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4 cheap & easy skin treatments you can eat

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February 3, 2010
	Jo Wehage : Head Operations Ego

Edible Face Mask
While this application has five ingredients its well worth the effort to thoroughly cleanse and nourish the skin on a deep level. This one goes well with a girl’s night and a bottle of wine. Trust me on that.

This face mask is part anti aging cell rejuvenation and part aromatherapy experience. It’s a natural fountain of youth at a fraction of the cost of those expensive beauty creams and services. And it follows our most important rule – you can eat it. But don’t…it smells pretty darn good actually, but the taste is…well…gross.

The recipe was adapted from one by nutritionist Sheryl Walters of Defy Age Naturally. Let’s outline the ingredients in the face mask and why they’re so important.

Edible ingredient #1…Chocolate 
Chocolate has recently been rediscovered to be one of the most nutritious foods on the planet. Raw chocolate in its purest form has some of the highest amounts cancer-fighting, disease-busting, premature-age-destroying antioxidants around.

While chocolate used to be known to cause acne, it has since been recognized that the milk in chocolate bars is most often the cause of acne.

In addition to its high levels of antioxidants, it contains ingredients that regulate mood, increase libido, and leave us feeling peaceful, relaxed, and full of love.

If you can get raw organic chocolate powder, it is best. If you can’t get it, simply use pure, unsweetened cocoa powder. (Search our site for other great reasons to track down raw organic chocolate powder.)

Edible Ingredient # 2…Avocado
Many skin care products use avocado oil for its anti aging properties that create youthful, glowing skin. It defends against carcinogens and other elements that can cause disharmony in our skin.

It is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are anti inflammatory (inflammation is one of the biggest causes of aging) and are potent moisturizers. Avocados increase the elasticity of the skin.

Edible Ingredient #3… Green Tea
Green tea is consistently being hailed as a powerful antioxidant, and is one of the people of Okinawa Japan’s secrets for longevity and vibrant health. Putting it on directly on the skin can be equally potent.

Green tea is rich in antioxidants that reduce inflammation and protect cell membranes. It has been proven to reduce the damage of sunburns and overexposure to ultraviolet light, which in turn reduces the risk of skin cancer. Green tea is also high in polyphenols — compounds that eliminate cancer-causing free radicals.

Recent research by scientists at the Medical College of Georgia shows that the polyphenol most abundant in green tea — EGCG — also acts as a “fountain of youth” of sorts for skin by reactivating dying skin cells

Use an organic Japanese green tea powder to ensure you benefit from the whole leaf’s nutrients and antioxidant compounds.

Edible ingredient #4…Honey
Honey is a great anti-bacterial agent, will open up the pores, and will deeply cleanse and detoxify the skin. It will also make the mask sticky.

If you want your mask to be strictly vegan and raw, you can use agave nectar, which has similar properties.

Natural Skin Care Ingredient Number 5…Oatmeal
Oatmeal naturally exfoliates the skin to remove dead skin cells, leaving it soft and smooth.

Oatmeal is also well known for its healing properties.

The Recipe
Mix one ripe and mashed avocado, 3 tablespoons of raw chocolate powder (or cocoa powder), ½ teaspoon of organic green tea powder, 2 teaspoons of honey, and 2 tablespoons of oatmeal. Start with a tablespoon or two of pure water and slowly add enough to make it into a paste.*

Treat Your Skin
Apply on the face, gently massaging it so that oatmeal can start exfoliating the dead skin cell layer. Leave it on for about 20 minutes and rinse off with lukewarm water.

*Note:  I found these portions easily made enough mask for two or three faces. If you’re enjoying the experience alone, you may want to start with half the recipe.

So there you have it, food you can eat or wear all at the same time. Try it and let me know what you think. You might just be glowing from the inside out.

This post is proudly submitted for the Body Detox category of our 12 Weeks of Wellness