Rejuvenating Lavender Green Tea Skincare Mask

 

In addition to their culinary applications, many of the items in your kitchen pantry can be used to marvelous effect on the skin.  Green tea is loaded with skin protecting and repairing antioxidants.  Honey is an excellent ingredient for moisturizing the skin.  Rice flour can exfoliate and brighten skin.  Lavender's long-recognized antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties provide much benefit for the prevention and treatment of acne-like breakouts. 

Blended together these simple, natural ingredients make a luxurious skincare mask to gently exfoliate, hydrate and brighten skin.  Try adding this rejuvenating, at-home treatment to your regular skin care regimen and follow with our Lavender Body Lotion or one of our other moisturizers.

Lavender Green Tea Skincare Mask

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon Organic Lavender Green Tea
• 1 Tablespoon Honey (our Organic Lavender Honey would boost the benefits of the lavender)
  
• 1 Teaspoon Rice Flour
  

 

Note for those with extremely sensitive skin: It is always a good idea to test new products on a small patch of skin to ensure there is no irritation.

To get started, grind the loose, dry tea leaves to a rough powder.  This will create a consistency that is easier to apply to the skin. 

Steep the ground tea leaves in 16 ounces of hot water for 2 minutes.  This is more tea than you would use to make a single cup of tea, but the more tea leaves you use, the more antioxidants will be present in your mask.

Strain the tea leaves well and allow to cool for a couple of minutes.  Once cool, blend the tea leaves, honey and rice flour into a rough paste.  Note: If you prefer a creamier consistency, add more rice flour.

 

Before applying the mask, be sure to remove all makeup.  Spritzing a cotton ball with Organic Lavender Facial Toner & Cleanser and gently wiping the face is an excellent way to moisten and prepare the skin.

 

    

Using the tips of your fingers, lightly massage the mask into clean, damp skin.  The ground tea leaves and rice flour buff away dead skin cells to help keep pores unclogged.  It is ideal for the face, neck and décolletage.  You can certainly continue applying it to the arms and anywhere else on the body in need of a little care and attention.

Let the mask rest for 5 - 10 minutes to allow the antioxidants and moisture to absorb into the skin and the rice flour to gently lighten dark spots.

This is an excellent time to put your feet up and enjoy some of the tea you brewed.  Because you brewed extra strong tea to ensure your mask was brimming with antioxidants it may be too strong for your palate.  If it is, simply add more hot water to achieve your strength preference and add a dollop of honey. 

Rinse the mask off with warm water and gently pat dry to reveal smooth, supple and bright skin.  It is normal for skin to appear a little read after exfoliation.  This usually passes within a few minutes.

Exfoliated skin absorbs moisture well, so be sure to apply a moisturizer.  Our Lavender Body Lotion is an excellent option for a light, quickly absorbing moisturizing agent made with plant oils and extracts.   For those that prefer an oil, our Lavender Body Oil is a favorite face moisturizer of our staff and those of more venerable years may find our Lavender Body Butter particularly suitable for mature skin.

To help protect your bathroom plumbing, we recommend using a drain strainer (hair catcher) or a washcloth laid over the drain to catch the tea leaves and prevent them from going down the drain.  They are easily compostable when finished. 

Need a more thorough rejuvenation?  Give yourself a decadent 5 Step Lavender Self Care Spa Treatment.  Want to explore more at-home spa treatments?  Try our Lavender Honey Oat Face Scrub or stress-reducing Lavender Tub Tea recipes.