Apricot Facial Scrub

Apricots are a great source of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, carotene and lycopene which makes this fruit beneficial for the skin.  Homemade apricot mask are good for every skin type and is great for sensitive skin.  Its anti-inflammatory properties are effective for the treatment of dermatitis and eczema. Applying it topically can help get rid of itching from sunburn, eczema and scabs.

Facial masks and scrubs prepared from apricot exfoliate the pores and skin, unclog pores and skin pores, increase skin tone, eliminate blemishes, reduce blackheads, reduces wrinkles, improves skin tone and make your skin healthier and radiant.

For this scrub you will need to make the apricot kernel powder a couple day ahead.  If you do not want to go to the trouble then you can replace it with almond or plain oatmeal.  If you make enough apricot kernel powder then you can put it in a dry container and store in your fridge so you have it whenever you are ready to make your scrub.

To make the apricot kernel powder you will need to remove the seeds of the apricot and roast them for 2-3 days in the sunlight.  Once they are dry, break the outer shell to get to the kernel.  Grind the kernels until they turn into a fine powder.

To make the apricot puree peel off the skin and puree in a blender.  Now you are ready to make the facial scrub.

Mix together 2 tablespoons apricot puree, 1 tablespoon apricot kernel powder and 1/2 tablespoon of honey.   

 

 

 

 

Turmeric Stretch Mark Lightener

Turmeric has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties and is full of antioxidants. Ayurvedic practitioners use turmeric to cleanse the body. It is used to treat infection, jaundice, fever, arthritis and digestive conditions. The herb form of turmeric has also been used to treat liver conditions and to prevent tumors and lower your "bad" cholesterol. Curcumin the chemical found in turmeric which is antioxidant in nature helps combat stretch marks and acne marks. When mixed with oil, yogurt or curd, turmeric can help reduce stretch marks.

Apply a mixture of besan (gram flour) and turmeric powder with yogurt, raw milk or water on the stretch marks twice a day.  You can also crush fresh turmeric into small chunks, mix it with water,  apply it to stretch marks in the morning and at night, and continue this regimen until the marks fade away.

Coconut Milk and Rose Water Bath Soak

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Rose Flower Water
• 2 ounces Coconut Milk
• Handful of fresh or dried rose petals

Instructions

• 1.Blend together the rose water and the coconut milk.
• 2.Run a relaxing hot bath and just before you get in, pour in the rose water and coconut milk blend.
• 3.Scatter a few fresh or dried rose petals on top.
• 4.Lie back and enjoy,

Olive Oil and Lemon Juice Cuticle Hydrating Remedy

You will need:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 a lemon  (or a drop of doTerra lemon essential oil)
small bowl

Heat olive oil in the bowl for about 15 seconds, add lemon juice to olive oil.  Soak fingers for at least 15 minutes and massage cuticles. Repeat 2-3 times a week.

Lavender Lemonade with Honey

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw honey (local if you can get it)
• 5 cups pure water
• 1 Tbsp. dried, organic culinary lavender (or 1/4 cup fresh lavender blossoms, crushed) 
• 1 cup fresh-squeezed, organic lemon juice, strained
• Ice cubes
• Lavender sprigs for garnish

Directions

1. Bring 2 1/2 cups water to boil in a medium pan
2. Remove from heat and add honey, stirring to dissolve.
3. Add the lavender to the honey water, cover, and let steep at least 20 minutes or up to several hours  (or you can use 1 drop of lavender therapeutic grade essential oil, we recommend doTerra)
4. Strain mixture and discard lavender
5. Pour infusion into a glass pitcher
6. Add lemon juice and another 2 1/2 cups of cold water. Stir well.
7. Refrigerate until ready to use, or pour into glasses with ice, then garnish with lavender sprigs.

Tomato and Lemon Eye Mask

Tomatoes have moisturizing and regenerating properties and it can help contribute in getting rid of dark circles. Other benefits of tomatoes are:

• Fades dark spots and blemishes. Smoothens out rough skin
• Slow down the aging process of skin. Fight off free radicals that cause fine lines and damage to healthy skin cells.
• Helps build up collagen and maintain skin tautness and elasticity.
• Composes the uppermost layer of skin. Heals dry withered skin.
• Solves dry skin by moisturizing and hydrating skin cells.
• For youthful radiant skin. Slows down the aging process of skin.

Lemons are a natural antiseptic and can prevent diseases and allergies. Lemons can be successfully used for oily or mixed types of skin that have enlarged pores. They can also be useful for removing stains or freckles.

1. Squeeze the juice from the tomato and lemon into a bowl.
2. Mix them together really well with a spoon.
3. Apply this mixture carefully under your eyes before washing your face.  You can apply the mask to your whole face as well.
4. Leave on for an hour and then rinse it off.

Carrot, Honey and Lemon Mask

Carrots are known to be packed with antioxidants, especially rich in Vitamin A, and have been linked in various research to cancer prevention, vision improvement and lower risk of heart disease.

What about carrots and skin care? Rich in Beta Carotene, carrots are a natural source of vitamin A which has numerous benefits for our skin: 
Rich in antioxidants - slows down the skin’s aging process - a natural anti aging factor
Helps maintain skin’s moisture
Contributes to skin cells renewal process
Effective for acne treatment - helps heal wounds and pimples and restore the skin
Antiseptic - strengthens the immune system and prevents infections

Any one of these 5 benefits alone is a good reason to get a bunch of carrots and try these DIY recipes for carrot skin care masks.  As you can see from the variety of the recipes, carrots can be used in various combinations to treat several kinds of skin problems.

Homemade Carrot Mask for All Skin Types
This recipe works to even out skin tone and give dull skin some much needed glow:

2 peeled, boiled and mashed carrots (leave till cooled down) 
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon olive oil - do not add this ingredient if you have oily skin

Mix all ingredients together to an even mixture - consistency should be like a good mashed potato recipe - not lumpy and not too mushy.  Apply to clean facial skin and leave on for 30 minutes.  Wash away with lukewarm water.  

Rose Water and Cardamom Infused Cupcakes

Rose water and cardamom infused cupcakes! 
Here is a easy shortcut to a famous Persian pastry called cake Yazdi! 
All you have to to is add a tablespoon of cardamom powder and 1/4 cup rosewater to the recommended liquid
(So if your recipe requires a cup of milk then make a 1/4 cup of that rosewater) to any yellow cake recipe. 
Enjoy!

Kiwi Firming Mask

Collagen, the skins support system, is reliant on vitamin C as an essential nutrient that works in our bodies as an antioxidant to help prevent damage caused by the sun, pollution and smoke, smooth wrinkles and improve overall skin texture. The kiwifruit is higher in vitamin C per ounce than most other fruits.  Try this kiwi firming mask for an instant lift!

Puree half a kiwi with one egg white and a splash of lemon, lime and/or orange.  Apply to cleansed face for no less than 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Hydrating Foot Soak

Are you suffering from dry cracked feet?   I have the remedy for you.

You will need half of a lemon or lime, epsom salt, a foot bath and olive oil.

Add 2 teaspoons of epsom salt into your foot bath and soak your feet for about 10 minutes or more, pat feet dry then apply lemon or lime to your toes, don't forget your cuticles and heals. Then, saturate your feet with the olive oil.  1 tablespoon per foot should be plenty then.  Put on your socks to help absorb the oil and not grease up your floors.  Leave your socks on for at least thirty minutes or more.  Great do do before a workout.  You will love your feet after you shower.

The lemon or lime is great for exfoliating the skin and brightening the nail bed and the olive oil is super hydrating.  Once again inexpensive and effective!

Hydrating Hair Mask

Tired of dry brittle hair?  Here is a recipe that will your hair feeling silky, smooth and looking shiny! 

1/4 cup of olive oil (add as needed)
2 stems of rosemary
1 teaspoon of honey

Blend ingredients together and apply to hair.  I find it helpful to bun my hair up.  Leave on for at least 30 mins.  The longer you leave it on the better.  Rinse hair before shampooing. This is inexpensive and effective.  Enjoy!

Pomegranate and Yogurt Mask

Pomegranates are used often in Middle Eastern cuisine and their beauty-fuel potential in personal care products has been found discussed historically for thousands of years. It’s rumored that Eve’s forbidden fruit was a pomegranate, not an apple! 

The pomegranate originally comes from Iran, and its exotic taste is both sweet and sour. Its seeds are rich in both vitamins and minerals and are said to contain more antioxidants than green tea and also to have healthy levels of folic acid, iron, and potassium. The pomegranate is now considered to be a superfruit, and enjoys equal status with goji, acai and mangosteen. We can sip the juice of the pomegranate or eat its seeds, but we can also use the fresh seeds and their juice for homemade beauty-fuel potions and personal care products for our face and body.

Pomegranate is a fruit that is loaded with antioxidants and has three times more antioxidants than green tea.  It also has high levels of A, E, C.  It helps in delaying premature ageing.  Pomegranate has antioxidants like flavonoids and phenolics.  Regular use of pomegranate in skinc are can give you smooth, soft, and glowing skin.  Pomegranate also has anti-inflammatory properties.  Pomegranate does a whole lot of good to all kind of skin problems – age spots, wrinkles, acne, hyperpigmentation, etc.  Pomegranate firms up skin by aiding in collagen production.  It is also believed pomegranates brighten and lighten skin tone. 

This face pack will smooth and soften your skin, also brighten and add glow.  Make a paste out of a few pomegranate seeds and add in 1 tbsp of yogurt to this.  Mix well and apply on face and leave it on for 20 minutes.

Mango Face Mask

Mango, also known as the king of fruits, is jam packed with powerful phytochemicals and antioxidants that will give your skin the nourishing boost it needs. Give your skin a royal beauty treatment with the king of fruits! Applying mango pulp to skin will revitalize and rejuvenate it as well as lock moisture into dry skin cells. Mangoes are full of beta carotene, which gives them their beautiful orange color, b-vitamins and vitamin c which all promote skin elasticity and slow down skin aging

.Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon mango pulp
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon yogurt

Directions 
In a small mixing bowl, combine the ingredients well.

Using clean fingertips, apply the mango face mask onto your clean face in a circular motion.

Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes.

When the face mask dries up completely, use a warm wash cloth to remove it.

Rinse off with cold water. Pat dry with a soft towel.

Strawberry Facial Scrub

 This recipe is for sugar scrub that will leave your skin looking healthy and glowing with soft skin.  Strawberries have a lot of beneficial nutrients within them that can do wonders for your body.  

Vitamin C which acts as a protector to skin and also works to prevent acne and pimples from popping up

Salicylic Acid which works to destroy free radicals and prevent premature aging as well as lightning and fading acne scars and blemishes

Ellagic Acid which is an antioxidant that heals damaged skin and provides skin with a youthful glow

Folate which works to regenerate cells as well as produce new ones

What you need:

4 ripe strawberries

3 tbsp. oil (olive or coconut)

1/2 c. sugar

What you do:

Cut the greens off the tops of the strawberries.  In a bowl, gently mash the strawberries with a fork until they form a pulp like paste

Add the sugar to the mashed strawberries and mix well; then add the oil last

Mix all ingredients until well blended and a paste like consistency forms (if your mixture is too runny/moist, add some more sugar.  If your mixture seems too gritty/dry add a little more oil)

Papaya Mask

Papaya, also called the ‘fruit of the angels’, is rich in vitamins A, C and E, and has antioxidant properties. It hydrates your skin, keeps it soft and removes acne, blemishes, dark spots and other similar problems.

It also contains alpha hydroxy acids that naturally exfoliate the skin and help maintain youthful skin, thanks to their anti-aging properties.The enzyme papain in papaya is also beneficial for gently removing dead skin cells.

Honey provides an unmatched moisturizing effect. Being a natural humectant, it helps retain moisture to keep your skin hydrated. It is also an antimicrobial and will fight off bacteria that cause acne.

Lemon juice is loaded with vitamin C and antioxidants that rejuvenate your skin. It promotes skin lightening, reduces excess oil, combats acne and makes your skin soft and smooth.

All in all, this papaya face mask will hydrate your skin, improve your skin tone and reduce wrinkles, blemishes, acne, age spots and skin discoloration.

How to make a papaya face mask for beautiful skin

Things you will need:

• 1/4 ripe papaya
• Honey
• Lemon
• A bowl
• A knife
• A blender
• Measuring spoons

Chop 1/4 papaya into pieces.  Put in a blender.  Add 1 tablespoon of honey.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice.  Blend the mixture until you get a fine paste.

1. Wash your face and apply the papaya face mask on your face and neck.
2. Leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Rinse it off with lukewarm water.

Rosemary and Lavender Hair Stimulating Mask

A moisturizing hair mask made with essential oils lavender and rosemary to stimulate hair growth.

INGREDIENTS

½ cup coconut oil, melted

10-15 drops of lavender essential oil

10-15 drops of rosemary essential oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Simply stir all the ingredients together into a liquid.

Store in a small jar.

Use when coconut oil is melted.

Simply rub in your hands, starting at the scalp of you head start massaging the mask into your head and scalp working your way down to the ends.

Leave it soak and sit on your hair overnight, ideally.

Shampoo and rinse well the following morning.

Repeat several times/week or as you enjoy.

Rose and Lavender Bath

Rose and Lavender Bath

Soaking in a soothing rose bath is the perfect way to spend a romantic evening with your partner or to wash away the stress of the day. The rose's natural, aromatic fragrance combined with lavender will have a calming effect on your mind and the essential oils will sooth sore muscles and help you relax.

Ingredients:

Rose petals

Fresh lavender

One muslin bag (or a cut sock or stocking)

Mix equal parts fresh lavender and rose petals together in a muslin bag. Run a warm bath and let it steep in the water for five minutes before you get in.

Green Tea and Honey Masque

This mask is packed full of antioxidants, great for clearing redness, and help prevent blackheads. It also smells great!

To make this mask simply cut open a bag of green tea and mix with 2 teaspoons of honey.  Mix and apply, leave on for 15 minutes or more.  Great for spot treating as well, apply to red irritated areas everyday.

Rose Masque

Rose water has cooling and soothing benefits which is great for irritated and sensitive skin.  It is full of antioxidants and vitamins so it assists in slowing down the aging process. Rose water also is a natural antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties which is great for acne prone skin.

Masque:

1 teaspoon honey  

1/2 teaspoon rose water

1/2 teaspoon yogurt