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, 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: 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: 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: 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!
Pretty Natural 