Don't you just hate it how one part of your face is oily and shiny, while another is dry and flakey? It seems almost impossible to be able to clean both zones equally. Soap just makes the dry areas drier and lotions make the oily areas even greasier. So what's a woman to do?

The problem may lie in the facial cleansing products that you are using. While they may work well for your T-zone, the chemicals in the product may actually be removing too much of the natural oils from the rest of your face. That's the evil of manufactured skin care products. Anyway you look at it, it's practically impossible to buy a completely natural skin care product made from pure organic ingredients. They have to add some chemicals in order to stabilize and preserve the product for a certain shelf life.

The good news is... the solution to your problem may lie right in your own kitchen cabinets.

Homemade natural skin care products don't contain any additional chemical ingredients that could potentially irritate or harm your skin. The only prospective problem may lie in people who are allergic to certain food ingredients. This is easily overcome by substituting the offending food or ingredient with another similar ingredient. For example, if you are allergic to strawberries you could substitute a cucumber instead.

Not only do homemade skin care products cost a lot less to make, you can easily experiment with what works best for you without breaking the bank. Let's face it, some of the products on the market cost a small fortune! I know it frustrates me to buy a product for $20 and find out it either doesn't work or I can't use it because it makes me break out. It's much easier to head off to the kitchen, mix up a small sample batch of something and give it a try.

You will find that some recipes have to be mix up just prior to use as they don't store well, but the majority of recipes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week allowing you to mix up a small batch to save yourself some time. The following recipes are great for people with combination/oily skin that tend to break out with acne and blackheads. Why not give these a try and see how they work for you?

Facial Cleanser For Normal to Oily Skin

2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp glycerin
1/2 cup distilled water

Mix the ingredients together until smooth. Pour into a jar and place the jar inside a double-boiler pot (do not use direct heat on the jar). Bring the water in the outer pot to a boil and heat the mixture until it is clear and has thickened. (If it thickens too much, add a bit more water). Remove from heat and let cool. This is a good all-over facial cleanser and should keep for 7 to 10 days.

Green Tea Skin Toner

1 teabag of green tea
1/2 cup boiling water

Let the tea bag steep for 2 to 3 minutes in the hot water. Remove the tea bag and let the water cool. Pour into an empty toner bottle or something similar with a small opening. Use with cotton pads like you would regular toner. If you wish to, you could also add a 3 or 4 drops of tea tree essential oil. Tea tree oil is a great antiseptic for pimples, while the oil helps to moisturize the skin.

Facial Scrub (Good for blackheads)

1 part baking soda
1 part water

Mix together into a paste. Gently scrub blackheads for 2 to 3 minutes. Rinse off. Use once or twice a week.

Natural Scrub For Oily Skin

1 part sea salt
1 part lemon juice

Mix into a paste and gently scrub face for 1 to 2 minutes. Rinse off. Interestingly, you would think this would be very drying to your skin, but I've found it actually leaves your skin feeling clean, refreshed, and soft. Use once a week to remove dead skin cells.

Deep Cleansing Mask

1/2 of a peeled, pureed cucumber
1 tbsp plain, natural yogurt

Mix ingredients together and apply to the face (avoid eye area). Let dry for 20 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. Use once or twice a week to remove dead skin cells and refresh your skin.

As you can see, making up your own natural homemade skin care recipes can be quite simple and convenient with the right ingredients in the house. After all, if you have to run out to buy some cleanser, toner, moisturizer, etc., why not just stock up on what you need to make your own facial skin care products instead? At least you'll know exactly what's contained in each product. Just remember to throw away the old stuff after 7 days and make a fresh batch for the following week. Your skin will thank you for it.