DIY Beauty Oil

It looks like beauty oils are getting a lot of hype recently at the beauty counter. The initial idea of applying oils directly to your face probably horrifies most, but the big secret is: using oils as a moisturizer doesn't make your skin oily. Period.

     

Tea Treatments for Your Hair

I remember the day I colored my hair for the first time and essentially lost my natural highlights forever. Sigh. My mother warned me, but I did it anyway. My natural color is a dirty blonde, and growing up playing sports year round, I maintained golden blonde highlights. But that wasn't enough for me, I wanted something different and new! I wanted something dark. After I made up my mind my friend spent a fair amount of time coloring my hair in our apartment kitchen, and I loved it! Until I wanted my golden highlights back...

Lavender Foot Scrub

 After a long weekend of yard work a cold shower just wasn't enough. My feet were extra sore and needed some love, especially since I've given up nail polish for the summer, eek. I prepared a foot soak with Epsom salts and a little peppermint Dr. Bronner's soap, then used a lavender sugar foot scrub to slough away the... ugliness. The scrub is a quick preparation that will last for quite awhile stored in a jar.

Start of with an exfoliant, either sea salt of sugar. I use a half cup of coarse turbinado sugar. Add a tablespoon of a carrier oil such as sweet almond oil, jojoba, or even olive oil. Top it off with 20 drops of an essential oil; lavender, peppermint, or rosemary. Mix it up evenly and use a handful on your feet or hands for a aromatic exfoliation. When you rinse off what's left, your skin will be renewed to softness. So, treat your feet!

Pampering is always a little nicer in the company of fresh flowers!

Breakfast For Your Face

It just so happens that one of my favorite breakfasts is also great for your skin! Plain Greek yogurt and honey, that's it. This post is gonna be short...

If you haven't tried eating Greek yogurt and honey, you're in for a treat. It's so rich and sweet I feel like I'm cheating and eating something high in fat. But Greek yogurt is naturally fat free, bonus! Put a mixture of it on your face, nice and thick, and let it moisture your skin. Let it sit for 10 minutes then wipe it off with a warm towel. The yogurt moisturizes and the honey is a natural antibacterial.

A little trick with storing Greek yogurt: I keep a large container on it's side in the fridge. When I open it, I drain off the liquid on the top, so with each time I use it, the yogurt gets thicker (and more delicious). Now I just have to start making my own yogurt...

My Nail Polish Dilemma

I have finally come to terms with my love of nail polish.

Even though the first time I ever got a manicure in a salon was for my wedding two years ago, that doesn't mean I don't do them myself at home on a regular basis. I have a fair amount of colorful little polishes lined up in the bathroom, and I'd wager that my toenails are lacquered 95% of the time. I'm sure a lot of girls can relate. After all the other natural options I've been switching to I've conveniently forgotten about the tiny bottles of formaldehyde I paint my nails with. There are no two ways about it, nail polish is little concoction of chemicals. Mother Nature doesn't have a way of adhering a glossy, metallic hued color on a surface for days at a time. So, okay, it's not that much, it's only on my nails? But there's also the environmental factor, tossing old nail polish bottles is just as bad as tossing out house paint, or batteries*. Great. 

Even "natural" nail polishes aren't one hundred percent natural, but they don't have the triple crown of chemicals: toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and formaldehyde. I guess that's a step in the right direction. But it begs the question, is it really worth it, do I need nail polish in my life? 

So, I've decided to go polish free for the summer and see what happens to me. (Or rather, see if I can stand my long toes baring it all.) Maybe it will be nice to not concern myself with chipping polish...

Here's where I'm getting my facts from:

Huffington Post

WebMD

The Daily Green

Some natural polish brands that are "Three free":

Priti

Zoya

Butter London

Sante

Nars

Rescue Beauty Lounge

Scotch Naturals

* To properly dispose of nail polish, uncap it in a well ventilated area and let it harden. Only then is it "acceptable" to throw out.

DIY Detox Mask

Last week I shared a toning facial steam recipe, and today I've got an oil banishing, moisturizing, make you look like a green monster so even your dog won't recognize you, mask. Whew.

A year back when I started going all natural for my skin routine I bought a one pound bag of French green clay. It cost me $17, and I've been doing at least one mask per week. So that works out to about 30 cents per mask. All natural and thrifty!

This sort of clay literally sucks the impurities out of your pores, so it's really good for acne prone skin. It's okay for everyone else, you just don't need to use it as often. It also works well with a bunch of other things: apple cider vinegar, aloe vera, Greek yogurt, or just plain water works too. I use it with apple cider vinegar as spot treatment. Mix a little in your hand to make a paste, dab it on any unsightly blemish, and let it dry. I promise it will reduce the size and redness and shorten it's time on your face. For more frequent whole face detoxing, I mix it with Thayer's Rose Petal Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera. Alone it's a moisturizing toner, but with this mask it brings a moisturizing balance to the clay's detoxifying properties. 

If you want to get fancy with this mask, start with a about half a tablespoon of clay in a small ramekin. Start adding squirts of the Witch Hazel and mix it with a clean paint brush (preferably and facial dedicated brush). Mix till you get a nice smooth paste and just paint it on, avoiding sensitive areas. The paintbrush truly is an upgrade from just fingertips, the brush feels really nice on your skin, spa-worthy!

Let it dry for 15 or so minutes, so that it's all dry and crackly. I always make sure to give Chris some warning when I put on a mask , I have startled him more than a few times... Behold, the Green Monster!

I added this photo by request! Not my best look.

An Herbal Skin Pick Me Up

It's been a particularly stressful work week for me, so last night I decided to give my face a little pampering. Steams are wonderfully refreshing; they are good for your skin and breathing in the herby goodness helps me to unwind. For this steam I used...

• juice of a fresh lemon
• two sprigs of rosemary 
• two drops of tea tree oil 

These are all good for oily and acne prone skin, like mine. *sigh* But you can use other things like lavender oil for normal skin, or rose oil for dry skin. Pour boiling water in a large bowl, add your ingredients, and sit with your face over the bowl and a large towel over your head. It's like a little sauna for your face! Steam away for as long add you like, and just towel off when you're done. You face will feel soft and tight. This would be a great time for a detoxifying clay mask, but I'll post that another day!

NOTE: If you're wondering where to get essential oils from, Whole Foods always has a great selection, but the best resource for botanicals great and small is Mountain Rose Herbs.