Apples to look after dry skin
When your skin feels dry you need look no further than a simple apple for help.
Apples can help give your skin a boost when used in a nurturing face mask. It’s good to use ingredients in your mask that grow in your climate. Fruit is often a good option as many contain AHA’s (alpha hydroxy acids) which help break down the gluey substance that holds onto dead skin cells. Dissolving this releases the cells so they can be washed or wiped away.
One of the most ubiquitous fruits in the temperate world is the apple. From the Garden of Eden to William Tell, Snow White, Isaac Newton and Alan Turing apples are a constant in our folk lore and living. It’s natural to use the resources to grow around us, and apples are great for our health – whether we eat them or put them on our skin.
For dry skin it’s also a good idea to include an humectant which will draw water in, helping create softer, more supple skin.
Preparing your apple mask
Making your apple mask is very easy. You need just 3 ingredients:
1 apple
2 tsp (10ml) hazelnut oil
1 tsp (5ml) glycerine
Great ingredients
Apple
Apple is emollient (bringing moisture to your skin) and firming. It’s a great beauty aid for creating fresh and flawless skin.
Hazelnut oil
Hazelnut oil is easily absorbed without a greasy residue. Softening and moisturising as well as being toning and firming, it will also encourage cell regeneration making it great to use in a mask.
Glycerine
Glycerine helps create a smooth, silky texture making the mask easy to apply and leaving your skin feeling silky soft and glossy.
Blending your Apple Face Mask
Make
To create your apple mask simply peel, core and grate the apple. To the grated apple, add the hazelnut oil and glycerine then mix to form a smooth paste
Use
Apply to your face and leave for 15 minutes then wash off with warm water. Follow with plenty of rich moisturiser which will be readily absorbed by the fresh skin cells you’ve revealed.
Appley fresh skin
Your apple face mask will bring glow to your skin as well as helping firm and smooth contours. Use it once a week as as simple go-to mask, or ring the changes by trying some other fruit masks.
Quick tip
If you haven’t time to create and enjoy a full mask, you can still benefit from the exfoliating effect of the AHAs in fruit by rubbing your skin with the inside of the fruit peel as you shower. This works with apples, papaya, pineapple and kiwi. Oranges are particularly softening for the skin. Time to get fruity!
