Make your own face/body cream

This information comes from: Informed
Voice, Vol 3 No 4, Summer 2006, p 68 (‘Skin deep: cleanse without going broke!’)

Rose and marigold cream

This makes a very rich and healing cream, suitable for dry parts of the body. It makes the skin around the eyes soft and smooth, reduces wrinkles and dark shadows, strengthens nails and eyelashes, and heals small broken vessels and wounds. How does it sound to you?

Tip: Heating during preparation should be kept as short as possible.

You’ll need:

• 4 g beeswax
• 5 g cocoa butter
• 20 ml almond oil
• 3 large capsules vitamin E
• 3 large capsules evening primrose oil
• 20 ml pure rose water
•  ¼ tsp borax

1 tsp marigold tincture

You can buy these ingredients from a [health store, pharmacy, local organic markets]

Method

Stage 1

In a small container, melt the beeswax, cocoa butter and almond oil.

Stir very gently over a pan containing hot (not boiling) water. Stir all the time! As soon as the wax melts, take container away from the heat and cool a little.

Add the vitamin E and evening primrose capsules and stir in.

Tip: Pierce the capsules with a needle, sterilised with alcohol.

Stage 2

In a separate container, heat gently:

• 20 ml pure rose water
•  ¼ tsp borax
• 1 tsp marigold tincture (until the borax dissolves)

Do not boil. Alcohol in the tincture will evaporate during the heating, so the finished product will not contain any.

Add the rose water mixture to the almond oil mixture (Stage 1) drop by drop, stirring constantly.

You may decide not to use all the rose water mixture, but bear in mind that the cream will become a lot thicker when it cools.

Cool the cream quickly by placing the bottom of the container in ice-cold water. Add 10 drops of rose (best choice), frankincense or lavender essential oil and stir in.

Pour the cream in the sterilised small (20-ml) glass jars and close tightly.

For the skin around the eyes use this cream within six weeks. On the neck, hands and body you can use it within the next two months.

See related article ‘Recipes for masks and scrubs’ or watch the video

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Have a lovely day

Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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Make your own face cleansers

This information comes from: Informed
Voice, Vol 3 No 4, Summer 2006, p 68 (‘Skin deep: cleanse without going broke!’)

It’s fun to mix up organic ingredients and then feed our skin. Here are some alternatives to store-bought face cleansers – straight from your kitchen. Instructions are set out below the ingredients lists.

Face cleansers

• Apple cider is natural astringent
• Olive oil helps remove dirt
• The lactic acid in yogurt exfoliates
• Lemon juice tightens pores

Cleanser for dry skin

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• ½ mashed banana or avocado
• ¼ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Cleanser for oily skin

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• ½ teaspoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Cleanser for normal skin

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Method

Combine all ingredients well. Scoop out approximately ¼ cup and apply to your face, neck and décolleté with a circular motion. Massage it into skin for at least one minute. Rinse well with cool (not cold) water. Gently pat dry with a soft cloth.

Store unused cleanser in the fridge for up to seven days.

Tip: If you run out of cleanser, use milk instead. There’s no need to wash it off. It leaves a natural sheen on the skin.

See related article ‘Recipes for masks and scrubs’ or watch the video

 What did you think of this article? I welcome your feedback

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Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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Exfoliating Brush

A key way to keeping skin healthy and glowing is the use of exfoliating products or skin brushes. An exfoliating or skin brush is perfect to use at bath time, particularly when the pores of the skin are dilated.

Skin brushing not only smoothes and softens dry or dehydrated skin, it also stimulates the blood supply and lymphatic circulation, adding to the detoxifying process.

Go to work on stubborn cellulite areas such as the tops of thighs with an exfoliating brush regularly, and changes will be noticed within a matter of months. If an exfoliation brush sounds a little too rough for your bath relaxation time, there are a number of exfoliating products such as salts and creams that can be used. Epsom salts are particularly effective for calming and soothing the skin and are a natural and cheap alternative. Epsom salts can be purchased from most pharmacists or chemists.

Look for products that contain micro beads or small exfoliating fragments as opposed to harsh ingredients that can scratch the skin. Products containing coffee, cocoa and seaweed extracts are particularly effective for speeding circulation and improving skin condition.

See related article ‘Recipes for masks and scrubs’ or watch the video

See also topic ‘Myth: exfoliating is bad!’ or watch the video

See body brush

What did you think of this article? I welcome your feedback

Have a lovely day

Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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Milk and honey beauty recipe

So beauty therapy is just playing with creams, right? Well, not exactly, but that’s part of it. Let’s go back in history…

Once, women bleached their hair by brushing it with bird poo. They coloured their lips red with a substance from a particular snail – eeuw.

Cleopatra’s exquisite skin complexion is legendary.  She bathed in raw milk and honey. Milk contains lactid acid, which gently exfoliates and cleanses. Honey contains minerals and vitamins to heal and nourish. 

Try it, your skin goes as soft as a baby’s.

Milk and honey bath

1 cup of milk  (milk powder or raw milk)

1 cup of honey

Mix this in bowl and add it to your warm bath. Soak yourself for 20-30 minutes.

Milk and honey for dry skin  

Mix well 2 soup spoons of honey and 1 cup of milk (raw if possible). Apply morning and night with a cotton pad. The mixture last a couple of days in the fridge.

Watch the video ‘Milk and honey beauty recipe’

See related article ‘Recipes for masks and scrubs’ or watch the video

What did you think of this article? I welcome your feedback

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Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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Carrot face mask

When I was a young girl I sometimes got a little too creative. One day I wanted to revive my skin, so I checked out what was in the fridge. A carrot. Hmm, I could do a carrot mask. I grated this good-looking specimen and spread the mixture onto my face, neck and décolleté, and relaxed.

My mother could have told me. ‘Lucie, a carrot is orange: you will look orange too.’ Mothers are always right.

I tried to scrub if off with kitchen salt – WRONG. It burns and scratches!

Then I rubbed lemon juice onto my face. It helped, but I was still slightly orange. So in this case, don’t do what I did …

Lemons can remove the orange colour

The peel and juice of ripe lemons (organic) is astringent, antibacterial, antiseptic and cleansing. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into bowl and apply it to your face. Or cut it in half and rub it into your skin. Wash it off after 30 seconds to 1 minute.  

Caution:  It may sting especially if you have any open spots or cuts.  Lemon can cause increased skin sensitivity to ultraviolet light if left on the skin. Always wash it off and use sun cream.

 Watch the video ‘Carrot face mask’

See related article ‘Recipes for masks and scrubs’ or watch the video

What did you think of this article? I welcome your feedback

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Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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Thermo Coconut mask for your neck and décolleté

Smooth and nourish with coconut oil.

 What you need:

• Certified organic raw coconut oil (250 ml costs around AU$8-$9).
• Aluminium foil
• Cotton towel.

Coconut oil creates a barrier against moisture loss (wrinkle lines – ha!). The foil and cotton towel help keep the heat in the oil, aiding absorption into your skin.

Warm the oil in a small pot on stove, or briefly in the microwave to a temperature where you can easily massage it over your neck. Be careful not to make it hot – ALWAYS test a drop on your upper wrist first.

Rub the warmed oil into your skin with your hands, or a beauty brush. To seal in the oil, wrap the foil around your neck. Then wrap a towel around the foil, and relax for 30 minutes – or more, if you like. Unwrap the towel and foil, and wipe off the oil with paper tissue or a lukewarm towel.

You can do the same thing for rough skin on your hands, feet, elbows.

Watch the video ‘Thermo Coconut mask for your neck and décolleté’

See related article ‘Recipes for masks and scrubs’ or watch the video

What did you think of this article? I welcome your feedback

Have a lovely day

Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

 Forward to a friend