Natural Skin Care Recipes
March 11, 2009
This is a post in a series about natural beauty treatments. So far we’ve we talked about nutrition for healthy skin, as well as other lifestyle factors that contribute to natural beauty. Then we shared ingredients for natural skin care treatments.
Looking great doesn’t require lots of expensive, chemical-filled beauty products. We can get glowing skin, shiny hair and strong nails by using ingredients found in nature. By making our own natural beauty treatments, we can save money and spare ourselves from the damage caused by the ingredients used in most mass-produced beauty products.
Now that you’re familiar with some of the ingredients you can use for your natural beauty treatments, here are some recipes to try.
(for dry skin and/or makeup removal)
* 10 oz. apricot kernel oil
* 2 oz. cocoa butter
* 2 oz. beeswax
Melt all ingredients together in the top of a double boiler. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon until cooled. Store in a jar in the refrigerator.
Simple Sugar Scrub
(for all sorts of skin)
* 1 tbsp. sugar
* A few drops of olive oil
Put sugar in a small bowl. Mix in a few drops of olive oil at a time until a paste is formed. Massage into skin and rinse with warm water. Kosher salt may be substituted for the sugar to make a salt scrub.
Rose Water Mask
(for combination skin)
* 1 tbsp. rose water
* 1 tbsp. plain yogurt
* 1 tbsp. honey
In a bowl mix rose water, yogurt and honey. Mix well. Use immediately.
Oatmeal Mask/Scrub
(for sensitive skin)
* 1/2 cup uncooked oats
* 1 tbsp. honey
Mix oats and honey to form a paste. Massage into face and neck. Leave on face for 10 to 15 minutes and rinse off.
For an exfoliating mask, grind the oats finely in a blender, food processor or spice grinder. Mix with water to make a paste, apply and gently scrub. Rinse and moisturize.
Honey and Apple Mask
(for oily skin)
* 4 tbsp. honey
* 1 apple
Grate apple into a fine pulp. Stir in honey. Use immediately: applying to skin and leaving on for 15 minutes. Rinse.
Cornmeal Scrub
(for oily skin)
* 2 tbsp. cornmeal
* Enough water to make a paste (you can also use fresh, raw apple juice if you have it)
Mix ingredients thoroughly. Massage onto face and rinse off.
Green Tea Toner
(for normal to oily skin)
* 5 green tea bags
* 1/3 to 1/2 cup of chopped chamomile
* 2 cups mineral water
Combine ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Apply liquid with a cotton ball after cleansing the face. Store remainder in refrigerator for up to a week.
(Note: You may substitute any other herb that is appropriate for your skin type for the chamomile. Elderflower and marigold are good choices for dry skin.)
Papaya Peel
(exfoliates and reduces fine lines and wrinkles)
* 1 cup fresh pineapple
* 1/2 cup fresh papaya
* 1 tbsp. honey
Puree pineapple and papaya together in blender. Add honey and mix to create a paste. Apply to the face and leave on for 20 minutes, then rinse.
Mint Mask
(for reviving dull skin)
* 1/2 cucumber, sliced
* 1 tsp. cocoa butter
* 1 egg white
* Handful of mint leaves
Put mint leaves and cucumber slices in blender and mix into a paste. Add cocoa butter and egg white, and beat well. Apply to the face and leave on for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with cold water.
Firming Mask
* 1/2 tbsp. Vitamin E oil
* 1 tbsp. yogurt
* 1 egg
Beat egg lightly. Gently mix in other ingredients. Massage into face and neck. Leave on for 20 minutes, then rinse with warm water. Use immediately – this recipe does not store well.
What about the rest of your body? So glad you asked. Come back tomorrow for recipes for natural body care!
photo credit: love･janine
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LOVE these recipes! Thanks so much!