Hello Beautiful Friends!
As you may or may not know, glycolic and lactic acid peels can do wonders for your skin. However, they are very expensive and usually have a huge downtime.
Acid peels are used in place of abrasive exfoliation for a more gentle and thorough exfoliation without scrubbing. I have sensitive skin, so I can't use anything abrasive. I wondered what I could use instead that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg. And then, I had my AHA! moment. Glycolic acid and lactic acids are naturally found in food. What can I use instead of getting expensive peels? I know! TOMATOES!!!
Tomatoes are naturally very acidic (as are lemons and you can use lemon juice instead if you want. I find it stings) and work very well as a glycolic acid peel. You can smash up raw tomatoes and just smear it on your face, leave it for 10 minutes and rinse it off. Follow with a moisturizer. I, however, am lazy and don't like having to lie down to keep chunks of tomato on my face. So, I use no salt added canned tomato paste. I smear it on my clean face like a mask, leave it on for 10-15 minutes and then rinse it off in the shower. I follow it with my moisturizer. Try doing it 1-2 times a week! It really works! ( the other day someone I didn't know thought I was 19. I kid you not. I am actually almost 30.)
A nice, not so tomato-y alternative to this is full fat yogurt. I mix a dollop of yogurt with honey and smear ir on. The yogurt contains lactic acid, which exfoliates and softens really well. The honey is naturally antimicrobal (kills bacteria) and softens and clears my skin. leave it on for 30 min and then wipe it of with a warm, wet towel. I use this mask more often, simply because I can't stand tomatoes. They are gross.
If you are going to do any type of exfoliating mask, please do it at night right before putting on any serums or moisturizers. The removal of dead skin helps the good ingredients in your products penetrate deeper and work much better. Also, please use a sunscreen during the day. Your skin will be a bit more sensitive to the sun.
As a side note, Cleopatra used to take baths in milk to keep her skin youthful and soft. I guess acids have been used for skin since ancient times. I think my next topic will be how to take "Cleopatra's Man Grabbing Milk Bath". It certainly worked for Cleo, right? (Except for that whole snake thing).
Enjoy your cheap holistic spa night!
Love,
The Beauty Diva
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