Green Tea in Products and DIY

Greetings Lovely S+SR Readers!

I'm an indecisive person and thus I'm doing a combo-style blog post.  Who doesn't like combos?  Combo meals, combo washers/driers, video game combo attacks, the combos are endless!  Well in this post I will be combo-ing a product review and DIY skin care solution.  Heck, it's even guy friendly so it's a triple combo! Whoo! Getting crazy up in here. Anyway, most combos need a theme, Like food, clothes washing, or video games.  So the theme of this combo is "Green Tea."

If you are just jumping into...well the world...you should know green tea is praised for having lots of anti-oxidants which (in a nutshell) are good.  They are good inside your body and outside.  That is why it is a combo theme.  If you want a lot of good research and ridiculous nonsense about benefits of green tea, Google "Green Tea Benefits."  If I get a request for sorting out what is real and what is not, I will do a post on that.  I can assure you that green tea can help you shine and sparkle (and who doesn't want that?!)

GIANT mug of green tea (because I LOVE it.  Happens to also be super healthy. Win-win combo!) and Elf Shine Eraser Oil Blotting Sheets.

Fist for the Product Review!

e.l.f "Shine Eraser Oil Blotting Sheets"*

Effectiveness: 10 of 10
Smell/Taste: N/A
Packaging: 10 of 10
Economic:  10 of 10
Good for Sensitive Skin: Yes **
Overall Rating: 10

I. Love. This. Product.  As noted by the stellar rating of 10, I think this product is perfect for anyone who experiences a little (or a lot) of extra shine on their face throughout the day.  These sheets help absorb oil and shine,  mattify shiny skin, and has green tea extract to help re-texturize, minimize pores and mask imperfections.  I have tried a lot of oil blotting sheets.  They can range from about $4-$10 depending on how fancy they are.  Well these come in at a whopping $1!  Yes.  $1!  You get 50 sheets for $1 which is $0.02 cents a piece! Not only that, but it really works to eliminate shine.  If you blot carefully you wont mess up your make up either.  It has no smell and has a very natural feel (unlike the clean+clear ones that a lot of people use).  It also only has 3 ingredients:
-Microcrystalline wax- Which is a much smaller molecule version of the more familiar paraffin wax (Used in toiletries and cosmetics as a moisturizer or emollient.)
-Caprylic/Capric Triglyceridean- An oily liquid made from coconut oil
-Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract- Is...well...green tea leaf extract.
As far as cosmetic ingredients go, this is a refreshingly short and understandable list.  This makes me quite pleased to highly recommend this affordable, effective, and healthy product for everyone to use!

Now, I bet you are thinking "Green tea leaf extract, in the blotting sheets helps re-texturize skin, minimize pores, and mask imperfections.  Why shouldn't I just go to the source.  Green Tea!"  Ok, well you might not have been thinking that, but I did.  As a result, I have the most simple DIY I have done so far:

DIY Green Tea Toner:

As stated above, this toner will help make your skin toned, oil free, and phuuuurty.  Ideally you would use this on freshly cleansed skin (up to once a day or whenever you feel like it) before your normal product regime.  In reality, I often do it at work (on days when I wear no make up on my skin) after I finish drinking my 3pm green tea...I wait until nobody is near my cube so they don't think I'm a weirdo, though it might be too late for that.

Ingredients:
~ 1 green tea bag (preferably organic)--Side Note:The reasoning behind the organic product in DIYs is to avoid chemicals that might have been part of non-organic processing of the ingredient. 
~ Hot water--Side Note: The amount of water is completely dependent on how much tea you are interested in drinking. So if you are me, that mean a HUGE mug.

Step 1: Brew your bag of green tea.
Step 2: Take out your tea bag and let the tea bag cool a  bit (don't want to burn yourself).  I suggest enjoying your cup of tea while waiting.
Step 3: Take the warm tea bag and run it over your face in upward motions.  The heat will help open your pores to the green tea.
Step 4: Let your face air dry (the cooling associated with the water evaporating will help close up the pores).

Ok your done. So simple right?  Your face will feel really smooth and happy.

Did you like this combo post?  Let me know in the comments!

Shine & Sparkle!

*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions. 

**Take my advice at your own risk...that being said, I think it's great advice! Consult with your doctor, especially if you are taking medications or may/are pregnant.  If you don't, "it said so on the internet" is not a great explanation to St. Peter.

 

Two DIY Facial Masks

Hi S+SR Readers!

For the first July post, I wanted to share two of my favorite DIY facial masks** that are really easy to do at home.  I try to do one or the other once a week.  These masks are great and don't cost the crazy prices ($60-$300) you find at spas!
Quick tip for all facial masks: Avoid putting product on the sensitive eye, nostril, and lip areas.   

Mask Ingredients: Egg.  Honey, Sugar, Olive Oil, Water/Milk

 

Egg Mask

While I'm not the one to invent this mask, it is a really easy mask that is one of my staples in my routine.  It is great because the whites packs a lot of protein, while the yolk provides nutrients and moisture.  This is a face cleansing and skin tightening mask.

Ingredients: 

~1 egg (preferably organic)

~2 small bowls

~1 fork

Step 1: Cleanse your face with you favorite face wash.

Step 2: Separate the white of the egg into one bowl, and the yolk into the other.

Step 3: Beat the whites with a fork until frothy.  Then use the fork to break the yolk and stir until it's a liquid.

Step 4: Apply the foamy whites to your face in a thin layer.  Wait about 10 minutes for it to dry (you will feel it tightening on your skin) then rinse it off with warm water.

Step 5: Apply the yolk to your face in a thin layer.  Wait about 10 minutes for it to dry (you will feel it tightening on your skin) then rinse it off with warm water.

Tada! You're done! Sooooooo easy right?!

Exfoliating Honey Mask/Body scrub

This is a slightly harder (but still easy) mask/body scurb.  All you need to do is increase the amount of product you make to use it as a body scrub in your shower. The honey is really moisturizing and also provides some anti-bacterial benefits for those that are acne prone.  There is also anti-oxidants in honey.  The extra virgin olive oil adds a second level moisture (replacing any natural oil you scrubbed away) while sealing all the good nutrients and moisture in. The optional milk reduces redness/puffyness.

Ingredients (note amounts are approximate): 

~1-4 tablespoons honey (preferably organic, I really like using Trader Joe's raw organic honey* (it is more solid than regular honey but is affordable and works great)

~1/2 -1tbs raw sugar (for a more course scrub) or sea salt (for a more gentle scrub) 

Note: You can eliminate the sugar/salt to just have a mask with no exfoliating action.  

~ 2-4 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil.

~Milk (preferably whole) or Water-Just enough to loosen up the raw honey/oil mix to a thick liquid consistency.  If you are using regular honey, I suggest around a teaspoon.  

~Bowl (for mixing) 

~Fork (for stirring)  

Step 1: Cleanse skin with your favorite facial cleanser.

Step 2: Mix ingredients together in your bowl with a fork (note the amounts are approximate, so add more or less of something if you feel it is necessary, great thing about DIY products is none of it is dangerous since you can eat it!)

Step 3: Use your fingers to apply the product to your face and/or body in circular motions to exfoliate away the dead skin.  I start with my face, wait about 5-10 minutes, get into the shower (bringing my bowl of body scrub).  I cleanse my body (letting the steam help the mask soak in more) then use the body scrub.  

Step 4: Rinse off the scrub from face and/or body (don't use soap after rinsing, you wash off all the benefits of the mask!)

Step 5: Dry off and resume your life.

Hope you enjoy these quick and fun DIY mask recipes!  Leave any comments, questions or concerns in a comment below.  Let me know if you want more DIY masks too, I have quite a few up my sleeve.

Shine & Sparkle!

*I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions. 

**Take my advice at your own risk...that being said, I think it's great advice! Consult with your doctor, especially if you are taking medications or may/are pregnant.  If you don't, "it said so on the internet" is not a great explanation to St. Peter.