This mini facial not only leaves your skin feeling luxurious, it’s an inexpensive and all-natural way to give it the pick-me-up it deserves. People with skin sensitivity to the acidity of citrus fruits should use caution. Use organic products whenever possible. Resources: Cox, Janice. Natural Beauty at Home; Benge, Sophie. Asian Secrets of Health, Beauty & Relaxation; Kostyk, Annmarie. Chocolate is Healthy: Myths, Truths and Delicious Recipes.
If you love avocados as much as I do, good luck not eating them before you put them on your face! We’ve all heard about all of the ‘good fats’ that avocados contain, which is why they are so good for certain types of skin, especially during this brutally harsh winter many of us are experiencing right now. So go ahead, get a big bag of avocadoes, use some on your face and make guacamole with the rest of them!
Avocado Face Mask
Ingredients
Note: for dry skin, add a bit of olive oil to the mashed avocado.
Preparation
Remove the peel and pit from the avocado. In a bowl, mash up very well. Apply all over face and neck and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Your skin should feel very soft after this quick and natural application.
Resources
Cox, Janice. Natural Beauty at Home
Benge, Sophie. Asian Secrets of Health, Beauty & Relaxation.
Kostyk, Annmarie. Chocolate is Healthy: Myths, Truths and Delicious Recipes. The Kindle edition of this book is now available on Amazon.
Another day, another chance to get closer to healthier skin by making your own skincare, if you so choose. Just as the name indicates, you probably have all of the ingredients for this body scrub items in your pantry without realizing their usefulness as a body scrub. No need to head to the store for those pricey exfoliants- head to your pantry instead!
Kitchen Pantry Body Scrub
Ingredients
¼ cup coffee grounds
1/8 cup light olive oil
½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ raw cane sugar
Preparation
Mix all ingredients with a fork. During your shower, apply the scrub all of over your body in a circular, massaging motion. Work the mixture deeply into your rough areas like elbows and heels. When finished, cleanse as usual.
Note: Because this mixture contains oil and should be applied during a shower, your floor could become very slippery. Be sure to use a mat to prevent slipping.
Resources
Cox, Janice. Natural Beauty at Home
Benge, Sophie. Asian Secrets of Health, Beauty & Relaxation
Kostyk, Annmarie. Chocolate is Healthy: Myths, Truths and Delicious Recipes. The Kindle edition of this book is now available on amazon.com
Many women are led to believe they need to spend serious amounts of cash on fancy beauty products in order to take care of their skin properly. During a global recession, purchasing expensive cosmetics can seem like a guilty, but small pleasure you’re willing to pay for in comparison to other big-ticket items. Needless to say, every bit adds up. Money and food waste can be prevented by simply preparing homemade skincare products from items you probably already have in the fridge.
I thought it might be a good idea to provide one recipe every day this week for homemade skincare that’s quick, easy and budget-friendly. Pamper yourself- the weekend is a good time to begin.
Benefits of Homemade Skincare
Before I begin, you may be thinking that preparing your own homemade products is more hassle than it’s worth, but take just a minute to look at all the ways you’ll benefit from doing so.
1) More bang for your buck. Think about how much more product you get when making something yourself, especially when it comes to skincare. You control the amount and know exactly how much organic avocado oil really is in your face cleanser. After all, store-bought products contain such small amounts of those beneficial ingredients we purchase them for in the first place.
2) Knowledge of what you’re putting on your skin. You know what’s good for your skin type. What do you really know about the added ingredients in skincare products? Are they all natural? Organic? Are they safe for your skin as well as the environment? Do they contain hidden irritants not indicated on the label? How long have they been sitting on the store shelf? When you’ve made it yourself, you’ll have answers to all of these questions.
3) Healthy outcomes for you and the environment. Just like the food we eat, we need to concern ourselves with what we put on our skin, the body’s largest organ. A good rule of thumb is, “if you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin”. As a result, the homemade skincare product will give you better results as well as decompose naturally when discarded. No plastic bottles or containers to deal with. Eco-friendly skincare is waiting for you—in your kitchen.
Do something good for your skin today, something that is natural, healthy and halal– homemade concoctions you can put together using easy-to-find kitchen ingredients. If you like these, let me know- I’ll be encouraged to share more, insha’allah.
City Grime Cleanser
I absolutely love this cleanser- and you don’t have to live in a city to benefit from it.
It’s hard to believe that oil can actually make your face feel clean, but this recipe combines honey with olive oil to completely slough-off any build up resulting from pollutants that stick to the skin.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
Preparation
Mix ingredients together and apply to skin. Gently massage thoroughly, making sure all ingredients are absorbed into the skin. Rinse off with warm water using a gentle cloth.
Be sure to check back tomorrow for another recipe for homemade skincare.
Resources
1) Cox, Janice. Natural Beauty at Home
2) Benge, Sophie. Asian Secrets of Health, Beauty & Relaxation.
3) Kostyk, Annmarie. Chocolate is Healthy: Myths, Truths and Delicious Recipes. The Kindle edition of this book is now available on amazon.com