So we all want healthy, glowing, blemish-free, perfectly hydrated skin, right?  But how to get it?  Stores are filled with countless products and it can be difficult to figure out exactly what products you need, what order you’re supposed to use them in and how often you should be using them.  This month, we’re sorting through it all and starting from scratch. Starting with step 1 and building on it until we end up with a complete sk…

at night so you can remove any makeup or environmental impurities from your day.  If you washed your face at night and you feel that you MUST wash again in the morning, try using only water or use a mild cleanser like honey. 3. Never scrub and only some of us can exfoliate.  As a teenager I was determined to use my washcloth to scrub the acne and oil off of my face!  I know better now and luckily I have very oily, and therefore, very forgiving s…

Welcome, Gigglers, to week 3 of DIY Skin Care Month.  Today we’re talking about toners and astringents, and the reasons you should you use them.  Both toners and astringents are water-based solutions that are applied to the skin after cleansing but before moisturizing. They help remove excess oil and perspiration, along with any residue left behind by your cleanser.  They also balance your skin’s pH level while preparing it to better…

It’s week 4 of DIY Skin Care Month and now that you’ve cleansed and toned, it’s time to moisturize! Why moisturize? Lotions don’t just hydrate your skin, they also help protect it.  When you apply a moisturizer to your skin, you are creating a barrier between the epidermis (skin’s upper layer) and the environment around you.  Lotion protects your skin from pollutants and from the drying effects of air-conditioning a…

…ggies, your towels are all dirty and you ran out of cotton pads last week?!  To the kitchen with you!  Fill a coffee mug with cold water and ice cubes.  Place 4 metal spoons in the cold water and allow them to chill for about 2 minutes.  Lie down with the cup-o-chilly spoons nearby and place one spoon over each eye, backside against your eye socket.  Allow the other two spoons to continue to chill in the cup.  Hold the spoons in place until they…

aters or floral waters and you can make them yourself.  Follow this tutorial for making your own herbal distillate using the herb mix below. Kitchen Herb Mix: 1/4 c. dried rosemary 1/4 c. dried sage 5-6 sprigs of dried thyme 2 tbsp. lemon balm Part 2 – Kitchen Herb Lotion Recipe: Follow the instructions from last week’s video, Basic Lotion Making, to blend your lotion recipe using the ingredients listed below (instead of those list…