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Top 3 Foods For Glowing Complexion

#1 Durian – also known as the King of Fruit, and for a reason, this nutritional powerfruit is not only good for your overall well-being but gives you a glowing complexion almost instantly. It does so mainly thanks to its organosulfur compounds which can’t be found in any other fruit.

#2 Oregano – mostly recommended topically in case of acne as an oil but eaten fresh, oregano will make you glow from the inside out thanks to its active compounds thymol and carvacrol. So make sure to add this herb to soups, salads, smoothies etc.

#3 Chillies – chilli peppers contain a phytochemical called capsaicin which works as a vasodilator, meaning that it increases blood flow to the skin. And if that’s not yet good enough then chillies have also been found to reduce wrinkles.

May 13, 2013adminPermalink

Acne Cure

Having been acne-free for more than a year already after several years of struggling with it I think it’s safe to say that there is no magic product out there that cures acne for good. There of course are remedies that work for a while but they won’t solve the problem in the long run. The best cure is always the simplest one, something so basic that you can’t even think of it. In the case of acne the best cure is absence of products. And by absence of products I mean all products. For example I don’t use any make-up, I do not use any face creams or oils and I don’t even wash my face daily. When I do wash my face (about once or twice a week maximum) then I use just plain water or occasionally the same thing that I use to wash my hair – Bentonite clay. And my skin has never looked or felt any better.

It isn’t easy though to go from using products on your face to using no products at all. The skin gets clogged up with debris from using too many products on it and needs to re-establish itself slowly. In my case I had about 6 month long transition period when I was still washing my face 2 or 3 times a week with a simple soap and used sea-buckthorn oil on my face. I highly recommend sea-buckthorn oil to anyone struggling with acne as it really clears up acne fast and keeps the breakouts at bay thanks to its antibacterial and antiviral properties and at the same time is absorbed into the skin really fast. I was afraid that when I stop using the oil then my acne would return but it never did and still shows no signs of doing so.

After giving up using any products on my face I must say that I also have to reconsider the theory that what we eat can cause or prevent acne because now I can eat all the things that before were known to cause an acne break-out on my skin for sure. I believe that any foods can cause acne only when the skin’s balance is disrupted from using too many products and it can’t eliminate toxins normally anymore. So to me the “skin-care” products seem to be the main cause of acne.

February 5, 2013adminPermalink Leave a comment

DIY: Herbal Tooth Powder Without Baking Soda

Here’s one recipe for herbal tooth powder without any added baking soda. Since I ran out of my last tooth powder then now I decided to make a new one without baking soda because it is said to damage the tooth enamel when using long term. I’m not saying I won’t use baking soda ever again in a tooth powder, just a short break once in a while is a good thought : )

So here’s what you’ll need to make my herbal tooth powder: 2 tablespoons of whole dried stevia leaves, 2 tablespoons of whole dried peppermint leaves, 2 tablespoons of whole dried sage leaves, 1 tablespoon of neem powder (or 2 tablespoons of whole dried neem leaves) and 4 tablespoons of Bentonite clay.

Grind the herbs with mortar and pestle first:

And then add the neem powder and Bentonite clay and stir:

I chose exactly those herbs because the stevia gives the tooth powder a mildly sweet taste and also helps to improve dental health thanks to its antibacterial properties. The peppermint freshens the breath and also has strong antibacterial and antiviral properties. Sage is said to act as teeth whitener and cleaner plus it helps to keep your gums healthy. Neem powder helps to prevent periodontal disease and tooth decay. And I added the Bentonite clay because it mildly polishes and re-mineralizes the teeth.

May 27, 2012adminPermalink 1 Comment

Anti-Aging And Deep Cleansing Soap Nut Face Wash

This will be the last post from the soap nut series for a while, I promise : D I just couldn’t resist sharing this soap nut based face wash recipe as well. It’s quite simple really, the base is soap nut liquid again just as with the soap nut shampoo plus loads of added skin purifying and rejuvenating ingredients.

So first what you need to do is make the soap nut liquid by boiling 7 whole soap nuts in about 2 cups of water for 30 minutes on a medium heat. I also added a green tea bag into the boiling soap nut water because it has antioxidant (read: anti-aging) and anti-inflammatory activities when added to the skin. Then let the mixture cool and drain out the soap nuts and tea bag.

Then I used mortar and pestle to grind about 2 tablespoons of whole stevia leaves and 20 tablets of activated charcoal (if you’re using capsules of activated charcoal then skip the grinding part and just open up the capsules). Turns out that stevia leaf powder isn’t only good for your oral health but also for your skin. It effectively softens and tightens the skin, smoothes out wrinkles and helps to heal acne. Activated charcoal when added topically absorbs into the pores of your skin and draws out dirt and oils, meaning that it can help eliminate acne, bumps and blackheads.

I also added 4 tablespoons of Dead Sea mud, 2 tablespoons of neem powder and 2 tablespoons of rice powder to the face wash mixture. The Dead Sea mud helps in treatment of various skin ailments such as acne, eczema and psoriasis, it is said to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and hydrate and moisturize the skin. And just like activated charcoal it sucks out impurities and toxins from the skin. The neem powder acts as an astringent and tones the skin. The rice powder contains ferulic acid and allantoin. Ferulic acid is a powerful antioxidant and allantoin is a good anti-inflammatory agent, it soothes sunburns and promotes the skin’s repair. Rice powder also has some whitening effect on the skin.

When you have mixed all the ingredients together then add about 1 tablespoon of vitamin E oil for better preservation. You can also add a few drops of your favorite essential oil.

*If you want the face wash liquid to be less like a liquid and more like a paste so that you could also use it as a face mask then feel free to add any clay of your choice to make it thicker (I would recommend Rhassoul or French green clay for example)

May 8, 2012adminPermalink 1 Comment

Acne Treatments That Really Work

About a year ago I was one of those who was still struggling with acne although I’m not a teenager anymore. It wasn’t too severe but still annoying enough. So I discovered 2 recipes for myself that made my skin look much better and for some period got rid of acne altogether. Why I’m saying that only for some period is because a year later I am convinced that acne can be completely cured only by watching what you put in your mouth and by avoiding foods that cause breakouts (in my case dairy products and chocolate for example). Now I’ve been trying to eat raw foods as much as I can and my skin is absolutely glowing without any topical acne treatments. But if you don’t want to make drastic changes in your diet yet then here are the acne treatment recipes that worked wonders on my skin:

#1 – Lime juice and peanut oil mixture – mix together 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice and 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. Add it to your face with a cotton pad before going to bed, after washing your face. It leaves the skin a bit oily but it’s worth a try. The mixture should last for about few days if kept in a refrigerator.

#2 – Aspirin and apple cider vinegar toner – mix together 50ml of water, 15ml of apple cider vinegar and 5 uncoated aspirin tablets. Crush the aspirin tablets with mortar and pestle first before mixing with water and apple cider vinegar, otherwise the toner is going to be quite grainy as the aspirin doesn’t dissolve completely. Although even when it’s grainy it should still work, just make sure you shake it every time then before applying. You can use it at mornings and evenings as a regular toner after washing the face. The aspirin is good in treating pimples because it contains salicylic acid and the apple cider vinegar balances the pH of the skin, plus it has antibacterial and antiseptic properties. This mixture should last for about 1 month if kept in a refrigerator.

To find out more about ways to treat your acne holistically check out this link.

May 7, 2012adminPermalink Leave a comment

Soap Nut, Clay & Neem Powder Shampoo

After making the dishwashing liquid and laundry detergent out of soap nuts I didn’t want to stop just there yet because I still have loads of soap nuts left and after doing some research I found out that they can be used for so many more things. For example you can make shampoo out of them. Shampoo made out of soap nuts is said to work very well in treating and preventing dandruff and hair loss. Since so far I’ve had really good experience with washing my hair with clay (read more about it here) then I decided to add clay to my soap nut shampoo as well. But not only clay, I also added chamomile, neem powder and lemon essential oil.

So first what you need to do is make the soap nut liquid by boiling about 10 whole soap nuts in 3 cups of water on a medium heat for 30 minutes (read more about making the soap nut liquid from here). For making the shampoo I also threw in 1 chamomile tea bag into the boiling soap nut liquid. I chose chamomile because it gives lighter hair really nice shine. If you don’t want to use chamomile then stinging nettle, rosemary, peppermint and basil are good for promoting hair growth. Raspberry leaf and sage highlight darker hair. Comfrey, marshmallow and calendula are good for dry hair. Yarrow and witch hazel bark are good for oily hair. So the choice is yours. When the liquid is ready then let it cool a bit, strain the soap nuts and the tea bag out of the liquid and add about 2 tablespoons of Rhassoul clay and 2 tablespoons of neem powder to the soap nut liquid.

I chose Rhassoul clay because it has the most purifying properties of all clays but so far I’ve been using French green clay as a shampoo with great success so if you don’t have Rhassoul then I think that any other clay would work fine as well. I also added the neem powder because it keeps the scalp healthy and also prevents dandruff and hair loss. You can use ready-made neem powder or make your own by grinding whole dried neem leaves with mortar and pestle. After mixing the soap nut & chamomile tea liquid with clay and neem powder you should have something like this:

Now pour the liquid into a container (I chose a plastic bottle with a pump for easier application) and add about 10 drops of some essential oil of your choice. I chose lemon essential oil because of its smell and because it highlights lighter hair. Basil, rosemary, burdock and fenugreek essential oils all promote hair growth for example. Lavender essential oil is soothing to the scalp and hair. Peppermint essential oil helps to stimulate blood flow to the root of the hair. Sage essential oil works to deep cleanse the scalp. Tea tree oil works to treat dandruff.

Note that this shampoo won’t be creating very much foam because of the all natural ingredients so make sure not to use too much as the soap nuts can dry out hair when used excessively.

May 2, 2012adminPermalink 2 Comments

Foot Cream With Pumice Stone Powder

Here’s a recipe for a foot cream that not only softens the rough skin on the feet but also gently removes dead skin cells leaving the feet even softer : ) Feel free to add it to other dry areas as well like knees and elbows.

Here’s what you’ll need to make the cream:

10 ml of beeswax, 50 g of shea butter, 25 ml oil of your choice (I used sesame oil), 50 ml aloe vera gel (here’s how you can make your own), 14 drops of grapefruit seed extract, half a teaspoon of vitamin E oil, 14 drops of eucalyptus essential oil, 2 teaspoons of pumice stone powder.

Melt the beeswax and shea butter in a small pot, remove the pot from the stove and add the 25 ml of oil and aloe vera gel. Whip with a whisk until the mixture has cooled and taken a creamy texture then add the grapefruit seed extract, vitamin E oil, eucalyptus essential oil, pumice stone powder and whip some more. When ready then pour into a clean container.

For more amazing natural skin care recipes check out this link.

April 19, 2012adminPermalink 2 Comments

DIY: Tooth Powder With Whitening Effect

The idea to make my own tooth powder originates from here but I adjusted the recipe a bit and added one more whitening ingredient besides baking soda (actually you can skip baking soda altogether because in the long run it’s not very good idea to use it daily because it can damage the tooth enamel) and didn’t add the myrrh gum powder at all right now because it’s not very wise to use it during pregnancy.

So to make my version of the tooth powder you’ll need to take about 2 tablespoons of full dried stevia leaves. Grind them well with mortar and pestle:

If you have a fine powder of the stevia leaves then add about 8 tablets (or open up 8 capsules) of activated charcoal and grind some more:

Then add about 2 tablespoons of baking soda (if using), 2 tablespoons of Bentonite clay (French green clay would work fine as well), 1 tablespoon of cinnamon powder and 1 tablespoon of clove powder. Stir it all well and you’ll have your own tooth powder which leaves your mouth really fresh tasting and smelling (thanks to stevia and cinnamon) and your teeth pearly white (thanks to baking soda and activated charcoal)

April 15, 2012adminPermalink 2 Comments

Clay And Lemon Juice Mixture As A Natural Shampoo

Recently I ran out of my shampoo bar and didn’t buy a new one because for a while already I’ve been wanting to try out something even more natural, as I am constantly trying to reduce the number of “products” in my home. I knew that baking soda can be used as a shampoo but I had already tried it a few times and it didn’t suit me too well so I kept on searching for other alternatives until I heard from someone that clay can be used as a shampoo. And it did sound logical to me because clay does draw out oils and impurities from the hair and scalp and at the same time gives back minerals for healthy hair growth. After all, there are so many clay-based shampoos out there as well. So I gave it a try, but using just pure clay powder didn’t really leave me with as squeaky clean hair as I would’ve wanted and the research continued. Until I learned that some people also use lemon juice as hair wash and that’s when I came up with the idea to combine the clay powder and lemon juice together to make my shampoo. And it worked! The mixture left my hair as clean as I had expected and also no conditioner is needed after shampooing as the hair is really easily manageable after washing.

Note that if you try to convert to using clay and lemon juice shampoo after years of using conventional shampoos then the first times probably won’t be too satisfying as the hair and scalp need to adjust to the lack of chemicals but don’t give up and be patient cos when your hair is cleansed of the chemical residue then you will start seeing the benefits that the clay and lemon juice have in store for your hair. Lemon juice also works as a mild bleach so after using it for a while you can expect to have some highlights : )

So which clay to use? Right now I’m using French green clay powder but I think that Rhassoul and Bentonite clay would also work well. You can also dig and dry your own clay if you can find it. I know people who dig clay from the bottom of a lake for example and use that as a shampoo and also I know that people have dug red clay from the seaside in Ibiza while vacationing and brought it along so be creative and don’t restrict yourself to only buying naturally occurring ingredients : )

So what I do to make the shampoo is take about 3 tablespoons of the clay powder (I have quite fine shoulder length hair so if you have thicker or longer hair then feel free to use more powder):

Squeeze juice from half a lemon onto the powder:

Give it a stir and you should have a thick and even a bit foamy mixture:

If needed then add more lemon juice or clay powder : ) Then add it to wet hair like you normally would while shampooing and you can even leave it on for few minutes before rinsing.

April 10, 2012adminPermalink 4 Comments

Simple Teeth Whitening Remedies That You Can Make And Use At Home

If you want more natural options for whitening your teeth than the ones sold in stores or used by dentists then you can easily whiten your teeth at home as well if you happen to have activated charcoal, lemon and soda.

The simplest remedy is to use just activated charcoal for whitening your teeth. All you need is either tablets or capsules of activated charcoal. If using tablets then you can just rub the tablets onto your teeth until they dissolve and then keep on rubbing your teeth with either your finger or toothbrush. If you have capsules of activated charcoal then open one capsule and pour the charcoal powder onto your toothbrush and start brushing your teeth. No need to worry about the color either as it will all come off while rinsing your mouth leaving you with whiter teeth.

The other remedy for teeth whitening is made by mixing about 1 or 2 teaspoons of baking soda with fresh lemon juice.

When mixing the two then you should end up with something that resembles toothpaste

Now add some paste to your toothbrush and rub your teeth for about 5 minutes. You can add more paste to your toothbrush while brushing to use up all the paste. This mixture will leave your gums tingling a bit (or a lot, depending how sensitive you are) but don’t give up before at least 5 minutes of brushing. The tingling will pass soon after you have finished brushing and rinsed your mouth.

April 3, 2012adminPermalink 2 Comments