What can I do about a rough face?

My face has suddenly gone rough and it makes me look so much older. What can I do or use to make it better? Thanks in advance for your help.

There are many things that you can do help improve the health of your skin. Here are a few natural ones:

pH Balancer
Use this cleansing, restoring rinse after your regular cleansing or after any or all of the skin treatments on this page. Apply with clean sterile cotton balls or gauze or simply splash on, being careful to avoid your eyes:

Basic Balancer
3 cups distilled water
1/3 cups apple cider vinegar
Combine water and vinegar. Pour into a clean decorative decanter and store in the bathroom.

Various essential oils or herb infusions (in place of the plain distilled water) may be added to the basic balancer for fragrance and/or therapuedic value:

For oily skin add one of the following oils or infusions:
Calendula (marigold)
Geranium
Horestail herb
Sage
Yarrow

For dry, sensitive skin add one of the following oils or infusions:
Borage
Cornflower
Houseleek
Lady's Mantle
Marsh mallow (roots and leaves)
Parsley
Sorrel
Sweet Violet (flowers and leaves)

Astringents/Tighteners/Toners
1) Cucumber is cooling, gentle astringent, use the juice or mashed pulp.

2) Eggwhite Toner
Clean face thoroughly using any natural cleanser. Apply raw eggwhites to the skin and leave on for at least 15 minutes. Wash off with tepid water.

3) Elderflowers, lavender, orange flower water and rosewater are all classic toners for all skin types. Make a strong infusion of any of the above, refrigerate and use within 3 days.

4) Lecithin Toner
Dissolve lecithing granules in jojoba or almond oil. Apply to face and throat as a day or night cream.

5) Lemon is a strong astringent, dilute with water before using, being careful to keep away from eyes.

6) Lemon Toner
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup distilled water
2/3 cup witch hazel
Combine all ingredients. Pour into a clean bottle or decorative cosmetics container. Shake well before using. Apply with a clean cotton ball.

7) Pine Toner
2 cups fresh pine needles
1 cup distilled water
1/2 cup witch hazel
Place pine needles in small saucepan with distilled water. Bring water to boil. Allow water to cool completely then strain and discard pine needles. Add witch hazel and stir well. Pour into a clean bottle or decorative capped container. Apply to skin with a cotton ball. Store in a cool dark place.

8) Protein Toner
Beat together 1 Tbsp milk, 1 tsp honey and 1 egg. Apply to face and neck. Leave on as long as desired. Rinse off with warm water followed by a splash of cold.

9) Queen of Hungary Water
This water can be used as an astringent, aftershave, deodorant, hair and skin tonic and even as an inhaled headache remedy:
1 part roses
1 part lavender
1 part rosemary
1 part sage
1 part orange peel
1 part lemon peel
2 parts mint
To 2 ounces apple cider vinegar, add 2 ounces of the above herbal formula. Put in an air-tight glass jar, let steep for about 2 weeks. Strain and add 1 1/2 cups pure distilled rosewater. Pour into a decorative, air tight decanter and use daily.

10) Rose Water & Glycerine Astringent
1/2 pint olive oil
1 ounce rose water
a few drops of glycerin
1 ounce vodka

11) Sage Astringent
4 Tbsp dried sage
4 Tbsp vodka
1/4 tsp borax
3 Tbsp witch hazel
10 drops glycerin or honey
Steep the sage in vodka for 2 weeks then strain. Dissolve borax in witch hazel, stir in the saged vodka and glycerin. Pour into bottle with a tight cap. Shake before each use.

12) Strawberry: Mash strawberries, use as an astringent and cleansing face mask.

13) Violet: Simmer violet flowers in a little milk to make a softening and mildly astringent face lotion.

14) Witch Hazel: Use an extract of witch hazel as an astringent, a skin freshener and to soothe skin irritations.

15) Lemony Lavender Toner
3 drops lemon oil
3 drops lavender oil
3 teaspons of distilled water
Use a soft cotton ball to massage mixture into the skin after cleansing. Follow with a moisturizer if desired

Cleansing Creams, Milks and Scrubs
1) Apricot Butter Cold Cream (For Dry Skin)
10 oz apricot kernel oil
2 oz cocoa butter
2 oz beeswax
Heat all in top of double boiler until wax and butter are melted. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and cooled. Transfer to jars, cap and refrigerate.

2) Buttermilk and Fennel Cleansing Milk (For Oily Skin)
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp crushed fennel seeds
Heat the milk and fennel seeds in top of double boiler for 30 minutes. Turn off heat, let steep for 2 hours. Strain, cool, pour into bottle and refrigerate. Keeps for 2 weeks.

3) Chamomile Cleansing Milk (For Dry and Sensitive Skin)
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp chamomile flowers, fresh or dried
Simmer ingredients in top of a double boiler for about 30 minutes, do not allow milk to boil. Turn off heat and let sit for about 2 hours, strain. Keep refrigerated. Apply with cotton balls to the face. Variations: Use elderflowers, sweet violets or lime blossoms in place of chamomile

4) Cornmeal Cleanser (for Oily Skin)
Castile soap
1 Tsp Cornmeal
Wet face. Pour a little castile soap into the palm of your hand, add cornmeal. Mix meal and soap into a lather, wash face, being careful to avoid the delicate skin around the eyes.

5) Honey Cleanser (For Dry Skin)
Castile soap
1 Tsp Honey
Wet face. Pour a little castile soap into the palm of your hand, add honey. Mix honey and soap into a lather, wash face.

6) Honey Almond Scrub
2 Tbsp almonds
2 tsp milk
1/2 tsp flour
1/2 tsp honey
Grind almonds in a blender. Add milk, flour and honey, mixing until a thick paste is formed. Rub into skin, rinse with warm water followed by the pH balancer.

7) Honey 'n Oats Scrub
1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp ground almonds
Moisten face with a warm washcloth then apply mixture to face avoiding the sensitive area around the eyes. Let mixture dry, then remove with a warm, damp washcloth.

8) Lemon Cleansing Cream (For Oily Skin)
1 Tbsp beeswax
1 1/2 Tbsp Unpetroleum Jelly (available in natural foods stores)
3 Tbsp jojoba oil
1 Tbsp witch hazel
1 Tbsp strained lemon juice
1/8 tsp borax
6 drops essential oil of lemon
Melt beeswax and unpetroleum jelly over low heat. Add warmed jojoba oil to wax and jelly mixture, blending for 3-5 minutes. Mix witch hazel and lemon juice, warm gently, mix in borax until dissolved. Slowly add this to the wax mixture, beating until cool and creamy. After completely cooled, add lemon oil, spoon into clean jar.

9) Milk and Honey Cleanser:
Mix 1 tsp warm honey with 1 tablespoon milk or cream. This recipe should be prepared fresh each time.

10) Peppermint Patty Scrub: (For Oily Skin)
2 cup rolled oats
1 cup almonds
2 tsp dried lavender
2 tsp dried peppermint
2 cup white cosmetic clay
Grind oats, almonds and herbs to a very fine powder in blender or with a mortar and pestle. Mix ground herbs with clay, store in covered container. To use: mix 1 heaping tsp of mixture with water to make a paste. Massage into skin then rinse well with warm water.

11) Sesame Oil Cleanser: (For Dry Skin)
Apply sesame oil to face and neck. Remove oil and makeup with a washcloth that has been soaked in hot water and wrung out. Finish with a rinse of the pH Balancer.

12) Sweet Butter Cleansing Cream: (For Dry Skin)
Whip sweet, unsalted butter, transfer to container with a tid lid. May be stored at room temperature away from heat sources or refrigerate.

Face Lift
Combine a handful of strawberries, a handful of grapes, 1/2 pear, 1/2 apple and 1 oz. orange juice in a blender. Apply a thin layer of honey to face, then apply fruit mixture to face. Leave on for 30 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Finish with a rinse of the vinegar pH balancer.

Facial Masks
Most facial masks are applied to the skin, left on for 15-20 minutes then washed off with warm water, followed by a cold rinse.

1) Apple & Honey Mask
A mask of grated apple mixed with a little honey is an excellent remedy for pimples.

2) Apricot Mask
Mash the fresh fruit for a good face mask.
Variation: Add apricots to a little warm olive oil to form a spreadable paste. Good for dry skin.

3) Avocado & Honey Moisturizer Mask(For Dry Skin)
Mash up 2 tablespoons avocado, mix with 2 tablespoons honey and 1 egg yolk. Apply to face, leaving on about 15-20 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Finish with a rinse of the vinegar pH balancer.

4) Creamy Avocado Mask
Mash 1 tablespoon ripe avocado, add 1/2 tsp honey and mix. Stir in a little almond meal until creamy. Apply to clean skin, leave on for 15-20 minutes and wash off with lukewarm water. Finish with a rinse of the vinegar pH balancer.

5) Avocado Honey Mask #2(For Dry Skin)
Peel one ripe avacado, mash the meat into a creamy texture. Heat over a double boiler until just warm,iIncorporate 1 Tbsp of honey. Massage into the face and neck. Finish with a rinse of rosewater, witch hazel or vinegar pH balancer.

6) Banana Mask
Mash a banana and spread on face for a soothing, cleansing and moisturizing face mask. Rinse celan with warm water finished with a rinse of the vinegar pH balancer.

7) Brewers Yeast Mask(For Oily Skin)
Make a paste using the yeast and a small amount of warm water.

8) Carrot Mask(For Oily Skin)
Carrots make an excellent skin mask for acne and blemishes.
Apply raw, grated carrots to the face while lying down, a little lemon juice may also be added. For a cooked carrot mask: Boil three large carrots and mash them, or process in a food processor. Add 5 tablespoons of honey or yogurt (optional). Apply gently, in an upward motion. Leave on for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Finish with a final rinse of witch hazel or the vinegar pH balancer.

9) Cool As A Cucumber Yogurt Facial(For Normal/Oily Skin)
1/2 cucumber
1 Tbsp plain yogurt
Puree cucumber in blender. Mix in yogurt, apply to face. Leave on for 30 minutes. Rinse well.

10) Elder Flower Mask(For Oily Skin)
Mix elder flower herb with yogurt to make a paste, apply to face.

11) Fennel Wrinkle Mask
Mix a strong infusion of fennel seed or herb into a liberal amount of honey and yogurt to form a paste, add some additional dried fennel herb, mix well, apply to skin.

12) Honey Mask(For Oily & Blemished Skin)
Massage a small amount of slightly heated honey into skin. Wheat germ may be added for its abrasive action, protein and nutrients.

13) Lemon/Egg Mask(For Oily Skin)
Squeeze half a lemon and mix the juice with one beaten egg white. Apply to face avoiding the area around the eyes. Leave on your face overnight or if during the day, for about 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

14) Oatmeal Facial(For Oily Skin)
Make a creamy paste of oatmeal and water. Apply to face, let dry completely. Remove by very gently rubbing off with your fingers.

15) Papaya Skin Treatment
A fresh mashed papaya applied as a face mask will remove dead, flaky skin.

16) Peach Mask(For Dry Skin)
Mash a fresh peach, mix with enough warm olive, peach kernel or almond oil to form a spreadable paste.

17) Strawberry Mask(For Oily Skin)
Mash strawberries then use as a cleansing face mask.

18) Tomato Mask(For Oily Skin)
Use mashed or sliced tomato for enlarged pores.

19) Yogurt Mask(For Oily Skin)
Apply natural unflavored yogurt adding honey and/or oatmeal if desired

Lines and Wrinkles:
1) Apply the leftover eggwhites in the bottom of the shell to the lines under your eyes

2) Apply odorless castor oil to the crepe-like skin under the eyes or on the throat.

3) Prick 3 capsules of vitamin E and drain into small bowl. Add 2 tsps plain yogurt, 1/2 tsp honey and 1/2 tsp. lemon juice. Apply to face with cotton ball. Leave on skin for about 10 minutes. Rinse.

While it may be easier to go out and buy something that is already made, no matter what the contanier may say, there are almost no creams or moisturizers (or any other cosmetic that do not contain drying ingredients, such as fragrances and chemicles). I also realize that even though something is natural, that does not mean it is good for you, but most of the advertised ingredients (aloe, vitamin e, cucumber extract, ect.) are only in very small quantities in said products, and you will not get the same benefit as when you make your own cosmetics out of the whole ingredient.

There are a couple things out there to smooth out your face. The only one I used slowly took off the dead layer a skin over and over again so eventually it would smooth out and it worked quite well I think. Be careful with anything you try though because most things are acidic and some are just temporary.

try moisturizing, sometimes when I have rough skin I use hand salve by burts bee's wax, it's good for your face as well :] also, drink water more often and moisturize with face cream regularly so your skin doesn't dry out anymore.

I suggest you try microdermabraision. You will see results within a few days. Your dermatologist will use this tool and it will gently take off layers of your skin cells (don't worry its not painful). You can also try a chemical peel. This one hurts a bit more...burns actually but after a few days your skin will peel like crazy and you will see younger and more beautiful skin underneath.

Try exfoliating 3 times a week

Everyone in our house (includes dad) uses unrefined shea butter. Choose the unscented. It will NOT clog pores and results are amazing. Unrefined means non-diluted & pure. I found it at GNC (in a small container that looks like shoe polish) or Simple Pleasures (OHIO) will ship it to you. (Simple Pleasures) Fun mail me

exfoliate with st ives apricot scrub