[ Orange blossom ]

Do you like Orange? I love Orange juice, the fruit itself including the peels. Raised eyebrows? Well, I can explain. Orange peels are a great source for vitamin c, and in my family we have a secret recipe of mashed orange peels to be eaten with rice. Apart from this I like Orange peel for one another reason. I use it on my face as a pack. The fresh citrus smell is so energizing that I wish I could use it everyday. I pair it with oats.

Though oats and orange peel pack sounds very easy but the process isn’t. I don’t want to discourage you but, if you are willing to give it a go, remember it needs time and little bit of patience but no hard work. Just save the orange peels after you eat the fruit. Wash it under cold water and dry it with a kitchen towel thoroughly.

Top: sun dried peels Bottom: fresh peels — Top: sun dried peels
Bottom: fresh peels

Then put it out in the hot sun, in your balcony or rooftop. You can loosely cover it with a net to avoid animal or birds destroying them. After few days you will see the peels turned hard like a cracker and easily crack if you press between your fingers. Take them, and put it in a jar and keep it, where it can get sunlight everyday. It stays better that way.

Once your peels are ready in a grinder, put 1o grams of peels and oats and make a smooth powder. Don’t give all once, do it in two batches. I keep this powder up to 3 months on a window. The sun light keeps it fresh and crispy.

Now that you have the basic powder ready mix it with cucumber water or rose water with a little bit if baking powder and ground turmeric. Put it on your face (I use it all over my body) put cucumber on your eyes and relax for 20 minutes. Wash off with warm water. You will see an instant change. The sunburn has reduced, the skin is glowing and thanks to the citrus smell the mood lifted.

This pack helps combat sunburn, reduce dark spots on the skin and keep the skin fresh and free from acne. This is an old skin care tip I learnt from an aunt. If you want you can skip the baking powder, if you have dry skin. It works as a great scrub as well.

You can also keep it in your toilet and use a spoonful of the powder every night as a natural cleanser. In this case don’t leave it on your face for long, just mix the mixture with rose water, gently scrub on your face and wash off. This works well for dry, oily and combination skin.

The orange peel and oats mix (if you don't use your remekins to make souffle, use it to display face packs) — The orange peel and oats mix (if you don’t use your remekins to make souffle, use it to display face packs)

The pack helped me combating acne and sunburn a great deal. I recommend this as a believer of Orange blossom pack; yeah that’s what I call it.

Photo: Author.