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, 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: antioxidant, cleanse, cleansing, Honey, organic skin-care, refreshing, scrub, Skin-care | Tags: apple, autumn, cleansing, fall, firming, organic, skin-care, toning
It’s that time again. Although after today’s 80-degree weather I’m not sure what season it is. Whatever the temp, though, it is autumn again and I couldn’t be happier about it. I love chilly mornings and sunny, temperate afternoons.
I also went apple picking for my first time ever last weekend. I mostly stood in a 45-minute line for apple cider donuts, but I DID pick one apple! I let my little brother climb trees and fill our paper bags with apples from Walingford’s. So, this week we’ve had two apple pies, a few apple dumplings, an apple crisp, and the most amazing apple strudel muffins.
And here’s what I’d do with the apples left over.
Apple Mask: Oily skin? Grate one apple and mix with a teaspoon of honey. Leave on for 20 minutes and rinse with the coldest water you can stand.
Wrinkle Mask: Grate one unripe apple and leave on wrinkly skin for skin for thirty minutes.
Time consuming but worth it (taken from Care2.com):
“Autumn Magic Facial Mask
This formula soothes and nourishes skin and nerves, and provides gentle exfoliating action.
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cored apple, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon rolled oats
1 teaspoon cream
1 teaspoon honey
Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Apply to clean face, massaging gently, and allow mixture to remain on skin for 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water.
Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/apples-kitchen-cupboard-beauty.html##ixzz10aky6Jjp“
Filed under: baking soda, cucumber, DIY, Honey, lemon, organic skin-care, refreshing, salt | Tags: baking soda, beauty, DIY, gym, heavy cream, honey, lemon, organic, salt, working out
Now that my busy schedule has become a routine, I can get back to some of the things I love: blogging and going to the gym. I’ve been on hiatus from the blogging (yes, again) and from the gym (want these!) because I have to actually buy a membership now that I’m a grown up and can’t use the university gym for free. Bummer.
I’m not exactly a gym-lover, I just love the way a work out feels. I also love pretending to be good at running and always exit the gym with a tomato-red face while avoiding the pretty, skinny girls at the desk.
When I return home I promptly take a shower (even before speaking to people. I don’t want anyone to recognize me post- gym) and do a few things to restore my energy and ease the occasional muscle/joint pain.
Cold
DIY Ice Pack: So easy! Fill a heavy duty zip-lock bag with three parts water and one part rubbing alcohol and freeze it.
Hot
Salty sock: No, really. Heat as much salt as desired in a heavy pan and pour it into a clean, heavy sock. Tie the end and use it on strained or sore muscles.
Mask
I like to follow my work outs with a deep- cleansing mask because sweat and oil settle in pores to create blackheads and infections. Sometimes I use Korres Cinnamon Mask because it has unexpected ingredients and it’s not DIY so I can use it in a hurry, but if I have more time I’ll do this one: 1 tbs heavy cream, 1 tbs honey, and enough baking soda to make a paste.
Remember to replenish precious water lost from the body. I like to add lemon for extra cleansing or cucumber for even more hydration. I hope this entry inspires me to get a membership soon!
Filed under: anti-aging, beauty, cleanse, cleansing, DIY, Hair-care, Organic recipes, organic skin-care, refreshing | Tags: baking soda, chlorine in hair, cleansing, diy beauty, organic hair-care, organic skin-care
My first memory of baking soda (“shake it till you can’t shake it no mo’”) is that my grandmother used it in the refrigerator so that the fish she bought each week wouldn’t make her house smell like low tide. My brother and I were grateful for this because we spent much of our time in the fridge searching for delicious things and did not want to be impeded by horrible smells.
Then my boyfriend told me he used to drink baking soda and water to settle an upset stomach. I suffer from some pretty bad stomach pains – but none that would ever make me turn to that tip. I tastes too awful!
I blogged three weeks ago about one good thing baking soda can do for you – especially when you’re in dire need of a cure like I was then – but this week I want to share even more tips because this ingredient is a gem and I can’t keep secrets like this to myself.
Hair
Chlorine Cure: I’ve talked about the chlorine content of the water here and of my fear of green locks. So here’s a tip that I’ve been using as regularly as a if I were a pro swimmer. 1 tsp to a bottle of shampoo adds extra cleaning and helps prevent dull or discolored hair.
Dry Shampoo: Many like the effect of dry shampoo because it helps with oily roots but also can add volume to the finer hairs in life. Sprinkle a little on, massage in and use a hair dryer to restyle if necessary.
Body
Anti dry: For some reason the skin on my elbows and knees are dryer than they normally are in the summer. All I do to get rid of this is to make a paste of baking soda and water and apply. Rinse off when dry.
Hands: I also like to soften my cuticles with a toothbrush dipped in baking soda and water.
Face
White mask: Exfoliating, cleansing and anti-acne, this mask (made of just water and baking soda) is one of the best DIY tips of all time. Women have used it for centuries. If you don’t feel like you have the energy to indulge in a whole mask, you can make just enough to cover one blemish. Rinse when dry.
There are many more tips like these! Check them out.
Filed under: alpha-hydroxy acid, anti-aging, antioxidant, beauty, cleanse, moisturizing, olive oil, organic skin-care, refreshing, scrub | Tags: alpha-hydroxy acid, body scrub, cleansing, kiwi, organic skin-care, refreshing
I love kiwis – the fruit, the animal and the people. But the fruit in particular is delicious and packed with vitamin C, which, as I’ve mentioned in other posts, is best used straight from its natural source.
There are a lot of great tips for using kiwi for skin care and there’s a good reason for it. Aside from being one of the biggest sources of vitamin C, the kiwi fruit is full of alpha-hydroxy acid, acids which exfoliate and brighten skin as well as control shine. Here are some tips that are especially great if your skin is tired and dull from a long work week.
Body
Green scrub: Make a scrub using raw or brown sugar (I personally prefer brown sugar because it makes a better paste) and the pulp of as many kiwis as it takes. This mix contains three exfoliators: the seeds from the kiwi, the AHAs and the sugar. And is smells so fresh – kind of like this.
Hands
Manicure prep: Use 1 kiwi pulp and 1 tbsp olive oil. Leave on for up to 20 minutes – this is exfoliating and moisturizing.
Face
Mashed: Just mashing the pulp of a kiwi and letting it sit on your face makes for a perfect mask. But adding extra ingredients depending on your skin type can heighten the experience. Add olive oil for dry skin and honey for combination skin. If you have oily skin, I would stick to just kiwi because it already has everything you need!
Filed under: antioxidant, beauty, cleanse, Honey, moisturizing, organic skin-care, scrub, sugar | Tags: antioxidants, beauty, cleansing, invigorating, organic, organic skin-care, scrub, sugar
It’s Friday and I really couldn’t be happier about that. This Sunday will mark my third week at this job, which means only five weeks left! And next week I actually begin teaching, so I’ll be needing some time to relax at the end of the day. Here’s how I’ll make my bathroom feel like a spa using sugar.
There is nothing better than a good scrub* to remove the top layer of dead skin cells on the face, body, feet and hands. It smoothes skin and makes everything seem brighter and cleaner. The best part is that you can make your own and they’re better than the ones you can buy because a) they’re all natural (and you have the option of making them organic) and b) they’re much cheaper this way. The best thing about these scrubs is that they last for a long time, so make a batch and store it in a mason jar in the shower for weeks!
Hands
New Hands Honey Scrub: I use this every time I give friends a manicure and they can attest to how incredibly soft their hands feel afterward. It’s like getting new skin! I mix 1 tsp honey with just enough sugar to make a paste and apply it with small, massaging circles. It rinses off easily!
Body
Brown Sugar Body Scrub: Unlike this, the homemade one doesn’t cost $65 and it’s customizable. I make mine with honey, vanilla extract (for an even sweeter smell) and of course, some brown sugar.
Face
Olive oil & sugar: I usually use the honey scrub on my face in the summer, but days that are dry call for this recipe. 1 tsp olive oil and as much sugar as needed to make a paste with. This scrub is very moisturizing so it is best for dry/aging skin.
*You may have heard that crushing almonds makes a good scrub, but this is not true – especially for the skin on your face. The uneven edges can make tears in your skin that take a long time to heal. Don’t do it!
Filed under: beauty, organic skin-care, skin-firming, Sun Care, tomato | Tags: beauty, organic hair-care, organic skin-care, sun care, tomato
[My Independence Day series is a three-day event where the posts will revolve around a red, a blue, and a white ingredient. All of these ingredients will in some way help sunburned skin but will also be good for other things. Happy Fourth!]
The people who predict the skies tell me it’s supposed to be a nice this July 4th weekend. If that’s true, I plan to be outside all. day. long. July 4th weekend is a mini-summer vacation for me and I’m going to enjoy it.
So I’ll either tan gracefully if I remember SPF or burn horribly. Either way, I tend to make it up to my skin with these red tips.
Body
Sunburn relief moisturizer: Crush an equal amount of tomato and yogurt. Blend well and apply.
Hair
De-green: My hair is very light blond and the chlorine content is so high in the water here (at my job) it’s like I spend my mornings in a pool, only less enjoyable. So tomato will help for two reasons: it is incredibly cleansing and acts as an astringent, and it is full of lycopene which is what gives it the red color. Red is the opposite of green on the color wheel, so the red of the tomato will help remove the green color my blond hair gets when it meets too much chlorine. Use tomato paste (it has a higher tomato content) for this.
Face
Blackhead remover: use the inside of a tomato like an eraser. Cut a tomato in two and rub the inside all over the face, concentrating on the areas with the most blackheads. Leave on for 20 minutes and rinse.
Acne eliminator: mash a tomato and leave on for as close to an hour as possible. Use frequently for best results.
Filed under: beauty, cleanse, organic skin-care, skin-firming, Sun Care, Watermelon | Tags: beauty, midsummer, organic skin-care, skin care, sweden, watermelon
Happy Midsummer Day! I wish I was celebrating this beautiful holiday with my family in Sweden. Instead I’m in Massachusetts, writing this blog for you, with no pool or beach or summer activities in sight. Basically I’m using this blog update to remind me that it is summer.
There is no other fruit that screams summer the way that watermelon does. It is the ultimate outdoor* food – no one wants to clean it up so you always get thrown outside with your watermelon slices in hand.
But it doesn’t matter that you’re banished outside to eat it. Watermelon is nature’s freeze pop and it has lycopene, which is a natural red pigmentation that has been shown to help prevent skin cancer. So eat up this summer!
While you’re slicing that thing up, take advantage of its skin care benefits. The fresh, watery consistency of the fruit is a great mask or exfoliator. Don’t believe me? Try it yourself.
Body
Watermelon cubes: After a long hot day in the sun it is crucial to relieve the burn you have procured (if you forgot sunscreen). Slice some watermelon into cubes and freeze them for 30 minutes at most. Dump them into a pitcher of cool water and let sit until they have softened and melted. Get into the bath and pour the mixture over the sunburned areas. This also works with cucumbers too; because of their high water content and their silica and lycopene ingredients, they work wonders on damaged skin.
Face
Pink Exfoliator: Just mashing the watermelon pulp and scrubbing it all over your face is one of my simplest tricks. Because of the high water content you don’t need to mix with water. You will, however, need to rinse.
Sunny sun burn trick: Mixing some mashed watermelon with 2 tsps of yogurt gives you two powerful ingredients to help relieve the sunburn on your face.
*Enjoy your summer days safely. The beautiful sun is the number one reason for skin damage, skin cancer and wrinkles. A little prevention goes a long way.
Filed under: anti-aging, antioxidant, beauty, organic skin-care, tea | Tags: anti-aging, antioxidant, organic hair-care, organic skin-care, tea
I haven’t blogged lately because I had a very busy birthday week full of outings and celebration. When I finally had a free day, I sat and watched TV and drank tea. Tea is a great remedy for so many things. If I’ve had a bad day, I console myself with tea. If I’m sick, I drink tea to counteract the stuffed, trapped feeling my head is experiencing. On a cold, rainy day, nothing beats a cup of chai.
And, as you’ve probably guessed, tea is also great when you combine it with your skin-care regimen. Since green tea is a powerful antioxidant it can have several benefits such as strengthening your SPF and helping to slow the aging process. Try some of these simple tips for hydrated, energized skin. And brew a cup for you!
Hair
Lavender anti-dandruff rinse: This one’s easy – brew some lavender tea and pour it in your hair. Rinse after 15 minutes for shiny strands. I like this one at night, since lavender is a great de-stressor.
Body
Antioxidant bath: So many people forget the skin on their bodies, but taking care of yourself is easier than you think. Grab the thinnest washcloth you have (cheesecloth is best but it’s not common in all kitchens) and wrap different tea leaves inside. I suggest some green tea, chamomile tea, and white tea. Secure the cloth around the nozzle of the bath and run warm water as usual. This way your bath is a big cup of tea without being messy.
Face
Tea toner: Freeze green tea in an ice cube tray and use them as a daily dose of toner.
Extra SPF: Add some green tea to your sun-screen for added protection – only if your sun-screen is made with zinc oxide, though! The tea can break down other chemicals.
