Isnin, 3 Mac 2014

5 DIY Face Mask Recipes All Natural - From Food

For those of us who don’t have the time to escape to a spa for relaxation, these homemade face masks are a great solution for giving skin a boost. Even better, they are all made from completely non-toxic ingredients… in fact, you can eat most of them!

1. The Basic

Use some bentonite clay or kaolin clay and add enough water to make a paste. Apply to face in a circular motion until face is covered. Let dry and use a warm, wet washcloth to remove.
Good for: All skin types

2. Tropical Mask

Mash one banana with 1 tablespoon of honey and mix until it forms a smooth paste. Apply to face and allow to stay on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse well.
Good for: Dry skin.

3. Chai  Mask

For a delicious smelling mask that also gently exfoliates skin, mix this mask that doubles as a sweetener for Chai tea. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of honey and 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Rub on face and let sit 20 minutes. Remove with a washcloth and warm water. (Note: some people react to cinnamon or nutmeg on skin. Test a small amount on your inner arm before using)
Good for: oily or normal skin.

4.The Guacomolemask

For dry skin, mash 1/2 of a ripe avocado with 2 tablespoons of honey and apply to the face. Let sit 20+ minutes and rinse well.
Good for: All skin types, especially dry skin.

5. Cool Cucumber Mask

This one is especially great for oily or inflamed skin. Blend 1/2 of a cucumber with 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of bentonite or kaolin clay. Add additional clay if needed to create a paste. Apply to face and leave on for 20 minutes.
Remove with a washcloth and warm water.
Good for: All skin types, especially cooling for acne prone skin.

Aftercare:

After using a facemask, a sea salt spray or 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar diluted in 1 cup of cool water work as great toners to lock in the effects.
I find that these all work best in combination with the Oil Cleansing Method for completely natural skin care.

Sea Spray for Skin
 
DIY Sea Spray for Healthy Skin Sea Spray for Skin

A nourishing sea salt spray for skin that helps reduce acne and firm skin. This spray leaves skin feeling refreshed and clean.
Author:
Recipe type: Beauty/Cosmetic
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Add salt and epsom salt/magnesium (if using) to warm water and stir until salt is completely dissolved.
  2. Add essential oils if using and store in a glass jar or spray bottle.
  3. To use: Apply to skin by spraying or with a cotton pad as a toner. Great for use as part of a daily skin care routine of after swimming.
Notes
In place of distilled water, an herbal tea can be used as long as the tea is made from dried herbs. Calendula or chamomile tea work really well in this recipe or mint can be used for a cooling spray!

Credits to :wellnessmama.com

Ahad, 2 Mac 2014

Home Made Lotion Bars

I’ve finally reached a point where I make all of our toiletry products by hand. I’ve saved a lot of money doing this with bulk ingredients, and I love that I’m not putting any chemicals on my family’s skin. (Finally even replaced my make-up with homemade versions)
I’ve made lotion in the past, but was excited to stumble on this great variation, which is solid at room temperature and looks like a bar of soap. It is also even easier to make than lotion because it doesn’t require any emulsifying with water, which is the tough step. These are solid at room temperature like a bar of soap, but when rubbed on the skin, a tiny amount melts and is transferred to the skin, leaving a highly moisturizing and very thin layer.
There are endless variations on this lotion bar recipe too. You could add any mixture of essential oils, or add zinc oxide to make a diaper rash bar. I’ve also modified for a deodorant bar that is more like stick deodorant (that recipe coming soon) and travels well. I’m infusing oil for a neosporin imitation bar and my homemade sunscreen bars are drying now (I’ll post those too!).
These are fun presents, and could be made for baby shower gifts, birthdays, Christmas gifts, or for pregnant moms to use to prevent stretch marks. Did I mention it is super easy?

The Ingredients:

This recipe can be adjusted to make any quantity that you’d like. I made with 1 part=1 cup so I used 1 cup of coconut oil, 1 cup beeswax and 1/3 cup each of shea butter, cocoa butter and mango butter (though I could have used 1 cup of any of the individual ones). I also added about 50 drops of lavender essential oil. I set them in silicon baking cups though any mold or shape would work. The recipe I used made exactly 12 lotion bars.

How to Make:

Combine all ingredients (except essential oils if using) in a double boiler, or a glass bowl over a smaller saucepan with 1 inch of water in it. UPDATE: Combine in a quart size glass mason jar with a lid instead and place this in a small saucepan of water until melted. This will save your bowl and you can just designate this jar for these type of projects and not even need to wash it out…
Turn the burner on and bring water to a boil. Stir ingredients constantly until they are melted and smooth:
  1.  Remove from heat and add the essential oils.
  2. Gently stir by hand until essential oils are incorporated.
  3. Carefully pour into molds or whatever you will be allowing the lotion bars to harden in. I used these silicon baking cups, though any mold would work.
Allow the lotion bars to cool completely before attempting to pop out of molds. These could be made in different shaped molds for different holiday gifts (hearts for valentines, flowers for Mother’s day, etc.) or made in a square baking pan and then cut into actual bars.

Sabtu, 1 Mac 2014

Food Facial Mask

No need to drop a lot of money at the spa for great skin, just rub breakfast on your face instead! Many foods are also beneficial for your skin too!

How to Do It: Use honey, plain yogurt or whipped egg whites by themselves or in combination for a great toning facial mask that leaves skin glowing.

Jumaat, 28 Februari 2014

Natural Hair Conditioner

For an occasional hair strengthening treat, mix up some other breakfast foods into a natural hair mask. This certainly isn’t one for everyday use, but it makes hair shiny and smooth and even works on really curly hair (according to a lucky friend with lovely curls!)

How to Do It: Mix one banana and one avocado and puree until smooth (great way to use over ripe bananas and avocados!). Add essential oils if Banana isn’t your fragrance of choice. Comb through clean, damp hair and put a shower cap on. Leave on for at least 15 minutes and rinse out in the shower. Go sign up to audition for a hair commercial!

Home Made Skin Care Recipes

This articel copy paste from  wellnessmama.com.

 It seems that (especially for women) switching from regular skin care products to natural versions is one of the tougher natural living steps to take.
It’s hard to break free of the age defying, wrinkle reversing, acne preventing claims of conventional products and switch to a natural option, even though the natural options are often cheaper and work better!
Below are some of my favorite natural skin-care recipes to help you make the switch more easily!

Natural Face Wash

I’ve been using the oil cleansing method for a couple of years, and I’d still highly recommend it, but I’ve recently switched to a faster, easier and even cheaper option: Microfiber.  
Oil Cleansing Method
Use olive, coconut, or almond oil with Castor oil to clean your skin instead of a harsh soap. This will cleanse your skin naturally and keep from pulling out natural oils. My personal blend is 25% Castor Oil (don’t use straight!) and 75% sweet almond oil.
How to do it: Rub a small amount of oil onto dry face and massage into skin for several minutes. To remove, soak a clean washcloth in steamy water and place on face until it starts to cool. Gently use the washcloth to wipe your face until the oil is gone. Softest. Skin.

Microfiber are makes from a natural body cloth with silver wound into the thread so it is completely antibacterial. It takes off makeup, food (kids faces, not mine!), dirt, etc. without any soap at all (which is great since soap strips the natural oils in the skin).  It is also completely safe to use on babies and kids (which would be especially helpful for any kids with eczema) and the cheapest/most environmentally friendly.
You can also use pure, organic your face cleanser in water to naturally cleanse the face. A few drops on a wash cloth or in a sink full of water will naturally clean your face.

Natural Make Up Remover
Microfiber actually works great for this too and removes even mascara without soap or oils.
Plain olive or coconut oil will also remove mascara (even waterproof) and will remove other make-up as well but isn’t as ideal if you have oily skin.

Lotions and Moisturizers

For most people, pure coconut oil is all that is needed for moisturizing the face. It is naturally full of collagen supporting lauric acid and is easily absorbed by the skin. Even for oily and acne prone skin, coconut oil’s natural anti-bacterial properties make it a great option.
For those with dry skin or who want to prevent aging naturally, a homemade lotion bar is a great (and naturally SPF 5) option. You can even add zinc oxide to make a sunscreen bar if you need the extra protection, or alter into a natural deodorant.

Natural Exfoliators

A sugar/oil scrub is great for most skin types when extra exfoliation is needed. Just mix equal parts oil (coconut, olive, etc.) and sugar (white or brown) and use as a whole body exfoliator.
For more oily skin, plain baking soda can be used to exfoliate skin and remove blackheads or dirt.

Natural Anti-Aging

There are a ton of anti-aging products available but the best options are the ones you take internally. All of the collagen products that are supposed to firm up skin don’t take into account that collagen must be produced internally and is too large to absorb through the skin.
To promote natural collagen production, I’d suggest using coconut oil as a moisturizer and taking Gelatin, Fermented Cod Liver Oil/Butter Blend and Vitamin C to support natural Collagen production internally.

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