in to your skin for 15 - 20 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. Strawberries and Cream Mask Excellent for dry skin 1/2 cup fresh strawberries 2 tablespoons fresh cream 1 tablespoon rice flour or cornstarch Mash together all the ingredients to make a smooth paste. Spread over your face and neck and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat your skin dry. Lemony Strawberry Mask Fantastic for oily skin 2 teaspoons lemon juice 2 egg whites 2 teaspoons honey 1 1/2 cups strawberries Blend all the above ingredients and apply to your face, neck and décolleté. Leave on for 10 minutes and then wash face with lukewarm water. Pat your face dry with a soft towel. Remember Following any facial/neck/décolleté treatment, always rinse thoroughly and pat dry with a soft, clean towel. Apply toner and allow it dry for 20 or 30 seconds. Next apply serum that’s formulated for your skin type. Massage it in for a full minute to get the maximum benefits. Last, use a moisturizer to seal in the serum, an give your skin a layer of protection. How To Get Even Better Results Good, effective skin treatments are an excellent way to get your complexion in the best condition possible – but by themselves they are not enough. Eat well, perform Yoga every day and get a good night's rest. Your complexion will glow with good health. Consider subscribing to my website and you’ll learn how to do all of these things and fit them into your busy lifestyle! From Nancy Welker: My work at Get Fit For Life magazine is a blend of Yoga, skin care, nutrition and healthy body image articles. I stress adopting intelligent, effective daily habits that you make permanent in order to reach fitness and appearance goals, and maintain them once you have. Come in and subscribe for $4.99 per month. It’ll be the best investment you ever make! http://www.nancywelkermagazine.com/subscribe Click below to learn more about Nancy Welker and her work http://www.nutrabeautiful.com/nancy_welker_lifetime_results This eBook is free for all my readers to use to get the healthy, glowing complexion they desire. There is a copyright associated with this content, so please don’t use it for your own blog or website or in any other way, without contacting me first for permission. Enjoy your fresh complexion! Copyright 2012 Nancy Welker. All Rights Reserved.