How to correct dry facial skin and uneven tone

by Kathy Wright

You may have been to the spa for a chemical peel but have you tried a fruit peel at home? Papaya makes a great breakfast dish and aids in the digestion of other food which is actually a very important factor in clear skin. We will talk more about that later but for now papaya is a great skin moisturizer and a natural effective peel. 

Mash up a papaya with a fork and apply the fruit directly to the facial skin keeping it away from the eye area and leaving it on about five minutes. If you start to feel tingling sooner, it is time to remove the fruit mask.  We all have different skin and some may be in greater need of this than others. Wash off the papaya and rinse your face with cool water. 

Personally I never use tap water on my face if it has chlorine in it.  I even use bottled water if I am out of town to rinse my face.  The drying nature of chlorine, not to mention the damage it does to skin cells, is something I try to avoid.  I am, after all, over 50 and want to keep my skin looking as young as possible. 

As we age the skin does not regenerate as quickly as when we were younger, so if you scrub or over exfoliate the skin it may remain red and uneven toned for a few days.  If your skin is thick and heavily lined, you can leave the fruit mask on a little longer than someone who has thin, fragile skin.

If you cannot find the fruit you can purchase papaya pills from the local health food store.  Crush up about 6-8 pills and mix them with water to form a paste, then apply the paste to your face. Leave it on five minutes or less if you start to feel tingling. The enzymes in the papaya dissolve dead skin, leaving behind healthy, even-toned skin. 

You might try an apple cider mixed with oats for a firming and exfoliating mask. Just take organic rolled oats and put them in a blender to make oat flour, then mix with organic apple juice to make a paste. Apply the paste to the facial skin and leave it for five minutes. It will dry and tighten as it exfoliates; remove with cool water.

A good quality vitamin E serum is especially important after a peel, and you might even like to use organic coconut oil right as well. A little goes a long way, so if you use too much rub it into your heels and elbows to soften them as well. 

Back to the papaya for digestion; I did not want to start with this but constipation and digestive ailments may contribute to a blotchy, blemish-prone complexion. It follows that keeping your colon clean may be the best way to clean up the skin as well. Papaya is a great digestive enzyme, and if you have a sluggish colon and dull skin you may want to try a digestive enzyme with meals as well.

Kathy Wright is a naturopathic doctor and nutrition expert, as well as the CEO of FROWNIES, a beauty and personal wellness, natural, anti-aging skin care line, since 1989. Kathy ‘s newest book,  Your Health in Your Hands can be  ordered on Amazon.com,  and you can read more or sign up for free weekly health and beauty tips at http://www.frownies.com/beauty.