Facial TLC & Khadi Beauty

After paying a wonderful but short visit to the original makeup maven in Charlottesville, I returned to NYC with a dehydrated and grimy face. A healthy combination of salty snacks and drink may be to blame, but months of doing virtually nada to my face (other than a steady regimen of Tretinoin and the occasional scrub) were clearly evident. I desperately needed some facial TLC, and since I’m a fan of homemade and kitchen beauty, these three simple steps were the natural and easy thing for me to do:

1) Steam - Just fill a big ol' bowl with some hot water (make sure it is not too hot - the steam can be damaging if it is). Place the bowl on a table and sit down - with your head a few inches above the bowl, cover both it and your head with a towel. Or, fill a sink with hot water and cover both the same way. The steam may feel a bit uncomfortable, but hang in there for ~10 minutes and really let your pores sweat it out. Then pat dry.

2) Face Mask – I normally concoct something from my kitchen, but instead opted for Khadi Neem & Tulsi Face Pack, a powder of ground margosa (neem) leaves and a special type of basil (tulsi). Mix a spoonful with some rose water, massage onto the face, and leave on for 10 minutes. Rinse.
3) Moisturize - Follow with any good moisturizer mixed with a few drops of rose oil.

My skin feels softer and less irritated, and my pores (which are small and clog easily), have cleared up considerably. I credit this in part to the very gentle Khadi mask. Khadi Gramayod Bhavan (Khadi Village Industries Commissions) is a government-run emporium in India includes a line of herbal/ayurvedic bath/beauty products in addition to homegrown fabrics, spices, etc. So far, I'm impressed by both the simple packing and product (a no-frills powder), both of which are far more chic and natural than comparable Indian products. These seem hard to find in the US, but I'll post an update if I can sniff them out somewhere.

Try this routine once in a while to refresh your skin, more regularly to keep your face in shape, or just to simulate a more pampered experience on the cheap when you need it. I sipped some peach-green tea and watched an episode of Cold Case while at it - pure bliss.