Tag Archives: homemade facials

K is for Kitchen Kosmetics – Kool off with a Kuke

 

Having beautiful skin and luxurious hair is something all of us naturally beautiful women would love, and looking beautiful and feeling healthy shouldn’t depend on how much money you have (or don’t have!).  Sure, you can spend $150 on the latest face cream from a luxury spa (I am a former Spa Director after all!), but you can also spend $2 using what you probably have in your refrigerator now!

If you’re like me, you’ve always got avocados in the frig (who doesn’t love a good guacamole?).  Avocado oil is packed with Vitamin E, an antioxidant that protects your skin from damage caused by free radicals and too much sun.  Avocados are rich moisturizers that can be applied directly to your face for smooth-as-silk skin.   You can even eat the inside of the avocado and use the avocado’s skin to spread the remainder on your face!

If you’re not using coconut oil, you should be.  It’s the only oil that can withstand high levels of heat, plus it’s full of benefits for your hair, skin and nails.  Coconut oil makes a great conditioner for your hair and will control dandruff.  Coconut oil is antimicrobial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory so it will go to work on acne and prevent further blemishes.  It’s perfect for an inexpensive lip balm to keep your lips plump and your smile beautiful.

Cucumbers have always been the go-to product to relieve tired, puffy eyes.  Just put two slices on your eyes, lie back and in a few minutes, you’ll look like you’ve had a refreshing night’s sleep.  The coolness of cucumbers can reduce inflammation and rashes all over your body.  For those of you with sensitive skin, reach for a cucumber to give yourself a quick pick-me-up when you and your skin are feeling sluggish and droopy.

Yogurt is an all-purpose beauty regimen in a cup.  Eat it  when you need a protein boost and put it on your face or hair for the same reason.  Yogurt’s packed full of beauty benefits.  It can moisturize, reduce discoloration, prevent premature aging, relieve sunburn, and fight acne.

Bananas, honey, eggs, olive oil – These are more foods you probably have in your kitchen right now that can help you be healthy on the inside and look beautiful on the outside.  Any and all of these ingredients can be used alone to rejuvenate your skin and hair.  Here are two recipes you can whip up using these “kitchen cosmetics.”

YOGURT HONEY BANANA FACE MASK FOR DRY SKIN

1 banana

1 tsp. honey (preferably organic)

2 tsp. yogurt

Mash up the banana with the rest of the ingredients, forming a thick paste.  Spread the mixture evenly all over your face and neck (avoiding the sensitive eye area).  Leave on for 10 -15 minutes.  Rinse off with warm water.

AVOCADO COCONUT OIL MOISTURIZER

Avocado Coconut Oil Moisturizer –

1/4 ripe avocado

1 tsp. lemon juice (another great kitchen beauty product!)

1/2 plain yogurt

1 tsp. coconut oil

Combine all of the ingredients into a very smooth paste (you can use a blender).  Take a teaspoon of the mixture and apply it to your face using upward circular motion.  Store the leftover product in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator.

 

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D is for Dry Skin – Don’t you Dare!

Dry Skin - Not for Natural Beauty!

Dry, scaly skin is not something we naturally beautiful woman want on any part of our bodies.  It will just make you look and feel old and tired and less than a natural beauty.  But there’s help right there in your kitchen!

First we’ll use a little bit of that natural organic honey to exfoliate and get rid of the flaky old skin!  Take two tablespoons of honey and add it to a half a tablespoon of sugar.  Combine these and apply it to your face using upward circular motions (always to prevent wrinkles).  Massage for 3-5 minutes, being careful to avoid the eyes.  Rinse with warm water, pat dry and get ready for a moisturizing, replenishing homemade facial mask.

Moisturize, moisturize and moisturize – every day, every night.  Use a homemade cream with Vitamin E which acts as a preservative for the cream and for your skin!

YOGURT HONEY FACIAL MASK

2 tsp. plain yogurt
1/2 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
3 capsules vitamin E  (equivalent of 300 units)

Mix yogurt, honey and lemon juice. Open up  vitamin E capsules and combine the liquid with the  other ingredients. Gently massage like before with circular strokes.  Leave on skin for 15 minutes.  Rinse with warm water.  Apply your favorite natural moisturizer.

Keeping your skin clean with a gentle cleanser will give you a youthful look.  Make sure you ALWAYS remove your makeup before you go to bed, no matter how late or how exhausted you are.  If not your pores will get clogged and it will make you look old.

Avoid too much exposure to the sun because it is no good for your whole body, but it is especially harmful and aging to  your face and your neck.

 

 

 

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D is for Double Duty Kitchen Cosmetics – Yogurt Face & Hair

Kitchen Cosmetics for Natural Beauty

Look no further than your kitchen for plenty of natural beauty products that you can use all over your body!

YOGURT

Yogurt is one of the most versatile products to keep in your refrigerator.  You can use it on your hair for silky, dandruff free tresses.  Or you can use it on your face to moisturize and enrich your skin.

YOGURT HAIR MASK -

1/2 c plain yogurt
1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 egg
Blend all ingredients in a bowl until smooth.  Shampoo as usual and apply  mixture to hair and scalp. Leave on for 15 – 20 minutes.  You can wrap your hair in a hot towel to help it soak in and keep the drips contained. Rinse hair thoroughly with warm water, then follow with conditioner.

YOGURT FACE MASKS -   To nourish and moisturize your face, yogurt also works fabulously!

Banana and Avocado Face Mask
• 1 overripe mashed avocado
• 1 overripe mashed banana
• 4 TBL. nonfat yogurt
• 1 TBL.  olive oil

Mix all the ingredients together to form a smooth paste. Wash your face with warm water and a gentle cleanser and apply the face mask. Leave on for 20 minutes and then rinse with warm water, and pat dry. Apply your favorite homemade moisturizer.

Cucumber Parsley Face Mask
• 2 TBL. parsley
• 2 TBL. grated cucumber
• 2 TBL.  plain yogurt

Puree together the grated cucumber and the parsley..  Add yogurt to form a smooth paste. Rinse your face with a gentle cleanser and warm water and apply the face mask.  Leave on for 20 minutes and then rinse with warm water, and pat dry. Apply your favorite homemade moisturizer.

 

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A is for Avocados – Again! This time for your Amazing Natural Beauty!

Avocados are Amazing for Natural Beauty

If you think avocados are great for your natural health, you’ll be amazed at what they can do for your natural beauty!  All that rich gooey fat that protects you from cancer and other diseases will enrich and moisturize and beautify your skin and your hair too!

For your dry skin, mash up the pulp of an avocado with a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of yogurt.  Smush it all over your face and leave it on for about 15 minutes.  Rinse off with warm water and apply your favorite natural moisturizer!  Your skin will glow!  You can change this mask by adding one egg yolk for a different kind of dry skin mask.

Avocados are ideal for getting rich, lustrous hair.  But you really have to take care to cream them well and wash all the nasty bits out of your hair (like bananas they tend to stick!).  For a great hair mask,  mash up half of an avocado with one teaspoon of olive oil, an egg white and a little bit of honey.  Mix until all the bits are out and the mixture is runny.  Apply to your hair, taking care to work it into the ends.  Let it sit for about 15 – 20 minutes before you rinse it out Thoroughly!!!!!  It may take 2 or more washes to completely remove the mixture.  But the results are worth it!

Let’s hear some Applause for Awesome Avocado Natural Beauty!

 

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A is for Apples — An Amazing Answer for Natural Beauty & Health

Apples are Great for Natural Health and Natural Beauty

An apple a day can keep the doctor away, right?  But did you know that an apple is great for your complexion?  Just like the most expensive spa products for exfoliating your skin and those wonderful spa facials, the alpha-hydroxy fruit acids (AHA) in apples are great for gently peeling away flaky old and dead skin and leaving your face looking naturally beautiful, healthy, fresh and bright.

For an easy and frugal way to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, grate an apple and apply to clean skin.  Leave the pulp on for 10 to 20 minutes, then rinse with warm water.

Apples are fabulous anti-oxidants.  What is an antioxidant?  First, let’s look at what is oxidation.

Take our friend the apple and cut it in half.  Let it sit for just a minute or two.  Can you see  how it’s turning brown?  That’s oxidation.  When an apple turns brown,  it becomes diseased and decayed, just like a car does when it rusts or a person does when they are ill.

The skin of the apple prevents it from oxidizing by acting as an antioxidant.  So eat the skin! And then eat the rest of the apple to get all the vitamins in it.  Vitamin C to prevent colds,  Vitamin B-6 for healthy brains and less stress, Vitamin E for anti-aging, Pantothenic acid for reducing stress, Niacin for lowering cholesterol, Vitamin A for healthy skin and hair, and Folic Acid for more energy and a healthy immune system.

You can grate an apple and mix it up with some honey for a great facial mask.  Or try any one of these recipes, mixing apples with cucumbers:

CUCUMBER APPLE MASK – This combination of healthy fruits and vegetables will add a little gentle exfoliation to your treatment.  Put half a cucumber and half an apple into the blender with a teaspoon of honey.  Blend and apply to face, avoiding the eye area.  Leave it on for 15 minutes, then rinse off with cool water and enjoy the refreshed feeling.

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