Aloe Vera has recently gained a lot of popularity amongst the beauty community, but it has in fact been around for years. Aloe Vera is suitable for all skin types during all seasons. It moisturizes your skin without making it look greasy or leaving it dry later on. It is also rich in vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene, which nourishes the skin and keeps it healthier. A multifunctional ingredient, it has a number of benefits like:
• Healing of scars
• Removing acne marks
• Reducing pimples
• Giving skin a natural radiance
• Acting as a primer for makeup
• Soothing redness of the skin
• Treating sunburns
• Hydrating skin
• Fighting aging and wrinkles in the long-term
• Treating stretch marks
It is often used in gel form that can either be extracted directly from an Aloe Vera plant at home or be store bought. A great ingredient to make face packs, it can be mixed with other natural ingredients to target certain problems, or be used by itself. A number of ways it can be used are:
1. Face mask to reduce acne scars/pimple marks
Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon aloe vera extract, 1 Tablespoon rose water
How to: Mix the ingredients to make a paste keep it on for 15-20 mins and gently massage it before rinsing it off.
Frequency: 2-3 times per week
Benefits: Aloe vera combined with rose water is an effective way to get spotless skin. It fights your dark circles, pigmentation, age spots and pimple marks. It also wakes your skin up and acts as a moisturizer. Rose water soothes and tones the skin. It also enhances skin regeneration and improves capillary circulation.
2. Face mask for dry skin
Ingredients: 2 tablespoon Aloe vera gel, 1 tablespoon Rose water, 1 tablespoon Lemon, 1 tablespoon Honey
How to: Mix the ingredients in the quantities mentioned and add a pinch of turmeric to it. Apply the pack on your face and neck. Leave it for about 30 minutes and then wash it off with water.
Frequency: 2-3 times per week
Benefits: Aloe vera has natural ingredients which moisturize the skin while lemon and honey help in lightening the skin. Honey absorbs extra moisture and sebum from the skin, also reducing chances of breakouts and infections.
3. Facemask for oily skin
Ingredients: 2 Scoops of aloe vera gel, 1 Spoonful of sugar, 10 Drops of Lemon
How to: Mix all the ingredients to prepare a face mask. Gently rub your face with this facemask and rinse it off after 5-10 minutes.
Frequency: Use this once every 2 - 3 days
Benefits: Aloe vera and honey both act to control sebum production which is one of the main reasons for oily skin. The lemon provides vitamin C which is a natural astringent that closes the skin pores.
4. Facemask for sensitive skin
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons aloe vera gel, 1 tablespoon cucumber juice, 1 tablespoon yogurt, 1 teaspoon rose oil
How to: Mix the ingredients to prepare the pack and apply it on the face and neck. Keep it for 15 minutes and wash it off with cold water.
Frequency: 3 – 4 times per week
Benefits: Yogurt is a great natural cleanser that works on all skin types. The mild acidity exfoliates the skin, removing all impurities and excess oil without stripping away the natural oils. Cucumber soothes the skin and hydrates it. The facepack nourishes and cools down the skin. Aloe vera has antioxidants and antibacterial properties that helps manage sensitive skin as it also soothes skin naturally.
5. Facemask for skin tightening
Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon multani mitti, 1 Tablespoon aloe vera gel, Rose water
How to: Mix the ingredients. Add few drops of rose water if needed to make a consistent paste. Apply the pack on the face and rinse it off with water after keeping it for 10 – 15 minutes.
Frequency: 1 – 2 times per week
Benefits: Multani mitti is a cosmetic clay that cleanses the pores by removing impurities and excess oil.
6. Facemask for removing tan
Ingredients: 2-3 Tablespoons chiepea flour, 1-2 teaspoons aloe vera gel
How to: Mix the ingredients to make a paste. Apply the same on the face. Keep it on for 15 mins and wash it off with lukewarm water.
Frequency: 1 – 2 times per week
Benefits: Besan is a good exfoliator that also tightens your skin pores.This acts as a natural cleanser and helps treat your tan.
7. Facemask for fighting off dead skin
Ingredients: 2 Tablespoons aloe vera gel, A few slices of cucumber, 1 Tablespoon oats
How to: Mash the cucumber first and grind the oats separately. Mix these 2 alongwith aloe vera gel to prepare a paste. Apply this paste and scrub your skin in circular motion for 5 minutes. Wash it off after 10 minutes and get rid of the dead skin on your face.
Frequency: Once a week
Benefits: Cucumber helps soothe your skin and hydrate it. It cleans off the extra oil and dirt, leaving your skin feeling rejuvenated. Oatmeal helps to remove excess oil, sebum and dirt, thus cleansing the skin without making it too dry. Apart from healthy exfoliation, it brightens your skin and breathes life into it and can be used once a week.
What’s great about these packs is that it is made of natural ingredients and hence has no side effects. They can be made in bulk and refrigerated to use later. Make sure you store the gel and packs in airtight containers.
Soak yourself in the goodness of this miraculous plant and give your skin the love it deserves. Try these out and don’t forget to tell us what you like!
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