Summer is upon us, and it's going to be a hot one! This is a good thing, of course, so long as you take the necessary precautions to prevent the sunshine from spoiling your skin and fun. In light of this, we’ve pulled this week’s excerpt from Toshimi A. Kayaki’s “Green Tea Living: A Japan-Inspired Guide to Eco-friendly Habits, Health, and Happiness”, a book that Eco-Libris recommends “for everyone who is looking to be healthier, happier and more eco-friendly."
Starting with the notion that some traditions—like drinking green tea for health and mental acuity—embody timeless wisdom for living, Kayaki offers dozens of wise old Japanese ways for improving how you look and feel while respecting nature and the environment. Carry your own pair of chopsticks, make and apply some sake lotion for your skin, wear five-toe socks, eat salty plums, use rice water as floor wax, do “eco-laundry,” and always set aside 10 percent for savings . . . you get the idea. By leading a “green tea life,” you’ll help yourself and the planet.
These three passages provide simple yet effective home remedies for nourishing and protecting your skin from the scorching summer sun:
MILK AND TEA TO RELIEVE SUNBURN
When you don't have any after-sun lotion, try this.
Just put cold milk on a cotton puff and dab it on the skin.
Or you can just put a green tea pack on your face to cool off.
This is good not only for sunburn, but also for getting rid of pimples and freckles.
You can also use cold green tea bags as a kind of compress to help relieve tired eyes. In winter, your skin may get dry and rough. You can make a milk and warm water mixture to soak your skin. Your skin will feel smoooooth.
EGG WHITE FACE MASK
If you have dry skin or dark spots (small blackheads) around your nose, try an egg white mask to moisturize and cleanse.
Separate the white from the yolk of the egg.
Make a meringue by whipping the white until it's stiff.
Rub it on your face.
Wait 5 to 10 minutes.
Before it dries, wash it all off.
There's a bonus ingredient, too. Use the membrane on the inside of the eggshell to cover any wrinkles.
FACIAL MASSAGE WITH TEASPOON
A teaspoon for a facial?
When I saw someone patting her face with a spoon on a TV show in Japan, I couldn't imagine what she was doing. She said this makes your skin look healthy and your color vivid.
Patting your face with a spoon shrinks the capillaries.
Hold the spoon handle.
Pat your face with the spoon from center to side, lightly and rhythmically.
Do the same from bottom to top.Pat for 3 minutes.
The capillaries allow the flow of oxygen in the blood again. Any pallor from lack of sleep or swelling disappears.
For more information or to order a copy of Green Tea Living for you or a loved one, click here.