Turmeric Face Mask

Happy Saturday everybody! I hope you are enjoying the weekend. I have such a busy schedule during the week teaching here in Barcelona. From Monday to Friday I am running around the city all day as each class I teach is in a different location, so by the time the weekend comes around, I can't wait to just kick back and relax. Today I am chilling out listening to music with my new favourite DIY skin recipe, my turmeric face mask!

My next post will delve deeper into the reasons that turmeric is so great for us, but for now I will simply tell you that it is amazing to include in a face mask for the following reasons:

• Turmeric is antiseptic

• It has anti-inflammatory properties (will help to heal and reduce acne, rosacea, and any redness/irritation of the skin

• It helps to lighten pigmentation marks/scars

• It controls oil

So let's get to it!

What you'll need
- Turmeric powder
- Sweet almond oil (you can also use coconut oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil...)
- Cooked oats
- Organic honey (use Manuka honey if you have it!)
- Small Plastic container/glass bowl
- Teaspoon

• Add one teaspoon of honey and one teaspoon of sweet almond oil to your container. Mix well. Then, add in two heaped teaspoons of cooked oats.

• Top this off with a teaspoon of turmeric and mix everything together really well. The mixture should be more on the thick side. You don't want this to be runny as turmeric will stain everything! If your mixture is too liquidy, add more cooked oats.

• Make sure to wear an old t-shirt as turmeric will stain if it drips onto your clothes. Apply to your cleansed face with a clean foundation/small paintbrush. Or, if you're lazy like me, simply use the back of your teaspoon to apply the mixture all over your face!

• Don't be afraid to use this paste right below your eyes. It'd be great for lightening dark circles and will not irritate the delicate eye area.

• Leave on for about 20 mins and rinse off. There will probably still be slight yellow residue left on your skin, so I cleanse again with cooked oats and wipe my face with rosewater on a cotton pad.

I've been using this mask twice a week and it makes my skin so soft and helps to keep it clear. It can be a little messy the first time you try it, but once you get used to making the mixture its a piece of cake! The honey, oats and sweet almond oil help to moisturise and soften the skin, while the turmeric will combat any bacteria or redness, as well as stimulating the growth of new skin cells and improving skin's elasticity.

Let me know if you try this mask, I'd love to hear your opinions on it!

Sinéad x 

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Food For Beautiful Skin: Sweet Potato Fries

I'm excited to show this recipe to you lovely readers, as it's so very simple to make and so very tasty! I'm someone who eternally craves unhealthy foods, but when I give into temptation too often, my skin pays the price. Greasy/unhealthy food for me = acne. I used to be so envious of my friends who could eat anything they wanted and still have clear skin, but now in a way I am thankful, because the reaction my skin gets has motivated me to find healthy and skin friendly alternatives to my favourite treats! And of course, I also strive to be healthy on the inside, and to have more energy from wholesome foods, so i'm happy to switch to a healthier alternative. Check out my previous post about the reasons why eating this versatile vegetable is good for your skin!

 So why not follow this recipe and give delicious sweet potato fries a try!

Paprika & Black Pepper Sweet Potato Wedges

What you'll need

Sweet potato

Coconut Oil (Or Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Black Pepper

Paprika

Oven Temperature
220 or 240 if you prefer crispy wedges!

Choose a sweet potato that is medium sized and narrow. It's easy for cutting into wedges and the really large sweet potatoes have less flavour!

Method

• Chop your sweet potato into wedges, like in the above picture. You can half each wedge if you like, but I like to keep mine this size.

• Add in a good amount of coconut oil, 1-2 tablespoons. Alternatively, you can olive oil. I just love the taste and health benefits of coconut oil, which I will write about soon! Next, add some paprika and black pepper. I love spicy food, so I add in very generous amount of both of these! The flavours work so well together with the sweet potato.

• Mix well!

• Spread out evenly on a pre-heated oven tray. (Make sure it's really hot, you should hear a sizzling noise when you transfer them onto the try/foil!)  The timing really depends on the oven and how much your try has pre-heated, but on average I would say that these take about 20/25 mins to cook. Make sure you flip them over half way through to ensure that they are cooked evenly on both sides.

Et Voila, delicious healthy and golden sweet potato fries! I always serve mine with hummus, which people seem to really enjoy. All of the flavours just work so well together. In fact, writing this post has made me hungry so I'm off to cook some myself!

Happy cooking!

Sinéad

Food for Beautiful Skin: Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes are one of my favourite healthy snacks to eat and they are also one of the most skin loving foods out there! This tasty and versatile vegetable is a delicious natural way to boost the health of your skin. Let's have a look at how incorporating sweet potato into your diet can help you to achieve a healthy complexion!

Beta-carotene
Sweet potatoes are packed with the anti-oxidant beta-carotene, which converts to Vitamin A in your body. One medium sweet potato provides your body with the complete recommended daily allowance of Vitamin A, which helps to keep skin smooth and soft. Beta-carotene also helps to internally protect your skin from sun damage cause by excessive UV exposure

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is great for the skin. It is involved in the production of collagen, keeping skin firm and helping it to maintain it's elasticity. Vitamin C also helps to accelerate wound healing, so if you suffer from acne, getting foods containing this vitamin into your diet will speed up the skin's recovery process.

Complex Carbohydrates
Sweet potato is a fantiastic source of complex carboydrates, which are the best form of fuel for the body! Eating complex carbs results in slower digestion, keeping you full for longer and ensuring that insulin levels do not spike, which can cause acne.

Potassium
As well as being great great for controlling blood pressure, recovering muscles and giving us energy, potassium also has the ability to reduce swelling. This is great for anyone suffering from blemishes, rashes, or any kind of condition where the skin becomes irritated.

Anti-Stress vitamins and minerals
Vitamin C, Potassium, Iron, Manganese and Magnesium promote relaxation and all play a part in helping the body and mind to cope with stress. People often complain of stress being something that causes skin issues to flare up.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog post, when I'll be writing about my favourite way to eat sweet potato, with a delicious and simple recipe!

Sinéad