the skin

I think the next biggest outward beauty factor is your skin (again I am not an expert on any of this info I'm about to give you).

I'm sure you know that the largest organ of your body is your skin. It accounts for roughly 16% of your overall body weight.  It is made up of three different layers, each with their own job. It naturally renews itself every 28 days. Isn't that crazy?! You're not wearing the same skin as last month. Also the type of skin in a given area isn't the same for your entire body. The skin on your eyelids is the thinnest while the skin on your feet, knees, and elbows tends to be the thickest.

Caring for your skin starts from the inside out (like any of this beauty stuff). That's why it's so important to eat well, drink lotsa water, exercise you body, and sleep.

I don't really have a skin care regimen. I just do what I feel like my skin needs.

On average though I

•  shower/bath every other day (the oils your skin naturally produces are better than anything you could apply. Showering, though necessary, strips it all away)
•  exfoliate w/ a natural sponge a couple times a week
• moisturize after every (well nearly every) shower and every morning
• don't wear much make up on most days
• do a mask whenever (tends to be about once a week)

I don't do it every time, but my favorite all-over moisturizer is Burt's Bee's lemon body oil

Here are some nice homemade facials I've found and like:

Egg white mask: separate the white from an egg. Apply to the skin and let sit til dry (about 8 minutes) Rinse with warm water.

At home facial peel
with Tomato, Orange, Lime & Gelatin

This is an at home peel to restore your skin's PH level. The orange juice exfoliates while the gelatin helps to firm and tone your skin. The tomato helps to restore the natural PH level of your skin and is also an excellent natural remedy to treat blemishes

You need:

• 1 fresh Tomato
• 1 tablespoon fresh Orange juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh Lime juice
• 1 package unflavored Gelatin

How to do it:

Put the gelatin, 1/2 cup of water, and the orange and lime in a small pan. Then gently warm this mixture up over a slow fire, while constantly stirring, until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Peel the tomato and mash it to a pulp in a food processor. Slowly stir the tomato pulp in the gelatin mix

Let this cool down for a while and place the bowl in the fridge until it is firm and almost set but still liquid enough to be applied; this will take about 25-30 minutes

Stir to see if it is the right thick consistency, if so spread the paste gently and equally with a facial mask brush or spatula on your clean face and neck; keep the eye and upper lip area clear

Now lie down, relax and leave the mask on until it gets dry

Then peel it off, start under your chin and peel it off in an upward motion, this will tingle a bit. Finally rinse with fresh cold water; pat your skin dry with a clean towel

  
One last tip: When you're done taking a warm shower, rinse all over with cool water to close pores and tighten skin. 


"I wonder if you sisters fully understand the greatness of your gifts and talents and how all of you can achieve the 'highest place of honor' in the Church and in the world. One of your unique, precious, and sublime gifts is your femininity, with its natural grace, goodness, and divinity. Femininity is not just lipstick, stylish hairdos, and trendy clothes. It is the divine adornment of humanity. It finds expression in the qualities of your capacity to love, your spirituality, delicacy, radiance, sensitivity, creativity, charm, graciousness, gentleness, dignity, and quiet strength. It is manifest differently in each girl or woman, but each of you possesses it. Femininity is part of your inner beauty" -James E. Faust