by Samira Mohamed Ali [email protected]
Having modelled since she was 11 years old for high profile brands and companies around the world, Samira Mohamed Ali is “very proud” to be half Portuguese and half Arabic, with a strong Welsh accent! Samira, who is a regular Algarve visitor, brings you natural remedies to combat puffy eyes and dark circles.
How to exfoliate, cleanse and moisturise naturally
Happy New Year readers! This is the time, after all that Christmas indulging and late nights, to really kick start things by getting your skin glowing for 2012.
I love this time of year where you start the gym, clear out your wardrobes and make plans for a strong year, but something that makes us feel great and really confident is when people start saying we are looking fabulous.
Trying out these regimes will make you sparkle and feel ready to achieve your dreams for 2012.
This is a simple three-part regime that I usually use for the month of January just to regenerate my skin and really help new cells grow as this will give you an amazing glow.
It’s cheap and simple and, more importantly, it works so well.
Exfoliate
You will need:
1 lemon or 100% lemon juice
4 tablespoons of sugar
I start off by preparing a mixture that lasts one week in the fridge. It’s lemon juice either sourced by one real lemon that you can juice or buy 100% lemon juice from a supermarket. Either one is great.
Lemon juice is a natural skin brightener for all types of pigmentation skin. You need to just add the four tablespoons of granulated sugar to a bowl and add lemon. Then rub the mixture together with fingers until you get a sticky formula.
You just need a small bit of this formula on your finger tips and rub into skin gently in curricular motions for a few minutes.
You don’t need to leave this on your skin for long as the purpose is to get rid of any dead surface cells and dirt from your skin.
Then just clean off gently with lukewarm water and a flannel.
The reason this works so well, and you will see an instant difference in your skin, is the lemon and sugar have what is called Alpha Hydroxy Acids and this is what you find in most face products that you pay a price for.
You should exfoliate every three to five days. If you find your skin becomes quite sensitive or you do already suffer with problematic skin, then just add only half a lemon and one tablespoon of water for a weaker formula that will suit sensitive skin better.
Cleansing
You will need:
5 seedless grapes, green or black
Grapes are a great cleanser. They are complemented with an excellent source of antioxidants and proanthocyanidins (stronger anti-oxidants) that can make your face look fresher, firmer and more elastic.
It has stubborn properties that wipe off the dirt effectively.
You need to mash about five seedless grapes in a bowl, apply to skin and wipe off with lukewarm water.
There are such strong properties within a grape that they really cleanse deep.
Moisturise
After the exfoliation and cleansing, it’s about caring of the new cells and nourishing the skin.
You will need:
1 tablespoon of honey
2 tablespoons of olive oil or milk
Just mix together honey and olive oil or milk. Olive oil will be better for dry skin and milk on oily and sensitive skin. You can either use this as a face pack and leave on skin for 10 minutes or rub into skin with finger tips and wash off with cold water.
Honey is becoming the most talked about face natural moisturiser by Hollywood A-Listers.
Enjoy, and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me via the Algarve Resident or send me a message on Twitter- officialsamira.
