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, 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, 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: 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.
Filed under: alpha-hydroxy acid, anti-aging, antioxidant, beauty, cleanse, cleansing, pink grapefruit, refreshing, scrub, sugar | Tags: anti-aging, anti-oxidant, cleanse, organic skin-care, pink grapefruit, scrub, sugar
I love citrus fruits. They have so much vitamin C and they’re always so refreshing. Even when someone is peeling an orange or digging in to a grapefruit in the next room, you can smell it and it wakes you up.
My favorite citrus is probably pink grapefruit. Yes, it’s tart to the point of being bitter, but I just love it! Remember, vitamin C is only good from its natural source, so why not try these tips? Here are some easy ways to include the pink lady in your skin care routine.
Face
Good morning: This one is so elegant, I feel pretty instantly. It’s easier to do this if you have a spray bottle (you can get them anywhere empty travel-sized bottles are found). Make some rose water and pour the cooled liquid into your spray bottle. Now juice a grapefruit or two and pour that in with the rose water. Store in the refrigerator to cool and keep it there when not in use. Shake before spraying on as a toner every morning. Uplifting, anti-aging toner!
Good morning scrub: This one is excellent and smells like heaven. There are easier, more chemically enhanced ways of smelling this good and being this clean, but it’s so much fun to make yourself – and so easy. Just squeeze some juice from a grapefruit into some raw sugar and make a paste. Scrub on and rinse off. Delicious.
Hair
Fun Monday: 1 cup of club soda and as much grapefruit juice as you want. This is very cleansing and a good way to start your week. Rinse hair with the mixture in the shower after you shampoo and before you condition.
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.
