whattherapy.org

Skin whitening cosmetics often contain harsh chemicals that sound more like something fished out of the Gulf of Mexico than something you'd want to put on your face! And products labeled "organic" and "all natural" often simply cost too much. So I decided to do some research and discovered that there are in fact natural ingredients , like Sake (Japanese rice wine), that are highly effective at brightening the complexion. And because cosmetics firms haven't yet found a way to preserve products containing Sake, you won't find this miracle whitening ingredient in over the counter cosmetics.

Here is a simple recipe for a gentle, homemade Whitening Sake Face Mask.  I have adapted Julie Gabriel's recipe for whitening sake scrub and added skin conditioning ingredients so your skin will be left feeling soft and smooth!

Ingredients (use organic where possible):
1 green tea bag
5 grams of white willow bark extract (Aspirin will also do in a pinch)
120 mg gingko biloba extract
1 cup rice bran or baby rice flakes
Juice 1/2 ripe papaya
Juice 400g of aloe vera
5 drops of grapefruit pure essential oil
2 tablespoons sake

Directions:
1. Steep the green tea bag in 1/2 cup of boiling water for 10 minutes
2. Crush and mix the white willow bark/aspirin with the gingko biloba (take powder out of the capsules first) and the baby rice flakes
3. Add the papaya and aloe vera juices to the mixture, continuously stir and add green tea until you get a creamy paste
4. Add grapefruit oil
5. The grapefruit seed essential oil will preserve your mixture for about a week. If you make enough mixture for more than one face mask, wait before you add the Sake, because it will ferment your mixture and you will only be able to use it once.

Once added, the Sake will give an added boost to the beneficial properties of the other ingredients in your mask:
Green Tea & Gingko Biloba - strong antioxidant properties and protection from UV damage  
White Willow Bark - clears skin of impurities and brightens skin tone. It also helps skin rejuvenate itself by stimulating cell renewal process
Papaya - purifies skin, removes dead skin cells
Aloe Vera - conditions and soothes the skin, helps repair any damage caused by sun and environmental exposure
Rice Bran - a gentle exfoliant

Once you have your mixture, rub gently onto face and leave on for a maximum of 3 minutes. Wash off with tepid water and pat your face dry. Repeat up to three times in one week. To avoid oversensitivity, leave a day or two between applications and at least two weeks between a course of three applications.  Don't forget to use a good sunscreen when outdoors as your skin may become more sensitive to sunlight. You should see a definite improvement after 3-4 applications. Have fun!

© What Therapy 2010

www.whattherapy.org