Home-made Herbal Face Pack

Disclaimer: This information is in no way intended to be a substitute for modern medical care. Do not self-treat any medical complaint without the guidance of a licensed health care provider.
August 8, 2000

     A facial pack is an intensive healing treatment that makes use of moist heat to remove deep-seated impurities. If you have pimples, blackheads or boils, a purifying facial pack may be just what you need. Even if you don't have any unsightly blemishes, a facial pack will provide moisture to dehydrated skin (oily skin can get dehydrated, too).
     Oily and acned skin need to be completely moisturized and nourished, just like dry skin. Facial packs are applied in a thick layer (unlike facial masks) to offer skin a very intense cleaning. Regularly apply a facial pack to supply your skin with minerals that are crucial in maintaining a healthy, taut complexion without dryness.

Prepare For A Pack With A Scrub
     To remove dead, scaly cells and deep-clean your skin prior to a facial pack, use the following non-abrasive scrub. Mix about 1 tbsp. of finely ground old-fashioned oatmeal with 1 tsp. of non-fat yogurt. Apply the blend to damp skin - the face, neck and neckline. Massage gently for several minutes. Rinse, and apply a pack immediately.
      Never scrub facial skin roughly in an attemp to cleanse more thoroughly. Be gentle and pat, don't rub, your skin dry.

Application
      Prepare your skin for a pack with the oatmeal-yogurt scrub (above). Then, with your fingers, apply a pack (below) thickly, leaving the eye area uncovered. If the pack is a bit gooey or runny, lie down for the 20-30 minutes you leave it on. Rinse with warm water and pat dry. Finish the treatment by massaging in a moisturizer or aloe vera gel, which will add moisture to the skin's surface.

French Green Clay
     A powdery, astringent "healing earth" called French green clay may be purchased in health-food stores. This mineral rich clay reduces sebum production and keeps moisture in the tissues.

Conditioning Jojoba Oil
     Jojoba oil is really not an oil at all but a plant wax, similar to human sebum. Rich, thick and gentle, it penetrates the skin deeply.

Soothing Oatmeal
     Old fashioned oatmeal will refresh and calm inflamed, acned skin and help heal blemishes.

Wheat Germ Oil
     Rich in vitamins A and E, wheat germ oil fights free radicals and helps heal blemishes. Added to sage tea, wheat germ oil seals in much needed moisture. Even oily skin can be moisture starved on the surface; when this occurs, the skin pumps yet more oil in an attemp to lubricate its top layer.

Sage
     Antiseptic and anti-inflammatory sage helps curtail and heal existing pimples. To prepare sage tea to use in a facial pack, simply pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1-2 tsps. of dried sage leaves, steep for 10 minutes and strain.

Facial Pack
For AcneFor Oily Skin
  1. Clean the skin thoroughly with a pre-pack scrub.
  2. Carefully mix the ingredients together and apply the mixture while still warm.
  3. Relax for 20-30 minutes while the pack does it work.
Enzyme Pack
      To combat oily, acned skin and surface dehydration, mash the papya and combine it with the pineapple juice until thoroughly mixed and smooth. Gently pat this onto your face and neck. You may want to place a towel around your head and behind your neck, as this mask can be a bit runny. Your face may tingle a bit - it means that the ingredients are working properly. Leave this mixture on your face for 15 minutes, and then rinse. The enzymes in these fruits will help dissove and lift away dry-skin scales which can, over time, build up on your skin, clog pores and result in a dull appearance.

For The Neckline

      People with acne often tend to break out in the neckline area. A nourishing pack is beneficial in deep cleaning this area and disinfecting existing blemishes. Follow the above directions, doubling the quantities, and apply a pack twice weekly to the upper chest and neck.

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Sources:
      All information provided in this article is the result of research using (but not limited to) the following books and guides: Herbs for Health and Healing, Rodale; Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, Scott Cunningham; Magical Herbalism, Scott Cunningham; The Complete Guide to Natural Healing, International Masters Publishers; Earthway, Mary Summer Rain; Teach Yourself Herbs, Susie White; Natural Beauty from the Garden, Janice Cox; Nature's Prescriptions, Editors of FC&A Medical Publishing, and The People's Pharmacy Guide to Home and Herbal Remedies, Joe Graedon and Theresa Graedon, Ph.D