How to Do a Skin Cleanse

It's simple and inexpensive to do a homemade cleanse that will detoxify and moisturize your skin while adding essential nutrients. With a few basic ingredients and a block of time set aside to pamper yourself, you can give your skin a natural boost and avoid the harsh elements found in many retail beauty products.

Things You'll Need

• Plain yogurt
• Unflavored oatmeal
• Baking soda
• Cornmeal
• Olive oil
• Unflavored honey
• Green tea bags
• Bottle of distilled water

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Instructions

• 1

  Determine whether your skin is dry, normal or oily. While natural ingredients won't generally damage any skin type, some will be more effective than others (depending on your skin's natural texture).

• 2

  Use plain yogurt as a gentle cleanser for normal to dry skin. If you suffer from extra-sensitive dry skin, mix the yogurt with cooked, unflavored oatmeal to create a creamy paste. Dairy products are gentle and hydrating and oatmeal provides relief for sensitive, itchy skin.

• 3

  Mix a small amount of cornmeal or baking soda into the yogurt or yogurt/oatmeal mixture to increase the exfoliating quality of your cleanser. Add the exfoliant a little at a time until the cleanser takes on a light, grainy texture. Do not get carried away, though, as too much exfoliant can damage sensitive skin.

• 4

  Combat tight, aging skin with a cleanser made from equal parts of olive oil and honey, diluted with two parts distilled water. Mix the ingredients until they form a smooth liquid. Honey acts as a gentle antimicrobial and moisturizer, while olive oil provides deep hydration for the skin.

• 5

  Cleanse oily skin with plain, distilled water or steeped green tea. Brew a natural, green tea bag in hot distilled water and allow the mixture to cool. Green tea contains polyphenols known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities.

• 6

  Apply cleanser in gentle circles to selected skin areas. If you're applying it to your face, do not pull on delicate skin around your eyes. For a deep cleanse, you may leave the mixture on for a few minutes, unless it contains an exfoliant.

• 7

  Rinse your skin with lukewarm water and pat dry. Apply a gentle, noncomedogenic moisturizer to increase hydration without oil build-up. If you have an oily skin type, use a gel- or lotion-type moisturizer rather than a heavy cream.