Everyday stress can really take its toll on you; trust me, I've been there! Whether you're spending your day toiling behind a computer screen in your cubicle, or doing a lot of yard work outside, everyday life inevitably drains you, it's a fact of life. The remedy to this is to take good care of yourself constantly throughout the day, and to give yourself little perks along the way.
One of my favorite little "treats" to give myself is a good face cleansing. What are the marks of something that really cleans your face and leaves you feeling so much more alive? For one, I always like to put something on my face first that will cleanse it gently and make my skin tingle. After that, I like to put something on that will really take it to the next level and firm up my skin so it doesn't feel like it's dragging me down the next day. After that, I either leave it alone and go to bed, or I add a moisturizer if I feel the two previous things haven't done their job to my satisfaction.
So what is this process? First, take some coarse, natural sea salt. I bought mine in a Korean grocery store, but you can find some at your local Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. It doesn't take much salt, about half a tablespoon or a whole tablespoon will do, but it's really up to you. Next pour some clean water in a small bowl and add the salt, gently stirring it to dissolve the salt. Take a cotton pad, soak it and dab all around your face. Leave it on until it's dry (your face should tingle a little as it does so) and rinse off the residual salt.
Next, take a couple tablespoons of raw Rice and put them in a clean coffee grinder and grind into a fine powder. Dump this out into another small, clean bowl and add a dab of extra virgin olive oil and enough clean water to make a thick paste. Alternately, you could substitute honey and milk for the olive oil and water respectively.
Now just rub the paste all over your face and let it rest for at least five minutes, or up to fifteen. Try to get it on as thick as you can and be sure to do it over the sink because you will make a mess. It does feel nice, (almost like playing with beach sand) as you rub it over your skin.
Once it's been on for a sufficient amount of time, rub off the excess to exfoliate your skin and rinse of the rest. Your skin should feel firmer and you should feel more energized and refreshed!
