The 2nd worst thing about aging is that your body slowly begins to get slower than your mind.
The worst is expecting to catch a glimpse of your youthful self in the mirror and, instead, being met with wrinkles and age spots.
The best way to keep your skin looking young is to nourish it everyday. However, it’s important to stay away from petroleum-based products, which only suffocate your skin and clog pores or commercial creams that contain parabens and synthetic fragrance.
Rejuvenating Rice Wash
This wash can be used everyday, but 2-3 times a week is more than enough to keep your youthful glow!
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons of organic brown rice (short grain white rice works as well)
- 1 tablespoon of raw organic honey
- 1 tablespoon of coconut milk
Instructions:
- Rinse rice and cook as per package instructions put a cup or two of water.
- Once the rice is cooked, strain the rice water into a large bowl and set aside.
- Wash the cooked rice in cold water. And mix with warmed coconut milk and honey. Stir well.
- Apply the mask to your face for 30-60 minutes.
- Rinse it off with rice water.
- Refrigerate any remaining rice water and use in the morning and at night as a toner. The water will keep for 4 days without spoiling.
Brown rice contains powerful anti-inflammatory compounds as well as selenium, which repairs damaged cells and manganese, with protects the skin from free radical damage and uv rays, both of which can age your appearance prematurely. It’s also full of magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, thiamin, niacin and vitamin B6 (1).
As well as using brown rice on your face, dermatologists Dr. Neetu Nirdosh and Dr. Sam Bunting suggest adding more brown rice to your diet to improve the appearance of skin all over your body (2).
Coconut Milk quenches your skin better than any cream can. “The combination of anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-bacterial and hydrating properties make it truly unique,” says Whitney P. Bowe, MD, a dermatologist at Advanced Dermatology PC in Westchester and NYC. “Coconut is primarily composed of saturated fats and contains medium-chain fatty acids, which not only help to repair the skin barrier and trap water, thus hydrating the skin.” (3)
Honey is a humectant, which can help your skin retain moisture (4). It also kills skin-damaging bad bacteria and balance pH levels of the skin. Over time, topical honey application can help minimize the appearance of scars and rosacea. It can also manage acne and other skin conditions (5).
To keep your skin looking it’s best, it’s also important to eat well, stay hydrated, avoid sugar and get enough sleep (6).