Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Spa Day - Pamper Yourself Gals!

All this animal activism gets stressful. I can't tell you how many times I've cried after watching PETA vids or hearing things in the news. (On Sunday a dog died in a New York fur trap. In a nature PRESERVE, with its owner by its side.)

Now to lighter stuff...

You don't have to do all the spa stuff together. I did it over 2 days, and it is sometimes better so you have time to do other things. You can also add things to it that aren't listed here. Do whatever YOU want, since that's what its all about.

Not only does spa stuff make YOU feel good, its is GOOD for you. Helping your skin stay clear AND relaxing at the same time is a pretty sweet deal, dontcha think? And while still being vegan? Damn tight.

Now for the sched------------

1) Exfoliate your skin with your favorite vegan scrub.
i) Wet your face. (If your face is particularly grimy, you can also wash with a mild cleanser so that the scrub will actually work)
ii) With a cotton boll or your fingers, apply your scrub in a circular motion. Rinse clean.

2) Open the pores with hot steam.
i) Fill a sink with hot water. Dip a washcloth in it. Wring until damp but not wet.
ii) Put the cloth over your face until it cools down. Do this about 8 times or longer if you feel like it. Lie down, and relax!

3) Kill bacteria, and get rid of oil.
i) Take some Tea Tree oil, and rub over your face. Make sure to do the T-zone and other acne prone areas.
ii) Take a damp hot washcloth and put it over your face. Do this for as long as you like. This helps the tea tree oil get in the pores. The oil will kill bacteria and get rid of oil in your pores.

4) With a clean cloth, wash your face with warm water to get rid of the tea tree oil and anything it brought out of your pores.

5) Close the pores.
i) Take a clean cloth, and wet with ice cold water. Wring until damp.
ii) Put over your face until the coolness goes away. Repeat for as long as you like.

6) Apply moisturizer. No matter how oily your skin is, you MUST do this (use a light one or dilute one if need be, but dont skip!). The tea tree oil is a heavy duty astringent. Your skin will be tight and can dry out if you dont do this. The moisturizer wont clog pores because they have been closed.

** Many women say "Moisturizer gives me acne". Many women apply their facial moisturizer right AFTER a shower. A hot/warm shower opens the pores, and lets the moisturizer get deep in, causing acne. If the face is cooled, and if the pores have been allowed to close, the moisturizer will do its job of hydrating the cells instead of clogging the pores. **
(This is a good thing to keep in mind, even when it isnt your spa day. However, after a shower, apply moisturizer to your body within 3 minutes to trap in moisture. Splash cold water on your face to get the best of both worlds, without ending your showing with a icy blast!)


By now your pores should be clear. If you like, you can replace Step 3 with a mask (or do it after Steps 3 + 4), preferably with The Perfect Pore Cleansing Mask.
You also could do the mask beforehand, to make your skin softer and make the pores open easier.

After you close the pores, you shouldn't do anything to your skin because it will have little effect.

This procedure will leave your skin dewey soft, less red, and help reduce acne.

DONT FORGET TO MOISTURIZE!!! Its the difference between a lovely complexion and looking like a fish out of water (scaly) I cannot emphasize this enough!!

2 comments:

Vicki's Vegan Vice said...

ahhhh, I already feel more relaxed! What a great schedule -- thanks for the idea.

Allie B said...

Lol, no problem! Ideas are what make the word go round.

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