LIMELITE health 20 lime October - December 2008 YOUR Amazing avocado You don't need to spend a fortune on expensive skin care products. As well as following Indy Rihal's guide you can adapt a few common ingredients to concoct some soothing skin remedies. Avocado facial cleanser This cleanser is a good grime and pollution beater. It's perishable so is best made every other day and stored in a fridge. You wil need An egg yolk Half a cup of milk Half a ripe avocado, peeled and mashed What to do y Beat the egg yolk until it is frothy. y Add the milk and avocado and blend ( or beat with a fork) until you have a thin creamy lotion. y Apply to the face using cotton wool as you would any other cleanser. y For normal skin, apply the cleanser after washing with soap and water. love your skin Without it, explains Indy Rihal of the British Skin Foundation charity, we would literally fall apart… Truly amazing… it is the human body's largest organ and crucial for a healthy body. It helps us regulate our temperature, allows us the sensation of touch, and protects everything. Without it, we would literally fall apart. There are thousands of disorders that affect the skin, ranging from rashes to skin cancer – so it's vital we all take care of it. Follow Indy Rihal's top six tips to help keep your skin healthy. l1 Try to stay away from certain things that can damage the skin, like cigarette smoking, which causes ageing and wrinkling of the skin. l2 Eat healthily and drink plenty of water. This will contribute to a healthier you and, in turn, healthier- looking skin. l3 Notice changes in your skin. If it changes suddenly and with no apparent reason it may be a sign of ill health. Keep an eye on any moles. A mole that gets bigger or alters needs to be examined by a professional. l4 Wash daily to keep the skin clean. This is important to prevent infections and odours. However, don't overdo use of soaps, bubble baths and detergents if you have dry skin, as this may dry the skin out even more. Moisturise daily after washing. l5 Protect your skin from the sun. Dark skin contains more of the pigment called melanin which gives the skin its colour and also helps protect the skin from the sun, which causes ageing of the skin. People with naturally dark skin are significantly less likely to develop the most dangerous form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma, than pale skinned people. When melanoma does occur on dark skin, it often affects the soles of the feet or palms of the hands, so may not be linked to sun exposure. However, it is still worth protecting your skin in strong sunlight to provide additional protection from UV damage which can contribute to the non- melanoma types of skin cancer in dark- skinned people. l6 Darker skin ages better because there is more natural protection from UV radiation. It is, however, more prone to irregularities in pigmentation after inflammation following acne, a burn, eczema or an insect bite. Colour will normalise with time but can take up to a year. Aloe vera offers anti- inflammatory and wound-healing properties, so it can be a good idea to use a skin care product that contains more than 10 per cent concentrated aloe vera. oily skin mASK This face mask is good for oily skins. It needs to be left on for 20 minutes and so gives you plenty of time to relax and put your feet up! You wil need An egg white A teaspoon of lemon juice Half an avocado, peeled and mashed What to do y Put the egg white, the lemon juice and the mashed avocado into a blender and mix together for a few seconds to make a green mixture. y Wash your face and neck thoroughly and apply the mask evenly. y After 20 minutes remove with tepid water and a face cloth. y Follow with skin tonic or cold astringent. AVOCADO MOISTURISER Avocados are amazing. Even the peel holds valuable beauty secrets – it contains precious moisturising oil. Simply massage the avocado peel into your face with gentle upward strokes. It can be left on overnight or gently rinsed away before applying make up.