Japanese Mint Facial Steam & Salt Scrub

I've been meaning to have a steam bath. The last time I did it, I placed Eucalyptus essential oil from Body Shop. And boy, was that steam bath intense! My face sweated profusely and because I accidentally dropped too much Eucalyptus oil (Please don't make the same mistake), it was a little too hard on my nostrils. 

So this time I was a little determined to make it more enjoyable. I asked my mom for some mint leaves and she introduced me to one of her new toys. Meet Japanese Mint. The leaves pretty much look the same as the other mint family but the taste is definitely milder. I used mint for this facial steam because according to some websites it's good for acne and perfect for oily skin. 

So you'll be needing 2 tablespoons of leaves. Just eyeball it. To me, it's this much. Wash it with water. 

Boil about a cup of water in a sauce pan. Turn off fire, and add leaves. Steep for 10 minutes. 

This is how it will look like. 

Put sauce pan in a table. Put a towel over your head above the sauce pan. You'll be chilling out for 8-10 minutes (for oily skin) or 3 minutes (dry skin). 

After the facial steam, your pores are open. It's the perfect time to exfoliate! I use salt-coconut oil scrub to match the detoxifying effects of facial steam. Just eye ball the mixture or use 1/2 tsp. and enough coconut oil to cover the salt. Here's what mine looks like. 

Facial steams have plenty of benefits. It improves blood circulation that leaves a rosy glow, helps exfoliation and it's detoxifying. It also helps in nasal congestion and headaches caused by colds. But be wary that not everyone can benefit from facial steams. Check out the article Benefits of Face Steaming for more information. 

Get your Peppermint at Php60/seedling. 

Visit https://herbalandherbs.wordpress.com/ for more details. 

As for me, I enjoyed doing my own facial steam. It was mild unlike my first attempt. The salt scrub is also wonderful. I kind of wish I had organic sea salt though. It left my skin is smooth and soft after and moisturized because of the coconut oil too so it's like exfoliation and moisturizing in one. I'm certainly doing this again! I can't wait to do my own makeshift sauna/body steam next!

DIY Blackhead Removal

I don't know about you but I hate pain. And blackhead pricking sounds like a trip to the doctor with the dreaded needle to me. For years, I have tried to look for the best way to get rid of what my mom loves to call "herd of blackheads" found in my nose. I kind of wish they paid rental fees. Yes, it's that bad. And I am way over puberty to have this much. 

I have done my research on the matter. Though it is true that outside forces like pollution, dirt and everything else that can get into your pores are pretty much to blame for such an outbreak, there are still other factors to consider. It can also be caused by oily skin. And this is pretty much the reason why you shouldn't put too much moisturizer in blackhead infested areas like for example, your nose. That is, if you are oily. 

Another observation I had made is that blackheads are like grass. Pull them up and sooner or later they are back in the game, stealthily if you ask me. And so I knew that there was no cure or a weapon for annihilating for this. It's something that I should live with. As they say, men and children complain, women deal with it. 

So I have tried everything from blackhead scrubs to nose strips of foreign languages I don't understand. I've tried Body Shop's Tea Tree Oil Scrub. I love it because it makes my face feel smooth but... it has nothing against my blackheads - they take a lot after me. As for the nose strips, it has nothing against my blackheads' powerful defenses. But I have come to understand that as long as you keep searching for answers, you will find one soon enough. And I have found my answer, one depressing day.

An acquaintance did a facial demo of her kit on me and you can imagine my amazement when not only did the kit give my face a non-surgical facelift but also pulled out my blackheads! I was so amazed that I thought it was a miracle... SMOOTH NOSE SURFACE! I knew I got to have it.

I bought this facial kit after just one try. 

It's so simple to use. You just mix 1 tsp. of powder and 1 tsp. of the activator and brush upwards. To remove the blackheads, you  apply one ply tissue cut in half and brush mixture again on top of it. Then chill out for 30 minutes. I do this while watching TV, usually when I catch cartoons or my favorite reality shows on E! After 30 minutes, you just pull the tissue like you would with a nose strip and wash your face with water. I don't suggest anything too funny because the mask will harden and I hope you can imagine just what I mean. Really, it's a no-brainer.

The good thing about it is there are no restrictions after. Unlike with pricking, you can't wet your face for a few hours much like when you wax your legs. And can I say that how can you go out if your face looked like it had a bout with Pacman. After this DIY facial, you can put on your heels, hit the town and flaunt your 5-year younger and blackhead free face!

But just a disclaimer, it won't remove 100% of your blackheads. One thing is for sure though, it removes much more when I went under the pricking before. This I can definitely attest.

Well, I'm not complaining. Been using it since August last year once a week and I still think it's awesome (just as long as you are not allergic to eggs). At 25 uses per kit, it lasts me a good 6 months. If you ask me, that's good value for money that makes me feel like a million dollars!

Want the step-by-step instructions? Click HERE.