Cucumber is so cooling - to eat and on your face! I just harvested some cucumber from my permaculture kitchen garden for a dinner salad and couldn't resist nibbling a few slices while I was getting it ready. And, being the end of a hot day I suddenly felt compelled to grab a slice and wipe it all over my face too - not just my eyes, but my brow, my cheeks, my neck... It felt so great! Immediately my face felt calm, relaxed and cool, and I did too.
It has been a pretty hot and sticky subtropical afternoon, and I've been down to check on the cows at the paddock. Tomorrow is our weekly milking morning - we take turns in our lovely cow collective. When I think of cucumber for the face, the obvious picture that comes to mind is someone lying down with them placed over their eyes. Being a busy mum with an active young family, I personally have never found the time to do this (to be honest, I think I'd get little bored - maybe I need to practice slowing down more!). There's no need to do any special preparations with cucumber. Believe me, a quick swipe of freshly sliced cucumber all over your face still does wonders! Even an hour after doing this simple thing, my face is still feeling so refreshingly cooled and clean. Cucumber is mostly water but also contains vitamin C. It's probably a good idea to do this regularly - to soften skin, reduce swelling and puffiness, and take the heat out. From now on, I'll make sure I always leave one slice for the face when I fill a plate!
One slice for me, one slice for my face
Because it takes out the heat, cucumber is great too for minor burns, sunburn and itches. Cucumber is originally from India where it has been cultivated for at least 3000 years. I always look forward to cucumber season in my garden. Here's a previous film clip I've made about saving cucumber seed:
Happy gardening. Feel free to share this post.
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