cactus can prevent moisture loss and restore moisture in skin. Add that tidbit of info to the fact that cactus has 17 amino acids and antioxidants that can prevent damage from the sun? Sounds like an anti-aging ingredient that’s honestly tempting me to move to a desert climate.
1. Choose The Best Cactus Leaf
To choose your cactus leaf for your DIY beauty pleasure, you’ll need to find a specialty food store; I was able to grab my this leaf at a random bodega with a healthy supply of produce. Choose a leaf that is green all over and tender, but not overly floppy.
2. Prepare Your Cactus
Preparing this was slightly overwhelming. It took only one prick of a cactus for me to realize you’ll need some gloves for this job. After washing my leaf with cold water, I peeled only the bumpy areas with the assumption that a thorn was underneath and left some of the skin on my leaf.I would advise only using the pulp and ditching the cactusskin all together just like you would with aloe vera.
3. Get Your Cactus Game On
Now that your this is ready for use, you can blend it up for future use to add to other ingredients or use it directly on your face. If you’re a regular DIY-er, know that cactus acts similar to aloe in a slimy-yet-soothing fashion for your face. I recommend testing your cactus on this inside of your arm to make sure it’s right for you.
4. Make An Acne Fighting, Oil Control Mask
Obviously, I’m trying to use this for a killer face mask that will keep acne at bay and my skin glowing through the dark winter mornings. For this one, I used one tablespoon of raw honey, one teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, about a tablespoon each of aloe vera, and cactus. Use a blender to mix your ingredients together and viola! A new face mask is born. My face felt very soft afterwards and, since I used raw honey, the mask gently exfoliated my skin as well. This cactus mask felt great, but I’d recommend making small batches, as it tends to get pretty smelly pretty quickly. Read More……………
