Filed under: beauty, DIY, egg, Hair-care, Honey, moisturizing, oil, olive oil, Organic recipes | Tags: avocado, beauty, egg, hair, honey, olive oil
What are you doing tomorrow afternoon? Homework? Watching TV? If you’re going to be lounging around, then treat your hair to this conditioning mask.
It takes an hour or two to work, but it’s worth it if your hair is fried from being styled all the time or just lifeless from the recent fluctuating weather. And this recipe is from this month’s Marie Claire magazine, so you don’t have to trust me.
Ingredients:
2 small avocados
1/2 cup honey
1 egg yolk (use the egg white for this)
2 tbsp olive oil
Leave in for an hour or two and then shower and condition as usual. Your hair will thank you me.
You’re welcome 
Filed under: beauty, bleaching, cleanse, eczema, lemon, moisturizing, yeast | Tags: cleanse, DIY, lemon, scrub, water, yeast
I made my very first yeast bread this week – and it turned out perfectly. I’ve always been scared to do it because I’ve been nervous about using yeast. It’s alive – and you have to feed it if you want it to obey you. So scary.
But it’s also great for your skin! It’s a surprise to me too, but don’t be scared. It’s easy and simple and, depending on your skin type, can make your skin less oily or more moisturized.
Dry Skin
Mix one packet of active dry yeast with enough water to make a paste. Swipe some on your skin and leave on for 5-10 minutes. Done!
Oily Skin
Use one packet of active dry yeast and mix with enough lemon juice to make a paste. Use it as a scrub first and then leave on for 5-10 minutes. Perfect!
Filed under: banana, eczema, groundhog day, milk, moisturizing, oatmeal, scrub | Tags: beauty, diy beauty, dry skin, groundhog day, milk, moisturizing, oatmeal, organic skin-care
Happy snow day!
Ironically, the rodent who predicts the future said today that spring is around the corner. I don’t know what’s more confusing about Groundhog Day: the fact that we let shadows predict things, or that the men who assist in the ceremony dress like Mr. Peanut? Also, have you ever tried explaining this holiday to a foreigner? Yeah.
Whatever the outcome of today’s rodent forecast, it’s still terribly cold and snowy here – as well as in most of the United States. I am fortunate to have the day off, so it’s time to relax after all the traveling I’ve been doing!
Dry skin is still the topic, since it’s still freezing outside and our skin is still suffering.
Face
Mash one banana and add 1/2 cup of oatmeal. I like to moisten the oatmeal a little first so it is easier to make a mask with. Apply for as long as you can stand and rinse off. I like to do this before bed and skip the lotion I usually use. Instead of benzoyl peroxide (my usual anti-acne treatment) I use the banana peel!
Body
Pack some oatmeal and dry milk in muslin or cheesecloth. Tie it securely and place in hot bath water, sort of like you’re making a big cup of tea. Remember, the lactic acid in milk is a great exfoliant for sensitive skin while the oatmeal is moisturizing and soothing.
Enjoy!
Filed under: beauty, cocoa, DIY, Honey, moisturizing, oil, olive oil, Skin-care | Tags: cocoa, coconut milk, diy beauty, hair, moisturizing, oil, skin
Maine is freezing!It’s like we’re trapped under a sheet of ice – and have been for the past week. You might think I’m exaggerating, but the fact is that I haven’t regained feeling in my toes yet. And I don’t even live in a log cabin.
We’ve had a snow day and many of us have avoided going out as much as possible, staying inside to sip hot cocoa and watch movies. Your skin especially will be hurting from the negative temperatures. So take some of that hot cocoa and put it on your face! Here’s how to make the most of the next snow day.
Dry skin mask: Your skin is so dry and frozen that it hates you. Treat it kindly by blending honey and as much cocoa as needed to create a paste and applying it to your face. If your skin needs even more moisture, use olive oil in place of honey.
Hair help: Cocoa is pretty dark and can easily stain, so this is only recommended for those with dark, frizzy hair. Use whole milk (or coconut milk) and mix with cocoa and a bit of oil. Yes this is a little slimy but it is so nourishing! Use it as a conditioner and leave on for 5 minutes.
Now you’re more prepared for the future storms. You’re welcome.
Filed under: beauty, DIY, lemon, moisturizing, oil, olive oil, Organic recipes, organic skin-care, refreshing, Skin-care | Tags: beauty, cucumber, DIY, glamour, lemon, olive oil, organic skin-care
I get daily emails from countless magazine bloggers. It sounds lame, but it’s fun and also helps me escape from the mundane to focus on me for a minute or two. Shape magazine sends me tips on making my day a little more active. Allure tells me about the best of beauty. And Glamour will tell me just about anything.
This week I received and email from Glamour’s bloggers with a simple DIY trick that I just had to share. Below are the instructions.
“1. Take 2 whole cucumbers, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil and puree in a blender.
2. Divide the mixture into two plastic baggies. Slide one foot into each bag and massage the cucumber mask all over the foot.
3. Leave your feet in the bags for 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water.
‘The cucumber is extra refreshing and reviving for tired toes, the lemon helps exfoliate, and the olive oil deeply moisturizes for super softness,’ says [Skyy] Hadley, who relies on this recipe to keep feet smooth for up to a week.”
Remember that acidic fruits like lemon exfoliate on another level than what a traditional scrub would. The acidic nature helps exfoliate sensitive skin without the irritating beads/pieces in a scrub.This is such an easy recipe. Instead of plastic bags I would just use a foot bath bucket – I’m not a fan of over-using pastic items.
Make today a relaxing Saturday. Enjoy!
Filed under: beauty, DIY, moisturizing, oil, peanut butter, scrub, Skin-care | Tags: DIY, diy beauty, moisurizing, oil, organic skin-care, peanut butter
[Aside from the Christmas stress this past month, there were two birthdays and a wedding. I'm sure now you know why it's been a while since you last saw a post from me.]
But now it’s a new year and I’m back in full swing… with terribly dry skin on my hands. I’ll be focusing on dry skin issues for a while since they are ever present in the winter. Here’s a super simple way to take care of it!
Peanut butter! Today, after I served the classic apple slices and peanut butter snack to one of the kids I nanny, I had some peanut butter left on my hands after digging out the rest from the bottom of the jar. It worked especially well on my cuticles.
I know, it’s a pretty strong and lingering smell. It’s also pretty oily so be mindful of smearing it all over your face if you’re prone to breakouts. I also suggest using the natural kind because it has a grittier texture for extra exfoliation. It leaves behind a soft, moisturizing barrier for the hands.
Face
Face Scrub: As previously mentioned, be aware that this can exacerbate acne prone skin. I have sensitive skin so I can usually only use a very small amount of this at a time, or dilute it to suit my skin needs. Using natural peanut butter means you can apply it directly to the face and scrub lightly with your finger pads. However, I dilute the peanut butter until it is nearly a liquid and use coffee grinds to make it feel more like a scrub.
Body
Body Scrub: I would only use this if I had some time to myself. I’m not particularly into smelling like a peanut butter sandwich. Mix peanut butter with 1/2 – 1 cup oatmeal for a moisturizing and soothing scrub.
Hands
Hand mask: Use as much or as little peanut butter as desired. Use alone or mix with honey or olive oil for added moisture.
Filed under: beauty, cleanse, DIY, eczema, egg, eggnog, Hair-care, holiday, milk, moisturizing, nutmeg, vinegar | Tags: beauty, eczema, eggnog, family photos, holidays, milk, natural skin-care, nutmeg, sasquatch, skin, stress, vinegar
Holidays are stressful. Stress does bad things for your skin.
CUE FAMILY PHOTOS!
Why do we get up at the crack of dawn to open gifts? More importantly, why are cameras so readily available at that time? I mean when you’re a kid your parents and loved ones need documentation of the holiday season… but we’re adults now, so leave the camera out of the picture, right?
No. You’re just going to have to look good this year. Because we take pictures to remember the moments (this is what the picture fiends tell me) so we’re going to have to give in. It IS the season of giving after all…
Do these things to look a bit better this year:
Dry Skin
If you have dry skin, chances are your skin is itchy and uncomfortable this time of year. Never fear – nutmeg is the answer. Simply making a paste of nutmeg and water and applying the mixture to the affected areas will ease the itch. This works especially well for those who suffer from eczema.
Oily Skin
If your skin is oily, you probably hate having your picture taken because your face looks so shiny. Grab a little eggnog and pat on your face! The egg makes your pores look smaller (thanks to its tightening effect) and the milk is a natural exfoliant and moisturizer. Leave on for 20 minutes and then rinse.
Oily Hair
We’ve talked about this one before, but it’s worth repeating. If you’ve been styling your hair every day (putting product in, layering serums and leave-in conditioners etc) you’re going to need to give it a good cleanse at some point. 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar mixed with your regular shampoo once a week will rid your hair of product build-up. Even better, shower on Christmas Eve and wake up with shiny, clean hair.
Enjoy planning and shopping and baking and pictures this holiday season. I wish you all a happy December!
Filed under: beauty, DIY, Honey, moisturizing, olive oil, Organic recipes, organic skin-care, refreshing, scrub, Skin-care, yogurt | Tags: beauty, body butter, DIY, fruit, honey, lotion, mango, moisturizing cream, olive oil, organic, yogurt
I’m kind of a fruit addict. I find the natural sugars in fruit far more scrumptious than those in sugary candy. Maybe if I had developed this fine taste for fruit over candy earlier I wouldn’t have gotten circa 20 cavities. I guess we’ll never know.
Lately, people have been buying a lot of mangoes. I work at an enormous store whose name I will not divulge for fear of being visited by people, and that is where I do all my research. So you can trust me when I say that people are buying mangoes at an alarming rate. Maybe it’s because they’re exotic and you can imagine yourself in a warm, far-off place while you eat them. Or maybe it’s their rich iron, vitamin C, and vitamin E content (which is great for the skin, especially now that it’s getting colder).
Face
Mango Mask: SO easy! 1/2 mashed mango, 1 or 2 tsp of plain greek yogurt (it’s thicker than regular yogurt) and some honey. Leave on for 20 minutes. Add sugar if you want it as a scrub!
Mango Body Butter: If you don’t make this, I will. And I’ll sell it. Because this sounds incredible.
(Taken from www.vitamin-supplements-store.net)
2 oz mango butter
1 oz olive oil, almond oil, kukui nut oil, macadamia nut oil, etc…
1 TBS(or more) cornstarch (to make it less greasy)
6-8 drops of Fragrance of your choice (try vanilla, lavender, or mix your own)
Melt the mango butter in a double boiler or you may use the microwave. When using the microwave, set the temperature on medium and check every 45 seconds. When the mango butter is completely melted, add oil and cornstarch and stir until it is a nice creamy consistency. Add essential oil or fragrance last. Allow your butter to set in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
So, if you can keep yourself from eating the mangoes you buy to do these skin tricks, then whip up some of this goodness.
Filed under: anti-aging, beauty, moisturizing, refreshing, rose, scrub | Tags: autumn weather, exfoliating, rose, rose-water
Roses are everywhere: at grocery stores in neon colors, on TV, in films … the list goes on. And understandably so. Roses (especially the red variety) have always signified the love aspect of human nature and often represent something or someone truly unique.
The smell is at once uplifting calming and even drinking rose hip tea is rejuvenating. I myself have bought the same lip balm for four years, addicted to its light, rose scent and healing properties.
These tips are as simple and as elegant as the flowers they stem from.
Rose water
As simple as boiling rose petals in water for as long as it takes to distill water. The water can be stored in a cool dry place for as long as you use it. Rose water is a simple astringent used for cleansing the skin of dirt and oil. It is also moisturizing, making it perfect for the dry weather soon upon us.
Rose at-home spa
After you’ve made rose water on the stove and before you bottle it, use it to steam your face and proceed with spa treatments: cleansing, exfoliation, massage and finally whatever creams and serums you use on a daily basis.
Rose exfoliator
Crush rose petals and mix them into a store-bought exfoliator or any home-made one.
Filed under: apple juice, beauty, caffeine, cleanse, coffee, Honey, moisturizing, olive oil, refreshing, scrub | Tags: apple, apple juice, cleansing, coffee, firming, honey, moisturizing, olive oil, school, scrub
I wish I were going back to school this fall. I’ll miss Farmington and the people there that I love. But graduating has its perks too, like working full time (if you’re lucky!).
I got lucky and landed a nanny job for two beautiful boys. I’m excited to grow and learn with them – expect many “how to clean up after kids” posts in the future!
But if you’re reading this and going back to school soon, congratulations! Here are a few ideas to get your skin and hair back in order after a long summer. These tricks involve minimum ingredients – ingredients that you should pack with you when you move in.
Honey
Yes, I’ve done honey before. But I have to reiterate what a wonder it is. I always have honey on hand to use as a scrub for hands and face (a little honey, a little raw sugar – done!) as well as an antibacterial. When you’re straightening your hair for the first day and you accidentally burn your face, put honey on it for five minutes while the swelling goes away.
Apple juice
The 100% juice, not the 100% sugar stuff. Freeze the apple juice as individual ice cubes in your mini fridge and use them as a toner in the morning. This is excellent for puffy eyes!
Olive Oil
I buy the smallest bottle I can and keep it with my bottles and cans of face and hair magic. Olive oil can be used to shave with (nick-free and silky skin) as well as soften cuticles and skin (a little oil, a little raw sugar) when the temperatures drop. 
Coffee
Warm, wet coffee grounds are by far the best morning facial. If you’ve been up all night studying and writing papers, not only will the scrub constrict pores and firm skin with its major dose of caffeine, the smell will wake you up instantly.
Of course, there are plenty more tips that take more time and effort, but honey, olive oil, coffee, and apple juice are easy to pack and store and will help you out of many bad hair/skin days. Trust me.
