Homemade Face Masks for Acne and Blackheads

Homemade face masks for acne and blackheads are surprisingly effective. They may succeed where everything else has failed. They are very easy to make and can be made from the ingredients available off the shelf. Several recipes for face masks are available to get rid of acne and blackheads

Cucumber

Cucumber Face Mask

Cucumber is rich in silica. Silica is very good for the health of the skin. It is used in the manufacture of several skincare products.

The benefits of cucumber are too numerous to enumerate. It is an excellent moisturizer and hydrates the skin. It also softens, cools and relaxes the skin

Cucumber Yogurt Facemask

Yogurt exfoliates the skin.  Cucumber and yogurt are an excellent combination to get rid of acne and blackheads. They moisturize the skin and open up the clogged pores and get rid of all the dirt and oil from the skin.

Recipe

1 Cucumber

½ cup of Greek yogurt

1 tbsp of milk powder

Cut cucumber into pieces and remove all the seeds. Put it in a blender. Add yogurt and milk powder. Make a thick paste.

Wash your face. Spread the paste evenly on the face and neck keeping clear of the eye area.

 Wash it off after 30 minutes. Pat your face dry with a towel.

Cucumber Aloe Vera Facemask

Aloe Vera is very food for skincare. The combination of Aloe Vera and cucumber makes an excellent remedy for acne, blackheads and sunburn

Recipe

1 cucumber

4 tsp of Aloe Vera gel

Peel cucumber and cut it into pieces. Remove the seeds. Add Aloe Vera gel and mash it well with a fork till it becomes a paste.

Apply the paste to your face and spread it evenly. Wash it off with cold water after 30 minutes. Pat your face dry with a towel.

Honey Face Mask

Honey has anti-microbial properties. It cleans up the clogged pores of the skin and kills the microbes to get rid of acne. I also helps to soften the skin make it glow. Just take 2 tbsp of honey and spread it on your face and neck with your fingers. Make sure that you use raw honey. Wash it off after 30 minutes.

Application of honey face mask on a regular basis 2-3 times a week will help you to get rid of acne and blackheads. As honey is an anti-oxidant, it also helps to get rid of wrinkles.

Milk, honey, yogurt and lemon face mask

2 tbsp of milk powder

2 tbsp of honey

2 tbsp yogurt

1 tsp of lemon juice

Mix it together and make a paste

Citric acid contained by lemon clears up the clogged pores of the skin. Yogurt softens the skin. Honey not only opens the pores but also kills the microbes. Together they make a very good recipe to get rid of acne and blackheads

Apply the paste obtained by mixing the above ingredients and wash it off after 30 minutes. Repeat the process at least thrice a week

Oatmeal Face Mask

Oatmeal face mask helps to remove the dead cells as it has exfoliating properties. It also soaks up the excess oil clogging the pores and opens them up.

Using Oatmeal

Boil half a cup of oatmeal in water and allow it to cool. The resulting paste should be spread on the face and neck.  Wash it off with warm water after 30 minutes and pat the face dry with a towel. Repeat it several times a week. It helps to get rid of acne and blackheads.

Oat meal can also be mixed with baking soda, egg white or tomato for the face mask.

Turmeric Face Mask

Turmeric contains an active ingredient called curcumin which has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It helps to remove acne and blackheads.

The ingredients

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp of milk

Mix the ingredients together and make a paste. Apply it to your face and wait for 20 minutes. Wash it off after 30 minutes when the skin begins to feel tight.

These are some of the recipes for homemade face mask to get rid of acne and blackheads.

Foods to Increase Metabolism

There are several foods to increase metabolism. Metabolism refers to the processes in our body which are required to maintain life. These processes lead to our growth and reproduction of cells. They are divided into two categories catabolism and anabolism.  Metabolism determines what food is nutritious to our body and what food is poisonous. Low metabolic rate could lead to ill health. The metabolic rate is extremely important for good health. 

Water to Increase Metabolism

One important natural metabolism booster is water. Water suppresses hunger and boosts the rate of metabolism. It is necessary to drink water at regular intervals right through the day.  Water also helps to flush out all the toxins from the body.  Drinking water also reduces the pangs of hunger. It is essential to drink at least two liters of water a day.

Vegetables boost Metabolism

Several vegetables help to boost metabolism and convert food to energy efficiently. Some of these vegetables are leafy greens like turnip greens, spinach, kale and collard greens. They help the blood cells to transport the nutrients right through the body.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal has abundance of dietary fiber. Most of it is soluble fiber, which is more effective than insoluble fiber to boost metabolism. High fiber foods are more filling and curb appetite. Water soluble fibers lower the levels of insulin and help to breakdown fats more efficiently.   

Chilies

Eating spicy foods like chilies raises the body temperature. This helps to boost metabolism. Spicy foods also suppress appetite. Some peppers like jalapeno and cayenne contain capsaicin which helps to increase metabolism and burn more calories.

Fruits to Increase Metabolism

Most fruits contain abundant quantities of fiber. They contain natural sugar which is different from the sugar we use for coffee and cooking. Some of the fruits that help to increase metabolism are apples, oranges, plums, peaches, blackberries, apricots and melons.

Grape fruit has been considered to be a healthy food from a long time. It is fiber rich. Fiber is hard to breakdown and requires more calories to so. This results in weight loss. Grape fruit lowers the levels of insulin in the body. Higher levels of insulin induce the body to store fat. Grape fruit also contains folic acid, vitamin C and potassium. They provide a boost to the immune system.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Foods that contain omega 3 fatty acids boost metabolism. Some important foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids are

• Fish
• Vegetable oils
• Eggs
• Meat
• Butter nuts
• Walnuts
• Pecan nuts
• Linseed oil

These are some of the natural foods to increase metabolism and help to reduce weight.

Do You Burn Calories When You Sleep?

There are several foods that burn calories even when you sleep. They burn more calories than they contain. Including these foods in your diet will help you to burn calories faster. These foods are called negative calorie foods. To get better results include exercise in your daily routine.

Most of these negative calorie foods consist of fruits and vegetables. They do not burn calories in the exact sense of the term. They speed up metabolism or break the components of fat.  These foods are rich in fiber and contain more water. It is better to eat most of these foods without cooking in the raw state.  These foods burn calories when you sleep.

Burn Calories with Green Tea

Green tea is a very effective metabolism booster. Green tea contains catechin polyphenols which are said to aid the fat burning qualities of the herb. It is said that the strongest of these catechins called EGCG reduces the calories that are absorbed from the diet and helps to burn fats faster. It also prevents the storage of fats.  It has thermogenic properties which help to burn off the calories.

Vitamin C

Citrus fruits contain vitamin C.  They help to dilute the fats and push them out of the body. They also speed up metabolism. Some of the citrus fruits that aid weight loss are lemon, orange, sweet lime, grape fruit and tangerines.

Legumes

Legumes have large amounts of protein and very high fiber content. Examples of legumes are soya beans, brussels sprouts, French beans, kidney beans and lentils. Some of them can be included for breakfast. Bean soup or salad for dinner will help to burn calories when you sleep.

Diary Foods

Milk, yogurt and other dairy foods contain calcium which breaks down fat cells and aid weight loss. Milk has an abundance of complex carbohydrates which helps to keep the insulin levels low. Low insulin levels help to boost the metabolism rate. Human body requires about 1200 to 1300mg of calcium daily. Drinking skimmed milk will help to burn fat without the addition of any unnecessary calories.

Whole Grains

Whole grains have carbohydrates in abundance. They are also rich in fiber. They increase the rate of metabolism and help to burn more calories and fat. Eating oatmeal for breakfast in the morning will boost your energy levels and also help to burn more calories. Some of the whole grains that would help to burn off fat are brown rice, wheat bran, whole wheat, barley and wheat germ.

You should include in your diet some of these foods that help to burn calories when you sleep. 

Home Made Face Cleansers

Home made face cleansers are very soft on the skin. There are several recipes make natural face cleansers at home. It may take some time and effort to prepare them. But it is worth the trouble. They would not contain any of the chemicals that commercial products have. It would also be much cheaper to prepare them at home.  Even soap can be harsh on the skin as it removes the essential natural oils. 


Oatmeal Face Cleanser  
                                                                                                          Cooked oatmeal has to be mixed with yogurt to make a paste. This paste should be spread over the face except the eyes. It has to be washed of after 15 minutes. 2-3 tsp of honey can be mixed with this combination. Honey is a natural skin toner.


Milk Lime Face Cleanser


Milk, lime juice, orange juice, cucumber and pineapple can be mixed together and made into a paste. Sugar and water can be added to it. This mixture can be used effective every day as a face cleanser.


Banana Facial Cleanser


Mashed banana also makes very good cleanser. Put banana in a blender.  Add a tsp of honey and make a paste. This can be applied to the face and washed off after fifteen minutes.


Almond Oil Facial Cleanser
                        
Almond oil is an extremely effective face cleanser. It can used on any type of skin.  Almond oil has to be applied to the dry skin without wetting it. It would be good be take steam directly on the face after 15 minutes.  Otherwise the face can be wiped with a wet cloth. Almond oil mixed with sugar also makes an excellent facial scrub. It can also get rid of circles under the eye and crows feet. Almond oil is also very used for face massage. It removes the dead cells, prevents aging and is soothing and relaxing.


Avocado Facial Cleanser


A peeled avocado, a cup of coconut milk and a tea spoon of honey will have to be mixed in a blender. Apply it to the face. Wash the face after fifteen minutes. This is also very effective face cleanser.


These home made face cleansers can not only be prepared easily but also quite economical. Using these cleansers would definitely make your face glow.