Astringent essentials
The astringent, one of the most important and neglected products in skin care, helps in opening and cleansing our skin pores to protect our face from acne and pimples. This is why people suffering from acne and those looking towards natural anti-aging solutions are often advised to use astringents.
Astringents stimulate blood circulation as well as the entire skin system, reduce oiliness and assist in refining the pores of rough, unevenly textured skin. It has many uses in the cosmetic and medicinal field because of its antiseptic and antibacterial properties that help in getting rid of excess dirt from the pores and the underlying skin. Individuals who have combination or oily skin should use astringents daily as an integral part of their beauty regime.
However, when exploring the stores for a good astringent, one comes across many costly options. Hence it’s good to know how to make your own astringent. It’s not only a cost-effective option but a safer one as well. Here are a few home-made recipes for astringents made from natural products:
Orange, lemon, cucumber, peach and tomato: These are some of the best and readily available fruits and vegetables that make the best astringents. Lemons, oranges, cucumbers help in tightening skin pores and give your skin a refreshing feeling. Grated cucumber juice, orange juice, tomato juice, and lemon juice can work wonders for your skin. These work well for all skin types. Apply the juice to your face, leave on for a few minutes, and rinse it off with water.
In case of peaches and cucumbers, you can also cut thin circular slices and leave them on your face for a few minutes. One can even add a few drops of rose water to the cucumber juice for best results.
Aloe vera astringent: The juice of this plant, found abundantly all over, works very well as an astringent. Buy it from your local store or extract the juice from the leaves if you have an aloe vera plant at home. Apply it over the face and leave it on for a few minutes. Rinse it off well with water.
Vinegar astringent: Mix a glass of warm water, 1/8 cup vinegar, and a tablet of aspirin. Apply this solution with a cotton pad all over your face.
Rose water astringent: Boil a bowl of water. Add a few fresh rose petals to it. Let the petals soak in the water for half an hour. Drain the petals and use the water as an astringent.
Camphor and alum astringent: Mix a pinch of alum to spirit of camphor. Store it in a container and use it as an astringent as per your skin type and requirement.
The author is founder and chairperson of Blossom Kochhar Products Pvt. Ltd.
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