OK, so it’s no secret by now that I am a HUGE fan of Tata Haper – both the woman herself and her beautiful line of organic, natural skincare products. So much so, in fact, that I’ve dedicated a whole series of posts to the renovation of my morning routine.

Well, just when I thought I’d discovered all the goodness Tata had to offer, I was given the opportunity to try another one of her amazing products: her Resurfacing Mask.

Now that I’ve experienced it and had a chance to play with it myself, I’ve got a new Nightime Routine to share with you for a once-a-week skin-treat that is totally refreshing. This, my friends, is my new secret to an amazing glow despite the drying and dulling effects of harsh winter winds.

It starts with a herbacious, delicious blend of natural detoxifiers for your own homemade Facial Detox Steam Sauna. Once again, I have Tata to thank for this as she posted the idea a few months ago on her blog. Think of this as a steeped tea steam bath for your skin.

Here’s what you’ll need:

*A large stainless steel bowl
*A loose-leaf tea bag
*A mixture of detoxifying herbs such as: peppermint leaf, sweet fennel, eyebright, elderflower, nettle, chamomile, calendula, rosemary + thyme
*A fresh bath towel

To prepare my own detoxifying herb blend, I simply raided my own herbal tea + spice cupboard, choosing from the loose-leaf teas + herbs I already had to source these soothing and cleansing ingredients. I mixed them in the loose-leaf tea bag, knotted the bag and poured about 6-8 cups of bowling water over it in a large stainless steel bowl.
First, cleanse your skin to prepare. Next, tent the towel over your head, careful to tuck it in around all of the edges of the bowl and your neck to trap the steam. Set your kitchen timer for 10 minutes before you start so you can just relax while the steam opens up your pores. I use this time to do some relaxing breathing exercises while I watch the swirls of patterns created by the steam and steeping tea. It’s a bit like finding shapes in the clouds as they drift by. If you find it hard to be still for 10 minutes in silence, this is a great way to get better at it! Think of it this way: uplifting thoughts will uplift your face! Good for the mind as well as the body.

After 10 minutes of steaming, you’re ready to move on to the magical {and most important} second stage in the process of getting your glow on. Slather a generous layer of Tata’s Resurfacing Mask all over your face, neck and decolleté and choose a relaxing activity to dive into for the next 30 minutes. Read a great book. Listen to your favourite new album. Soak in an Epsom Salt bath. Take a power nap with this amazing, physician-created nap CD {laying on your back, of course!}. Make the most of that decadent and healing half hour.

While you are relaxing, pink clay and witch hazel will both be reducing your pores while white willow extract will be gently but effectively exfoliating your skin. Aloe vera will be stimulating healthy cell regeneration while working together with beet extract to hydrate your skin. The pink clay will also be working to detoxify and tone the skin while the witch hazel will be reducing inflammation with its powerful antioxidants. This treatment is 100% natural and less abrasive than beta hydroxy with the same results – amazing!

After 30 minutes, gently remove the mask with warm water. Follow with your favourite serum and moisturizer {plus a little icing on the cake} and then head for bed. You will wake up in the morning with invisible pores and a gorgeous glow. Make this your Friday night wind-down routine and you’ll head into your weekend looking fresh and gorgeous, like you just finished a week of vacation instead of a week of real life and hard work! {Don’t worry, it will be our little secret.}

Needless to say, I am so happy tomorrow is Friday! In the meantime, Happy Thursday!

xo
s.