DIY minty remedies for skin problems
Let this powerful natural healer solve your beauty woes.
Mint mask for brighter skin
Battling a bad tan or unwanted dark spots? Harness the benefits of mint to make a brightening mask. Place 15 fresh mint leaves in a mortar and pestle and crush them. Add ½ tablespoon of raw money and a ½ inch cucumber cube. Blend all the ingredients together till you get a paste. Apply the mask onto your face and leave it on for 20 minutes. Rinse it off with cold water. The powerful soothing and calming effects of mint heals the skin and calms affected areas. Honey, with its bleaching properties, helps fade blemishes and lightens a tan, while cucumber hydrates the skin.
Photograph: mw_beautybar / Instagram
Banish dark circles
Mint is rich in vitamin C and other powerful antioxidants that help heal skin and combat dark circles. The area under the eyes is very fragile and gets damaged easily. Antioxidants prevent the damage caused by free radicals and exposure to the sun. So revitalise and hydrate the under eye area with fresh mint leaves. Take 5 to 10 fresh mint leaves and crush them in a mortar and pestle to make a thick paste. Apply this paste on your dark circles. Leave on for 10-15 minutes and wash off gently.
Get rid of blackheads
Dead skin, oils, makeup, and other pollutants can clog your pores producing blackheads. Whip up a mint scrub if you’re trying to tackle those stubborn blackheads on your nose and cheeks. Mix together 10 mint leaves, 1 tablespoon oats, 1 tablespoon honey, and 1 tablespoon milk to make a paste. Apply the paste to your face and scrub in gentle circular motions for a few minutes. Then rinse off. The oats will exfoliate your skin, removing dead skin cells, while the mint, a natural astringent, will clean your pores and tighten them. Honey and milk are great cleansers with hydrating benefits, leaving you with smoother, softer, skin.
Photograph: jcomp /freepik.com
Treat acne with mint
A mint and rose water paste is a popular natural treatment for acne. Mint possesses strong anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, and contains high amounts of salicylic acid, all of which prevent inflammation and treat acne. Salicylic acid has a drying effect and loosens up dead skin cells, preventing clogged pores. So mint is a handy ingredient that dries up and gets rid of acne, and clears out your skin. Rose, for its part, controls excess oil, is a great cleanser, and soothes acne-prone skin. Crush a handful of fresh mint leaves. Add 1 tablespoon of rose water to make a paste. Apply the paste on your face and leave it on for 20 minutes.
Photograph: jcomp /freepik.com
For relief from itchy skin
Mint leaves are an effective remedy for itchy skin and swelling from insect bites. Menthol is an essential oil found in mint leaves that provides relief from itching, pain and swelling from insect bites. This combined with its natural anaesthetic and anti-inflammatory properties makes bathing in water mixed with mint leaves an effective home remedy. Brew mint leaves in hot water for about 20-25 minutes to release the benefits of the leaves. Let the water cool down. Dip a washcloth in the cooled solution and place it on the affected areas. Leave the cloth on each area for 2 - 3 minutes. Repeat the process again till you’ve covered all the aggravated areas. You can do this remedy twice a day.
Photograph: freepik.com
Lead photograph: freepik.com
