Reviving Tired Skin

So, as a new mother, I am dealing with a new consistent level of sleep deprivation. Now, I wouldn't say that I am at an exhaustion level but a little sleepy most of the time and always able to take a nap is my new normal.

I feel like I can really see tiredness in my skin and I have felt this way even before baby.  My skin starts taking on a gray tone.  It's texture seems a little rough, but not dry.  When I wear makeup its like it just sits there and does nothing for me. Holla back if you feel me on this one.

So I thought I would share just a few simple tips to revive tired skin. When you think resurrection think: "The old has gone, the new has come."  Oooh, got all spiritual on you there but seriously, it works for skin care too.

When reviving skin, the old top layer needs to go (exfoliation) and the new needs to be encouraged to come (stimulation and blood flow).

Exfoliating:

• Sugar Scrubs
• Exfoliating face soaps
• Exfoliating pads or sponges
• Exfoliating masks

You can Google search any of these things to find great DIY recipies and tools but for this blog I will share one easy, inespensive exfoliating scrub and/or mask: the honey, lemon and sugar scrub.

Mix a whole squeezed lemon, 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey (make sure its real honey not honey mixed with corn syrup - Caro can't help yo' face!) and a teaspoon of sugar. If you want to use it as a scrub then get all your make up off and then scrub your face for about 2 minutes with the mixture.  For a scrub only use 1 tablespoon of honey so the consistency is a little more stiff.  If you are using this as a mask use closer to 2 tablespoons of honey and maybe a little less sugar because you want this to stick to your skin.  For the mask leave the mixture on your face for 20-30 min. 

The lemon's citric acid will work to break down that top layer of tired skin and make it easier to come off.  The removal of the top layer will also stimulate your skin to regenerate more, new skin.  Honey has anti-inflammatory powers along with great antioxidants - this will nourish and encourage new skin.  The sugar is the exfoliator that helps get off all that old junk.  If you want something a little rougher than sugar, use salt.  And can I share a random scientific fact? Salt always forms in cubes; tiny little perfect cube clusters - those rough edges make it a very powerful exfoliator because sugar is just a little particle with some dents, like a pebble.  That fact was free folks...

To stimulate new growth is somewhat easy - just remove old skin and your body automatically makes new skin (wowzers!).  You can encourage the process though by using antioxident and nutrient rich moisturizers and masks (like avocado masks, raw egg or mayonaisse masks) and masks that encourage blood flow to the face.

Arbonne makes a warming mask but if you have sensitive skin do not use this!  Another warm, blood infusing mask is the cinnamon, nutmeg and honey mask. 

Use one tablespoon of honey and a half tablespoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg.  Mix them together and rub on your face.  The spices are a gentle exfoliatior and have anti-inflammatory powers and warms your face up too (that I do not have the chemical explanation for but when I did it my face got real hot).  Blood flow to the face will encourage new growth and give you that hard to explain "glow".   If you have sensitive skin, please try this on your wrist or arm first or don't try at all, you can get burned so please be careful.  Leave the mask on your face about 15 minutes but if its too warm, rinse it off.

So there you go.  May you experience a skin resurrection!  If you try either one of these please let me know how it goes, I love feedback!

Also, you may want to get a nap...seriously though, get a nap...