Banish Blemishes, Shrink Pores with 10 DIY Skincare Remedies from the Farmer’s Market

The birds are chirping and the trees are beginning to blossom, albeit slowly here in New York City. Our bodies are yearning for sun, craving farm-fresh produce, and farmer’s market season can’t come soon enough.

For those of you lucky enough to have outdoor space larger than a fire escape, you’ve already begun to daydream about tending to your garden. Although my NYC apartment has its limitations, it’s teeming with just about as many plants as space will allow, and I can’t wait to add to my growing indoor garden this spring and summer.

I’m finding inspiration from Garden Collage, an innovative, new garden lifestyle publication. The site provides a refreshing take on the new role that gardening plays in modern society with practical DIY projects – we’ve curated several below – as well as useful information on plant-based products and gorgeous images from gardens around the world. (Think Apartment Therapy for gardens.)

Californian-turned-New Yorker Daisy Helman founded Garden Collage as a way to build a global community of gardeners and explore the ever-changing role of the contemporary garden. Have no fear, you need not have a green thumb, Garden Collage has something for everyone.

As an ode to the change in season and because homeade is always better than anything store bought, look farmer’s market beautiful with these DIY skincare remedies straight from a farm stand or garden.

C U C U M B E R S

 

Cucumber Honey Toner

What you’ll need:

1 cucumber

2 teaspoons of local honey

• Puree the cucumber in a blender, strain and collect the juice.
• Add two teaspoons of honey and mix. Pour the mixture into a bottle.
• Apply on the face and neck area with cotton in the morning and at night.
• Air dry and rinse clean. (Store the bottle in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.)

Eye Treatment

What you’ll need:

1 cucumber thingly sliced (this will allow more of the vegetable to come into contact with your skin)

• It’s a tried and true treatment that never gets old. Simply place cucumber circles over closed eyes. Treat puffiness, dark circles, tired, brittle, and inflamed skin.
• Rest or meditate for ten to twenty minutes, allowing the cooling water and phytochemicals to seep into the skin, hydrating cells and bringing relief.
• Try this three or four times a week, with noticeable results in about two weeks.

M I N T

Strawberry and Mint Honey Mask

What you will need:

3-4 thinly sliced strawberries

3 tablespoons local honey

4-5 mint leaves thinly sliced

• In a small mixing bowl, gently smash sliced strawberries, honey and mint together, creating a smooth paste
• Spread over face, neck and decolletage (anywhere you want the fruit’s natural AHA’s to do their exfoliating work)
• Leave on for 15-20 minutes and gently remove with a warm towel.

Lemon and Mint Blemish Buster

What you’ll need:

Handful of fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon lemon juice

• Pulse ingredients in a food processor
• Cover the blemish with the paste for 15 minutes before rinsing.
• Repeat twice a day until the spot is gone! (I use this remedy as soon as a blemish appears and it works like a charm.)

B L U E B E R R I E S

Nourishing Blueberry Facial Mask

What you’ll need:

1/4 cup blueberries

1 tablespoom local honey

1 tablespoon olive or grapeseed oil

• Mash all the ingredients together or use a blender to mix well
• Apply a 1/4″ thick layer all over the face
• Leave the mask on for five to ten minutes, then wash off

Blueberry Aloe Eye Mask

What you’ll need:

A handful of cold blueberries

2 tabelspoons of Aloe Vera gel (preferably straight from the plant)

• In a small bowl, mash a handful of cold blueberries (if yours are room temperature, chill them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes)
• Then, add aloe vera gel (fresh is best)
• Dab mixture delicately under the eyes. Leave for 20 minutes.

P E A C H E S

Peach Face Tightening Mask for Smaller Pores

What you’ll need:

Flesh of 1 peach

Egg white

• Whisk the egg white and the peach together in a blender until the mixture reaches a smooth consistency
• Leave the mask on for 20 minutes
• Rinse off with cool water.

C A R R O T S

Carrot Mask for Uneven Skintone

What you’ll need:

1 carrot

2 tablespoons of local honey

2 tablespoons of oatmeal

• Puree and strain 1 carrot to get the juice
• Add honey and oatmeal, and mix
• Leave on for 20 minutes, then rinse
• Apply once a week.

L E M O N S

Lemon Makeup Remover/Cleanser

What you’ll need:

1 tbsp natural yogurt

1 tsp lemon juice

2 drops essential lemon oil

• Mix all ingredients together
• Soak a cotton pad in mixture and remove makeup
• Repeat until make up is removed

Purifying Lemon-Oatmeal Face Mask for Oily Skin

What you need:

1 teaspoon local honey

2 tablespoons of old-fashioned oats

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• Use a coffee grinder or food processor to grind oats into a fine flour
• In a small bowl, mix the oat flour with fresh lemon juice and local honey to create a paste
• If the paste is too thick, add a bit more honey and lemon juice
• Leave on for 15 minutes and then remove with warm water.

Since we believe you should be able to eat whatever you put on your skin, we’ve created delicious warm-weather salad recipes with Garden Collage using these very ingredients!  We’ll share those next week!

 

This post is sponsored by Garden Collage.