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, milk, nutmeg, refreshing, salt, Skin-care | Tags: blackheads, cleansing, DIY, egg, holiday, milk, normal skin, nutmeg, oily skin, pore strips, skin-care
I posted last time about nutmeg being good for eczema. Turns out, though, that nutmeg is even more the superhero than I thought. After posting about it last time, I continued my research on nutmeg because it couldn’t hurt to do more with the sweet-smelling spice. And my research was not in vain.
Last night I tried a nutmeg paste as a blackhead remover. And wow. I really thought it was too good to be true, but it worked. And it smelled lovely. And my skin glowed.
So really, this one needs to be tried. BY YOU. Here are some great facials using nutmeg. Enjoy!
For Oily skin:
I made a paste of water and nutmeg until I reached the desired consistency. But it was still difficult to keep the nutmeg on. Instead I probably could have used egg which is pore-constricting and cleansing. You could use it as a scrub first and then leave on.
For Normal skin:
For normal (or delicate skin) I would use whole milk. It’s gently exfoliating and refreshing.
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: beauty, bleaching, cleanse, cleansing, Hair-care, lemon, Skin-care | Tags: beauty, bleaching, cleansing, lemons, organic hair-care, organic skin-care, scrub
The seat belt in my car is stuck. This means it needs to be fixed. This means my parents will be driving me to my very first grown up job. This makes me feel like a child.
My parents are driving through three states and back just for me. This makes me feel worse. I know I’ll forget all about this in a few weeks and not care, but I’d like to look forward to this next chapter instead of grumbling and moping. Life, it would seem, has given me lemons. So I’ll use them as I prepare to leave, because I’ll want to be fresh faced for my new job.
Now you know all about my day. But what you don’t know is this: those vitamin C products at the store? Don’t waste your time. Vitamin C is only really valuable in dry form – OR straight from its natural source. So this won’t help you. (The Body Shop does great things for the community, though, so it WILL help others if you buy it.) Lemons are cheap and they have so many different beneficial uses.
Face
Easy peasy bath: Adding 1/2 cup to a warm bath means detoxed skin all over. Vitamin C is rejuvenating and it cleanses exceptionally well. DO NOT use this remedy if you’re a fan of the self-tan. It will turn you orange.
Hair
Lemon squeezy lightener: Ever lightened your hair with Sun In ? Stop paying for it. Add 1 part lemon juice and 1 part water in a spray bottle. Spray in and use the heat from the sun or a hair dryer to get some summer highlights.
Face
Lemon lightening: I have too many tips to include here, so check out my wikispace for more links. One really easy tip is to rub a slice of lemon wherever you have blackheads once a day before bed. The lemon juice bleaches them (they’re just a process of bacteria and oxidation so make it invisible!).
Cleansing scrub: A little squeeze of a lemon and a little bit of sugar and you’re ready to get rid of the day’s grime.
Remember to put a little lemon in your water everyday for clean, fresh breath and a healthy liver.
Filed under: anti-aging, banana, beauty, Hair-care, Organic recipes, Skin-care, skin-firming | Tags: anti-aging, banana, beauty, DIY, organic skin-care
Bananas are amazing. They’re delicious, they’re full of much needed potassium and they can be a powerful anti-aging treatment for the face. These things you may already know, but what you might be unfamiliar with is this: the peel of a banana is brimming with lutein, a very powerful antioxidant.
All of these recipes and tips are fantastic, but they will make you smell like you belong in the produce aisle, so I suggest trying these before bed! Also, make sure the bananas are ripe!
Hair
Simple hair conditioner: This recipe is easy and can be stored in a travel-sized shampoo bottle in the shower. Mix 1 banana and 1/4 cup of honey. Mash until the mixture is as smooth as you want it to be and apply it to hair after shampoo.
Body
Moisturizing hand treatment: 1 banana and 2 tbsp of milk are all your hands need to feel like new.
Face
Anti-aging mask: Many recipes call for a complex concoction of many ingredients. But really, all you need is 1 banana and either some oats (just enough to make a good paste) or some plain yogurt. These ingredients are moisturizing and the yogurt helps speed cell-turnover. Leave it on for as long as you like.
Banana peel cure: Rubbing the inside of a banana peel on acne, psoriasis, warts and even poison ivy speeds the healing of all these pains. Do it twice a week and you’ll see a difference.
Filed under: caffeine, cellulite, coffee, DIY, Hair-care, organic skin-care, Skin-care, skin-firming | Tags: beauty, coffee, DIY, invigorating, organic skin-care, skin-firming
I am one of the few people I know who can call themselves a morning person. I’m always excited to get out of bed because I can’t wait to have a cup of coffee in the morning.
Pathetic, I know.
But coffee is getting a better rep every day (perhaps because even researchers can’t wait to sip their morning cup) and the good news keeps coming. Another great reason to buy a bag of beans? It does wonders for your skin when applied topically. The caffeine in coffee acts as an “antioxidant, a diuretic and a vasoconstrictor” experts say. Since caffeine is a diuretic and a vasoconstrictor, it can provide relief of puffy eyes and make it look like you’ve gotten all the sleep you need. So brew a cup of beauty and follow these simple recipes for a brighter day.
Body
Cellulite treatment: I suggest placing something on the floor to collect any mess this will inevitably make. Use 1 cup of warm, wet coffee grinds and mix with 1/2 cup of olive oil, mix well and spread all over area. Now for the weird part: wrap plastic wrap around what you’ve applied and leave on for 20 minutes. Do it twice a week for a noticeable difference.
Hair
Espresso rinse for shiny hair: Make the strongest espresso you can and pour the warm brew over dry hair. After twenty minutes, rinse it out and enjoy your shiny hair. NOTE: this recipe is NOT for those with colored hair (read: your hair will go brassy)
Face
Eye-depuffer: put just a little bit of warm, wet coffee grinds in a moist paper towel and place over eyes. Not working? Chill this caffeine pouch in the freezer for five – ten minutes.
Brightening scrub: Mix 1 egg white with 1/2 cup of warm, wet coffee grinds and use as a scrub. Have dry skin? Mix the grinds with olive oil or honey!
Filed under: Hair-care, Honey, organic skin-care, Skin-care | Tags: beauty, DIY, honey, organic, organic skin-care, skin-cleansing
Honey is by far my favorite skin- and hair-care product so it is only fitting that it be my first blog post on Pretty Natural! Honey is a natural anti-bacterial so, used as a face mask, it can clear the grime and hidden dirt from the pores. It is also incredibly moisturizing - and it works for all skin types! This treat is the bees’ knees and truly the gold standard of organic face-care.
My favorite use of (organic) honey is to just slather it on as a face mask as is. Sticky? Yes, but it washes off easily with lukewarm water – no soap necessary!
Here are some other great recipes:
Hair
A conditioning treatment for split ends: 1/2 of honey + 2 tbsp to 1/4 cup of olive oil. If you have thin or fine hair (like me!) apply the mixture from ends of hair and stop right under the ears. If any conditioning treatments get too close to the roots your hair will be flat and greasy.
Body
A moisturizing bath: Add one cup of honey to a warm bath. Add milk if you have a sunburn or sensitive skin or oatmeal* if you crave even more moisture.
Face
A facial scrub and mask: Mix equal parts honey and brown sugar. Apply to face and massage lightly using the tips of the fingers (not the nails!) This is also great for any rough spots on the body (think elbows, hands, and feet).
Cleansing and rejuvenating mask: Mix 1/2 cup honey + 1 whipped egg and apply for twenty minutes. Honey softens and egg brightens!
*If you plan to add oatmeal to your bath but dread cleaning it out of the tub use this trick: Wrap a cup of oatmeal in some gauze and tie it around the nozzle of the tub. This way the water runs through the oatmeal, deposits the benefits into the warm bath water, and is easy to clean up!
