A few readers have commented on my ‘nice’ skin from my profile photo. For the record, it's not that 'nice'. But I’m sharing with you my latest skin care secret which I discovered last year. You might already know this beauty tip, I’m sure. There is nothing new under the sun.
Those who know me from my teen days will testify that I battled pimples and the resultant blemishes. I used all kinds of medicated soaps, face cleansers, astringents, lightening creams for black spots, etc. One face cream resulted in mild bleaching, because I wanted to get rid off the many black spots on my face. A few friends passed comments about my face getting lighter… I was soo scared and embarrassed. I didn’t want to become a coca-cola body and fanta face.* So quickly I aborted it after about 3 months use. I remember praying fervently that God will restore my natural skin colour and make my face even darker than the rest of my body! LOL. :) What was I thinking?
I’m not a beautician, a cosmetologist nor skin care specialist. This came to me by trial and error, through hearsays, on-line and book research on aloe vera. I noticed that a lot of cosmetic companies prided on products that have aloe vera extracts in them, as if it has some magical components for the skin, for the hair, etc. I remember watching an Oprah Winfrey show about women in their 60s and 70s who looked 20-30 years younger. One fabulous African-American in her 70s said that her secret was to drink aloe vera juice every single day.
No, I don’t drink that stuff. I tried it once, although not for beauty purposes, and it doesn’t taste good. What I do is to break some of the fleshy leaves or stem and part it up so that I can get the inside extracts. I literally rub it directly on my face and let it rest for 20 mins -1 hour before I bath or whenever I feel my skin needs to be cleansed. Then I wash it off with water before using my mild face cleansing soap. It has worked tremendously to clear dark spots and blemishes over a period of time and there are more spots to clear.
Note: I'm not speaking of aloe clearing pimples or stopping pimples from developing rather clearing the blemishes left over by them.
As a result of this recently discovered beauty miracle this plant has been propagated in my house in several flower pots now, so that there will be more for both facial beauty and for home beautification. I know when I move out of my parents’ home someday soon, I’ll plant lots of aloe vera in my new home.
Warning!
*Aloe vera itches terribly as it dries up on the skin. If you have a sensitive skin, don’t try this at home! If you can’t stand an itch, don’t try it either! Buy the processed aloe gel from the store, but I can’t speak for the processed one. The point? Nothing good comes cheap or without some pain. *Aloe vera is awfully bitter. So try as much as possible to prevent it from getting on your lips. Also sometimes, the extracts seeps into your skin so you might taste it in the throat. *Aloe vera stains as is dries on any surface. So be careful. If it stains your bathtub it can be easily cleaned with soap and water, but not your clothes! *Effects will not be seen until after 3-4 months of consistent use. This is not a quick-fix face care regime.
I wish I had known this earlier. It would have lessened my beauty-related tears as a teen and saved me some money. I know others combine this with other extracts as scrubs and cleansers. So far this has worked for me with occasional steaming.
Got some extra beauty tips for pimples or blemishes? Send me an e-mail or use the click comment button to do so. I'd really appreciate your tips!
*Coca-cola body and fanta face- A term in Ghana, given to people who bleach their bodies, wanting their black skin to be lighter because of beauty/body image issues. Others do it to clear acne blemishes. However, oftentimes, the face becomes lighter than the rest of the body, thus a Fanta face and a Coca-cola body. This is strictly a practice found among black people.
Looks like some weeds need to be pulled out of this flower pot, huh?
Those who know me from my teen days will testify that I battled pimples and the resultant blemishes. I used all kinds of medicated soaps, face cleansers, astringents, lightening creams for black spots, etc. One face cream resulted in mild bleaching, because I wanted to get rid off the many black spots on my face. A few friends passed comments about my face getting lighter… I was soo scared and embarrassed. I didn’t want to become a coca-cola body and fanta face.* So quickly I aborted it after about 3 months use. I remember praying fervently that God will restore my natural skin colour and make my face even darker than the rest of my body! LOL. :) What was I thinking?
I’m not a beautician, a cosmetologist nor skin care specialist. This came to me by trial and error, through hearsays, on-line and book research on aloe vera. I noticed that a lot of cosmetic companies prided on products that have aloe vera extracts in them, as if it has some magical components for the skin, for the hair, etc. I remember watching an Oprah Winfrey show about women in their 60s and 70s who looked 20-30 years younger. One fabulous African-American in her 70s said that her secret was to drink aloe vera juice every single day.
No, I don’t drink that stuff. I tried it once, although not for beauty purposes, and it doesn’t taste good. What I do is to break some of the fleshy leaves or stem and part it up so that I can get the inside extracts. I literally rub it directly on my face and let it rest for 20 mins -1 hour before I bath or whenever I feel my skin needs to be cleansed. Then I wash it off with water before using my mild face cleansing soap. It has worked tremendously to clear dark spots and blemishes over a period of time and there are more spots to clear.
Note: I'm not speaking of aloe clearing pimples or stopping pimples from developing rather clearing the blemishes left over by them.
As a result of this recently discovered beauty miracle this plant has been propagated in my house in several flower pots now, so that there will be more for both facial beauty and for home beautification. I know when I move out of my parents’ home someday soon, I’ll plant lots of aloe vera in my new home.
Warning!
*Aloe vera itches terribly as it dries up on the skin. If you have a sensitive skin, don’t try this at home! If you can’t stand an itch, don’t try it either! Buy the processed aloe gel from the store, but I can’t speak for the processed one. The point? Nothing good comes cheap or without some pain. *Aloe vera is awfully bitter. So try as much as possible to prevent it from getting on your lips. Also sometimes, the extracts seeps into your skin so you might taste it in the throat. *Aloe vera stains as is dries on any surface. So be careful. If it stains your bathtub it can be easily cleaned with soap and water, but not your clothes! *Effects will not be seen until after 3-4 months of consistent use. This is not a quick-fix face care regime.
I wish I had known this earlier. It would have lessened my beauty-related tears as a teen and saved me some money. I know others combine this with other extracts as scrubs and cleansers. So far this has worked for me with occasional steaming.
Got some extra beauty tips for pimples or blemishes? Send me an e-mail or use the click comment button to do so. I'd really appreciate your tips!
*Coca-cola body and fanta face- A term in Ghana, given to people who bleach their bodies, wanting their black skin to be lighter because of beauty/body image issues. Others do it to clear acne blemishes. However, oftentimes, the face becomes lighter than the rest of the body, thus a Fanta face and a Coca-cola body. This is strictly a practice found among black people.
Looks like some weeds need to be pulled out of this flower pot, huh?
5 comments:
hey - just wanted to recommend a greay organic aloe vera cream I tried. Its from the Made from Earth skin care line and its called "pure aloe vera treatment"..
its all chemical free and i have seen a majro difference in my skin..its like applying real aloe to your skin...i used it at night, when i woke up the next day, my skin was looking so fresh...very deep moisturizing.
Hi, its good site! I have found here useful information. Thank you!
Anonymous, thanks! Sergio Cadona... you're welcome. :)
hi.. very nice site.. thanks for your useful beauty tips.
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Aloe Vera skincare
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