Homemade: Moisturizing Tonic

When we were kids there was this infomercial on TV for Pearl Cream (tell me you remember it - it was one of our favorites and would make us laugh very time it came on!). We loved to act it out with a so-called Chinese accent: "Want to know za seekwet of Owientow women? Poh Kweem, made fwom wee-oh pohs!"

The truth is, "Oriental" women may indeed have a secret for their youthful-looking skin. My mom has been making this concoction for years and she swears by it. I finally got Mom to share her secret recipe - it is astonishingly simple and SO inexpensive to make. Best of all, it makes your skin so soft and smooth... in fact, I think we sisters should probably make an infomercial for it. That's how good it is.

Kumi's Amazing Oriental Tonic

Ingredients:

1/4 cup urea powder

1 cup purified water
1 tsp. glycerin
few drops of essential oil for fragrance

Mix all the ingredients together and add your preferred essential oil if you'd like. Keep this concentrate refrigerated. When you're ready to use it, dilute with purified water - 1 part tonic to 20 parts water for your face and body. If you want something a bit more potent for super moisturizing power (like on your dry, cracked heels), simply use less water.  Now, some of these ingredients may seem a bit foreign, but your local pharmacy may actually carry them.  I ordered the urea and glycerin through Amazon and got a pretty good deal.  Let me know if you have any questions about it.

Anyone who's ever met my mom would know that she has amazingly soft, supple skin. This is her secret!