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By BlackBeauty. A couple of weeks back I shared some natural beauty secrets for your face. I talked about the goodness of honey, eggs, and baking soda, and how they can be used to cleanse, nourish and moisturise the face, better than most manufactured facial care products ever could. In case you missed it, you can read it here. Today I will share with you two wonderful natural ingredients you can add to your facial skin care regimen. Shea butter

Shea butter can actually be called natures best kept secret. It has always been there; traditionally extracted in West Africa from Karite trees for centuries, till stories of its amazing skin-enriching properties began to travel far and wide. Shea butter is a gold mine of precious vitamins A and E, elements that rejuvenate the skin. It contains antioxidants and lupeol, which help to slow down the effects of skin aging. It also has sun protection properties—the presence of cinnamic acid helps protect from the sun’s Ultraviolet rays. It contains just about everything a great moisturiser should have and works wonders on the face and body, much more than some high-end lotions and creams. Shea butter is a bit solid at room temperature. But when rubbed in between the palms, it warms up to your body temperature. For facial skin, shea Butter helps reduce those premature facial lines and wrinkles, diminish dark spots, marks, blemishes, and scars, and heal dry chapped lips. Facial recipe: After washing your face, gently pat dry with a face towel. Rub a small amount of Shea butter vigorously in your palms. Massage into your face gently, paying attention to the lower part of your nose, the corner of your lips, and forehead. It works best as an overnight moisturiser. Tip: For people with oily skin, shea butter might be too heavy for you. Start by applying a thin layer. If you break out in pimples or blemishes, please discontinue use and try lighter oils like coconut and castor oil. Coconut oil

From the kitchen cupboard to the beauty counter, coconut oil has been referred to by a lot of people as the miracle oil. This light weight sweet smelling oil does everything from cleansing to moisturising to protecting your face, with its soothing antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. I recently discovered how amazing it is when used as a facial cleanser. You may wonder how anyone can use an oily substance to clean the face. The truth is that oil is the best thing to use when you want to dissolve oil. So a pure light and natural oil like coconut oil will work better than ordinary soap and water to remove the dirt, makeup, and oil on your face. It does it gently and effectively without stripping the face of its natural oils, leaving your skin soft and moisturised – even oily skin. If, however, you choose to stick with a facial cleanser, coconut oil works great as a facial moisturiser. Free of chemical additives and preservatives, it is easily absorbed into the skin, leaving no greasy residue. Be sure when purchasing coconut oil – it’s best to use organic extra-virgin coconut oil, not the chemically refined ones. Facial Recipe: As a face wash – Wet your face with warm water alone right before you shower. Rub a little coconut oil between your palms and massage gently all over your face and neck. Let the oil sit in as you shower. After showering, wet your face towel and use it to wipe the excess coconut oil off your face very gently. As a face moisturiser – After washing your face, apply a little coconut oil on it as you would a normal facial moisturiser. This is best done on days when you would not use heavy makeup. Tip: As a face mask – Mash up half of a ripe avocado and mix with coconut oil and honey. After washing your face, apply this mixture and let it sit for about twenty minutes. Rinse with warm water, and finish off with a splash of ice cold water. Pat dry. Note: Remember that your skin absorbs 80% of what you put on it. Find out new ways to replace some of your facial products with all natural items. Suggested Reading: Natural Beauty Secrets For Your Face

About the Author BlackBeauty is a writer, fun lover, hair and beauty buff, and an artist. She is a jack of all trades and master of all which can be seen in her awareness of a wide variety of topics. She is quite a luddite, but she can do email, and a bit of Facebook. You can send her an email at blackbeautywrites@gmail.com, and she will reply.

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This article was first published on 1st August 2012 and updated on August 2nd, 2012 at 2:06 pm

loyigah

Lulu Oyigah trained as a geologist. She is passionate about nature, writing, arts and crafts, and interior design. She writes, and edits, for connectnigeria.com.