Tag Archives: skincare

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.

Durian fruit
Durian 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.

Chili Peppers
Chili Peppers
May 13, 2013Permalink

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, 2012Permalink 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, 2012Permalink Leave a comment

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, 2012Permalink 2 Comments

Baking Soda As A Deodorant

I’m sure almost everyone knows by now that baking soda makes a really good household cleaning product, but turns out it’s also an excellent choice as a personal hygiene product. For example it makes a really really good deodorant.

The way I found out about it was quite accidental. I had been looking for the perfect natural deodorant for a while already, but none sold in eco-shops ever worked as I expected, so I had chosen out a few DIY deodorant recipes to try out but it happened so that when I ran out of my conventional deodorant and hadn’t had time to make my own yet then I needed something to try, fast. And I remembered reading somewhere that baking soda makes a good alternative for deodorant, so I gave it a try and have been using just baking soda as a deodorant ever since because it really works! So what I usually do is that after a shower I take about half a teaspoon of baking soda and use my fingers to rub it on and that’s it. You can rub it on either wet or dry skin, however you prefer.

It doesn’t prevent sweating completely (and you don’t really want that anyway, right) but it sure does prevent the smell for up to 24 hours. So next time you’re in need of a quick deodorant fix then give baking soda a try. Also it helps you save money on store-sold deodorants and all the ingredients that are usually required in DIY deodorant recipes : )

March 29, 2012Permalink 2 Comments

DIY: Aloe Vera Gel

Making aloe vera gel at home couldn’t be any easier if you have a mature aloe vera plant.

So first what you need to do is cut off some leaves from the aloe vera plant. Try to pick the leaves that are closest to the ground because then the plant won’t be too irritated and it can continue thriving. Then leave the cut-off leaves into an upright position for a few minutes to let the darker resin drain out. This part is important because the resin can be a bit irritating on the skin if it finds its way into the gel you’re making.

Here’s what the resin looks like:

After the resin has drained, wash the leaves and start peeling off the thick skin of the aloe vera leaves with a knife, leaving you with the transparent gel. If you have really long and thick aloe vera leaves then you can cut them into smaller pieces first to make the peeling and removing the gel easier.

Place the gel into a blender and also add a few drops of either grapefruit seed extract, vitamin C powder, vitamin E oil or some essential oil to help preserve the gel for longer period. Then blend everything, pour into a clean glass jar and you’ve got yourself some fresh aloe vera gel which will keep for several months in the refrigerator. Don’t mind that it has some foam on top at first, this will settle down later : )

If you want to know more about what wonders you can do with Aloe, check out this link. 

 

 

 

March 23, 2012Permalink 16 Comments

Salve Ointment

Here’s a DIY salve recipe for all the winter-damaged hands, chapped lips and cracked heels. To make this healing ointment you’ll need about 30 grams (or 40 grams if you would like the salve to be thicker) of beeswax, half a cup of whatever oils you like (I used coconut and sesame oil), 1 tablespoon of vitamin E oil or some other oil rich in vitamin E (I used sea-buckthorn oil) and about 10 drops of grapefruit seed extract to prolong the salve’s shelf-life, although this is optional because it should be fine for quite a long period anyway. Also if you would like to have some fragrance to it then add a few drops of your favorite essential oils.

Once you have everything you need, here’s what you’ll have to do: get a pot and put it on the stove, add all the ingredients except the grapefruit seed extract and essential oils (if using) and wait until everything has melted. Then take the mixture off the stove and pour into a container (glass would be best) and add the remaining ingredients. You’ll end up with something like this:

salv

Now all you need to do is wait until the salve thickens, stirring it once in a while and soon enough it’ll be ready for usage : )

*You can find most of the ingredients used in this recipe at MountainRoseHerbs

Bulk organic herbs, spices and essential oils. Sin

March 16, 2012Permalink Leave a comment