The change of seasons affects us in so many ways, big and small. As the long, hot days of summer will give way to autumn, we return to routine schedules, shorter days, and more time spent indoors. The cooler winds bring with it a period of calm before the holiday storm, giving us the chance to restore balance. Autumn allows us to “fall into” ourselves, taking the time to regroup, refresh, and restore in mind, body, and spirit.
Your skin needs this time of restoration, too. Summer can leave your skin congested with dirt, debris, and oils that break down collagen and advance the signs of aging. The warm days of summer also dehydrates the skin, leaving it lackluster and deprived of nutrients.
But September’s bountiful harvest has exactly what our skin needs to recover from the summer sun. With ingredients like apples and turmeric, you can create an easy face mask that will help you “fall” into beautiful, vivacious skin.
Apples, apple cider vinegar, and apple juice are filled with malic acid and vitamin C. Malic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid, which is used in skincare for everything from acne to psoriasis. It also exfoliates and removes dead skin cells, which is extremely important in caring for skin. Vitamin C promotes collagen production, which is also crucial in preventing signs of aging and maintaining your skin’s waterproof barrier. Choose raw, unfiltered, and organic apple cider (like Bragg’s brand) which offers the most benefits.
One of my favorite beauty foods is turmeric. It contains curcumin, which is a strong antioxidant with powerful anti-inflammatory properties. I use Be Well C3 Curcumin in all of my preparations for skin and also take it by capsule to get an internal dose as well. Turmeric is beneficial for healing wounds, lessening wrinkles, calming pores, reducing acne, and alleviating acne scarring. There’s also been promising results in using turmeric salves for controlling psoriasis flares.
1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons applesauce, pureed
¼ cup pureed cooked oatmeal
2 ½ tablespoons apple juice
1-2 tiny drops of Be Well C3 Curcumin. (The curcumin is potent, so be careful! To extract from capsule, use a pin or cut a tiny hole with a scissor.)
1 ½ tablespoons kaolin or green clay (available at many health-food stores or on Amazon)
Optional: 2 teaspoons honey or coconut nectar
1) Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth, with no lumps.
2) Prep skin by cleansing with a mild soap and warm water.
3) Apply mask from head to toe for an all-over glow. Leave on for 5-15 minutes.
4) Rinse with warm water and pat dry with washcloth. Follow up with your favorite toner, if desired.
5) Store any excess by filling up ice cube trays: store 1 teaspoon of mask for face-only doses, or the whole cavity of the ice cube tray for whole body. Freeze, then break the cubes out of the trays and store in the freezer. To use, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then apply to skin.
