Even though I love my thirties, it’s not perfect.  Yes, I’m wiser, stronger and more efficient than I was in my twenties.  But, I have the unfortunate combination of wrinkles and the occasional break-out.  Didn’t I leave that in junior high with my trapper keeper and pegged jeans??  Apparently not.  So, I treat myself to a facial every now and then.  Kelly is a naturalist and believes that so much of what ails us can be solved with home remedies.  On her recommendation, I started doing a strawberry mask every other morning.

It’s a simple combination of greek yogurt and fresh berries.  I puree a half container of single serving plain greek yogurt with 4 medium size berries in my mini-food processor.  I keep that combination in my fridge for the week.  Before I shower, I’ll paint it on my face with a pastry brush…or fingertips will do in a pinch.  Kelly says you can leave it on for just a few minutes, but I’ve found the best results when I leave it on for about 30 minutes until it’s slightly dry.  Then when I jump in the shower, it’s easy to rinse off.

Strawberries contain salicylic acid that rids the skin of dead cells, makes your skin pores smaller and your face look brighter and shinier. They gently refresh and exfoliate the skin, remove impurities, and reduce redness and swelling, which is wonderful for a cleansing and skin softening facial mask.  Kelly also recommends a pumpkin mask, so when strawberries are out of season just add pureed pumpkin.

(Some people are allergic to strawberries, so test it out on a small patch of skin before applying everywhere if you have sensitive skin.)