Add cucumber to your Summer skincare routine

Shahnaz Husain *

Cucumbers are one of the cheapest, easily available and best summer-friendly natural ingredients that helps the skin breathe and rejuvenate especially during intense heat waves.

Filled with essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants , Cucumber is 96 percent water so you can mix it with other natural ingredients to create a mask that will help to exfoliate the skin and soak up Cucumber's soothing qualities.

Its high water content not only hydrates your skin, but also helps maintain the water-balance of your body, and simple DIY preparations can work wonders for your skin, targeting a range of beauty woes including skin inflammations, puffiness, wrinkles, fine lines and even cellulite.

Cucumber is an excellent source of silica, the beauty mineral that improves your skin, leaving it rejuvenated and lightening skin color over a period of time.

Cucumber is a natural toner. For oily skin, you can apply Cucumber juice by itself on the face and wash it off with plain water after 15 minutes. You can also mix cucumber juice with a little rose water. This would make a good toner. Apply it on the face and rinse off with plain water after 15 minutes.

Blend and mix two spoons of rose water to Cucumber puree and apply the paste to your face. Then rinse with cool water to close and tighten the pores. Cucumber is also an astringent. Apart from toning and refreshing the skin, it closes the pores and reduces oiliness.

The effect of Cucumber is gentle on the skin. That is why it is a traditional remedy for the delicate skin around the eyes, helping to reduce dark circles and brighten the skin. In fact, it also helps to reduce swelling and puffiness around eyes, due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Grated Cucumber or Cucumber juice may be applied daily on the skin around eyes, washing off with plain water after 15 minutes.

Make a creamy blend of Cucumber, coconut oil, carrot seed essential oil and aloe vera gel. Place the cream in ice cube trays and freeze. Apply the frozen cream around the eyes; be careful not to let it go inside your eyes. This mask will get rid of the dry circles, puffiness, and keep the little crow’s feet around the eyes at bay.

When applying a Cucumber face mask, gently massage the mask into your skin in small circular motions. This helps the ingredients to penetrate your pores. It also stimulates blood flow on the surface of your skin. Allow the mask to sit on your skin for 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse off with cold water. Don’t forget to apply a good eye cream for moisturization afterwards.

You can make a skin toner with Cucumber juice, mixing the juice of one Cucumber with one tablespoon of rose water and one cup of mineral water. It will not only tone the skin, but also remove tan over a period of time. Or, mix Cucumber juice with one teaspoon of mint juice and a cup of mineral water. This will suit oily and acne prone skin.

The juice of one Cucumber can also be mixed with half teaspoon lemon juice, one teaspoon aloe vera juice and one cup rose water. Chill the mixture in the fridge. This toner will close the pores and also moisturize the skin, without making it oily.

You can also mix one tablespoon of Cucumber juice with one cup coconut water. It makes a most refreshing skin toner, also cooling the skin. It is also a skin whitening beauty treatment if used over a period of time and lightens skin blemishes.

Take 10 gms of rose petals and put them in a bowl. Add two cups of hot water to cover them and let them infuse in the water. Leave overnight. Next morning cool and strain and then add one tablespoon of Cucumber juice and the contents of one Vitamin E capsule. Mix well. Put in a spray bottle and use it to spray a fine mist on the face. It helps to tone, refresh and nourish the skin.

Refrigerate two cucumber slices for at least half hour, and apply them on tired eyes for combating any puffiness after a hectic, exhausting day in peak summer season.

Remember, that home beauty recipes should not be made in large quantities.

Store your home-made toner in your refrigerator, so that it is ready and ideal for refreshing the skin in summer.