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Wake up your skin by playing chemist with all things natural; get spritzy or be a ‘mask’-eteer!

Bust out of your usual routine and rethink your skin regimen. We give you some cool must-dos to put the spring back into your skin! You will need:

A small spray bottle to keep your facial spritzer.
Some distilled water or witch hazel solution as a base.
A filter funnel for when you pour your home-made spritzer into the bottle.

Skin Softening Rose Spritzer
For mature or any skin type for that matter.
Get a handful of fresh rose petals and wash them well under running water.
Put the petals into a small, clean bowl.
Pour boiling water (almost) over the rose petals.
Allow to cool.
When cool, pour into your clean spray bottle.
Use liberally, whenever, wherever.\
Keep refrigerated and use it up within a day.

Refreshing Cucumber AHA Facial Spritz
Good for all skin types.
Wash a small cucumber and blend it with a cup of distilled water.
Strain into your spray bottle.
Refrigerate and use liberally to cool off; but make sure to use it up within 12 hours.

Witch Hazel Facial Spritzer For Oily Skin
Great for oily and acne-prone skin.
Fill your spritzer bottle with witch hazel.
Add a drop of lavender oil for every 20 ml of witch hazel.
Shake well and refrigerate.
Use within three days, but remember to shake it up before each use.

Caution: Avoid contact with eyes as it contains lavender essential oil.
PS: Always use clean, sterile equipment. Do test on your wrist before spritzing the face or the body. When in doubt, bin the solution.

The Maskerade: Look fresh-faced with these yummy masks:

Orange Yoghurt Mask
1 teaspoon plain yoghurt
The juice of quarter of an orange
Stir the juice into the yoghurt and then dip fingers into the mixture and smooth onto the face. Leave on for five minutes, then rinse off. While yoghurt cleanses and nourishes, orange is full of vitamins and AHAs. The perfect mask for sluggish skin.

Give Me Beans
Mash up some green beans and add a little yoghurt. Massage onto the skin and leave on for about 10 minutes. Rinse off with lukewarm water for smooth skin.

Go Appledygook
Puree a teaspoon of honey with a peeled, cored apple. Smooth mixture over the face and leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse with cool water. Makes for a great facial toner.

Beauty Bytes
New From New Zealand
Madhuri Dixit calls it a ‘nice ingredient’. And the Maori tribe of New Zealand has used it as a skin-soothing oil for centuries. We’re talking Manuka Oil, whose beautifying properties are now being recognised the world over.

The Manuka plant grows either as a shrub or as a tree up to four metres high with spreading branches. When crushed, its leaves release a sweet, camphor-like aroma. Covered with delicate white and pink flowers, the tree looks as if it has just been snowed under.

Look what the oil of this beautiful tree can do for you:
Manuka works as an antiseptic, and heals ulcers.
It soothes muscle pain.
It is used as a concentrate against athlete’s foot and ringworm.
Relaxes the skin.
Banishes body and foot odour, leaving skin smelling good.
Is known to be a good antidote for acne.
Is used in soaps, creams, shampoos, wet tissues and antiseptic gels.

With so many great qualities, it is no surprise that Manuka is fast gaining popularity over its better-known cousin, Tea Tree Oil.

Get A Fresh Pair Of Eyes
“Yours are the sweetest eyes I’ve ever seen,” sang Elton John. Poets love them, lovers adore them, and you own them, so why not make your eyes as bright and lovely as you can? Try these simple eye-pampering tips:
Send Fatigue Packing: Think beyond cucumber slices and tea-bags to soothe eyes. The next time your eyes feel tired, soak two cotton pads in witch hazel or rose water, or a diluted essential oil of lavender flower, and treat your eyes to the healing compress for a few minutes.
Pour Away The Coffee: Beverages with caffeine dehydrate the body — and this includes your eyes. Keep them moist and limpid with lots of water, instead.
Eat Organic: Another reason to eat organically grown food. Preliminary research done at the Nutritional Optometry Institute in New Jersey shows that food containing pesticides can increase the risk of developing glaucoma.
Get The ACE Vitamins: Vitamins A, C, and E are your eyes’ best friends. They kill harmful free radicals, protect against lens damage, and keep eyes young and strong. Get more vitamins in your diet, by loading up on apples, oranges, carrots, melons and papayas.
Invest In Good Eye Make-up: Eyes are sensitive. Don’t make them suffer with make-up that stings or dries them out. Scout for water-based mascara that moisturises and protects the eyes. Look for a gentle eye base with fruit extract. Think natural, earth-friendly, and organic. Surf the internet for the latest organic eye make-up available in Europe and the USA, and the next time you visit those countries, buy the best brands you can find.