Thursday 29 August 2013

A Homemade All-Natural Face Cream!

Beeswax is popularly used in a variety of skincare products and for a good reason. It is a thickening agent that can be used in many homemade skin care recipes without using too much of it and it comes with a vastness of benefits for your skin. On top of being healthy for your skin and cost-effective, it can even give off a lovely honey scent if bought in high quality!
A Simple Yet Beneficial Beeswax Oil Face Cream
Ingredients;
- Beeswax
- Sweet Almond oil

Instructions;
- Melt 10g of beeswax with 120mL almond oil
- After this is cooled down a little, mix this with 40mL of rose water (you can learn to make your own homemade rose water from this link here)
- After this is done, wait for the whole mixture to cool down before applying on your face as either a nightly or daily serum.
- An optional step is to add 5 drops of your chosen essential oil.


And what good will this do for you? Well, here are five benefits of beeswax for your skin;
1) It moisturizes and softens skin.
2) It has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral benefits.
3) Forms a protective barrier on the skin while allowing it to breath (this is especially helpful for sensitive skin).
4) Can treat minor skin irritations and speed the healing process.
5) It is non-allergenic. So this makes it fabulous for sensitive skin!

TIP * Notice in this recipe how almond oil is added. Almond oil is an amazing base for any skin care recipe and adds amazing benefits to the recipe. If you'd like to learn more about the benefits of almond oil, click here.
Warning* Try not to burn yourself making this recipe as beeswax can be flammable and you're working with extreme heat. Use caution!

Sunday 18 August 2013

All Natural Homemade Facial Washes!

In store-bought cleansers, you never know what you're going to get. You read the label that contains a million ingredients that are seemingly written in a different language and which could either destroy your skin or give it a temporary cure. By going natural, you don't risk these extremities (unless you have allergies) and will most likely help your skin rejuvenate itself by using natural ingredients. Here are five ingredients found in your kitchen that you can use to wash your face everyday and get naturally perfect skin!



1) Almond or castor oil - By massaging one of these oils into your skin for 3 minutes and washing it off, you can tighten skin, prevent aging, soften skin, and get a nice radiant glow! You can even apply a little bit of almond oil on your skin before bed and use it as a nightly moisturizer!
2) Milk - Applying milk on your skin everyday for 3 minutes helps prevent premature aging, shrinks the pores, softens the skin, and helps the skin become radiant naturally!
3) Honey - Honey is anti-bacterial and softens your skin while you clean it! Make a honey mask by just applying it for 10 minutes and washing it off before you sleep.
4) Lemon - Cut a lemon in half, obtain all the juices, rub into your skin for 3 minutes, then wash off. This helps reduce and prevent acne as well as lighten the skin and reduce scars and dark marks!
5) Plain yogurt - Yogurt is a natural cleanser that helps detoxify the skin and is also a natural make up cleanser!

Friday 16 August 2013

Dark Eyes Begone!

A majority of us have problems with under-eye circles and bags. So here is a homemade solution that I came across that may help your dark eyes disappear in a matter of minutes and leave you feeling and looking fresh and awake!
FIVE ways to get rid of dark under-eye circles!
1) Apply almond oil directly on the skin around your eyes - Almond oil had moisturizing, anti-aging and skin lightening properties. So apply some almond oil right before bedtime and see reduced dark circles in as little as a month! 
2) Mix ground coffee beans and honey and apply underneath your eyes for 15 minutes - Who said you had to drink coffee to wake yourself up? The caffeine in the coffee literally wakes up the skin around your eyes and stimulates circulation if applied directly on the problem area, leaving your eyes looking fresh and awake!
3) Take used tea bags, lay back, and place on your eyes for 15 minutes - The tea has a similar affect to the coffee due to the fact it has caffeine. It stimulates circulation around the eyes and wakes you up. But if you want to use a herbal tea with no caffeine, this helps reduce eye puffiness and leaves a nice fresh glow after being applied for 15 minutes!
4) Place two cucumber slices on eyes for 15 minutes - We've all heard of the popular cucumber remedy for eye problems, and for a good reason. Cucumbers have anti-inflammatory properties and also moisturize! So use a couple of slices of cucumber and place them on your eyes every morning, and eat a couple while you're at it. 
5) Take two potato slices and place them on your eyes for 15 minutes a day - Potato is known for it's natural skin lightening properties and I have noticed that it is one of the most effective homemade remedies for lightening skin. This will certainly clear up those nasty dark circles!

Wednesday 14 August 2013

All Natural Disinfectant and Beauty Must-Have!

I realize that some people have such bad acne or skin conditions that they have to resort to going to the doctor in order to obtain antibiotics or more severe treatments. And in the end, this fast treatment takes its toll and begins to decrease your immunity. As a result of this, you may accumulate even worse problems than acne, and it may come back full blown once you get off the antibiotics.
Well, before you consider that option, why not try some more natural methods?

Tea Tree Oil
The healing and disinfecting properties of tea tree oil have been known and used by the indigenous people of North-Eastern New South Wales for thousands of years. Tea tree oil is anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial. This makes it a great home remedy for treating infections and acne (I know in my experience it has worked more quickly and better than antibiotics when put on the skin) and is also very inexpensive! A must-have in your bathroom cupboard.

The Benefits of Tea Tree Oil

Ways to Use Tea Tree Oil
1. For applying directly on the skin.
2. As a household cleaner and disinfectant.
3. As a mouth wash.+
4. For your hair.

How to use tea tree oil for the skin
To use tea tree oil for the skin, you may do one of the following (as suggestions);
1) Dilute the tea tree oil with jojoba, almond, or olive oil by a 50:50 ratio. Then apply on skin where desired (avoid sensitive areas like the eyes)
2) Take a Q-tip and apply full strength tea tree oil only on problem areas like pimples.

How to use tea tree oil as a household cleaner
Take a spritzer bottle and dilute tea tree oil in water in a 1:50 ratio (1 mL tea tree oil for every 50mL of water). Spray this solution as an all natural disinfectant!

How to use tea tree oil as a mouthwash
Take one cup of water and mix it with 5 drops of tea tree oil. You may add in 5 drops of peppermint oil as well if you wish. This kills the bacteria in your mouth that causes bad breath! Be careful not to swallow any!

How to use tea tree oil for your hair
To use tea tree oil for your hair, you can mix it with your daily shampoo or rub tea tree oil mixed with jojoba or almond oil in a 50:50 ratio onto your scalp. Tea tree oil helps prevent hair loss, brings circulation to the scalp to stimulate hair growth, and leaves your hair moisturized and shiny.

WARNING
- Tea tree oil should by NO means be ingested because it is toxic.
- It may cause slight skin irritation and redness when you put it on full strength. But that fades away in no more than an hour (15 min in my experience).

Monday 12 August 2013

Sunscreen Worse Than Sunburn?

I was doing some research online and came across an article about natural homemade sunscreen. If you keep up to date with my blog, you should know that I'm a HUGE fan of homemade recipes. I thought I should share this miraculous discovery with you guys because this is really something that can take years off of your skin, prevent harmful effects of sunscreen, and also give you another reason to not put chemicals on your skin.
First of all, I'd like to point out some dangerous effects of using store bought sunscreen that I didn't even know of until today. I've done some research on this and it was mind-blowing to me. You hear all this talk of "You'll DIE if you don't use sunscreen, blah blah blah." But did we even consider the harmful effects that sunscreen has? I agree that we should not get TOO much sun, but should we really push the limits this far and become modern day vampires suffocated with chemicals?
Most sunscreens contain the chemical oxybenzone, which penetrates into the skin and has been linked to causing low birth weights when used by pregnant woman. Along with this chemical, sunscreen companies use nano particles to make sunscreen less chalky, and if inhaled can cause horrible consequences. One of these nano particles is titanium dioxide, which is a carcinogen found among many spray-on sunscreens. These spray on sunscreens make it even easier to inhale these nanoparticles and allow it to enter your bloodstream because your lungs cannot properly filter out nano particles. Oh, and did I mention that there have been cases where people have used spray on sunscreen and have received pleasant third degree burns? Yeah, not appealing.
In addition to the chemicals that it contains, sunscreen use drops your vitamin D intake DRAMATICALLY. Especially if you don't get enough vitamin D through your diet.

Now back to the homemade recipe. Hopefully after reading this article, you'll consider taking store-bought sunscreen out of your daily skin care and switch to a more natural alternative.

Ingredients
- Shea Butter (Provides 5 SPF)
- Two tablespoons Zinc oxide (not in nanoparticle form) or 1/4 cup of diaper rash cream which contains zinc oxide. (Provides around 20 SPF)
- 1/4 cup beeswax
- 1/4 cup almond oil
- Two tablespoons coconut oil
- Two tablespoons aloe vera gel

Instructions
1. Mix all of the ingredients together into a glass bowl or measuring cup.
2. Place the glass bowl into a pot with enough water in it to cover 5cm or so of the bottom of the glass bowl.
3. Bring the water to a boil and allow the ingredients to melt together, stirring occasionally.
4. Turn off the heat, wait for the mixture to cool down, and voila! You have your natural homemade sunscreen to use at will.

Overall, this natural homemade sunscreen provides 20-30 SPF. Enjoy!

Tuesday 6 August 2013

The Natural Make-It-Yourself Face Toner!

Rose water is one of those unknown and underrated miracle workers that can be used as a nutritious drink and is one of the best natural skin toners that you can get on the market today. Though it is not readily available and can be expensive, there is a way to make this miraculous liquid (with basic, natural ingredients) right in the comfort of your own home with very little cost. This all natural toner contains vitamins A and C, is bursting with antioxidants, and helps stimulate circulation in your skin leaving a nice healthy glow. If used on a regular basis, it would help improve the overall complexion and health of your skin!


How to Make Rose Water
I normally get criticized by my brother for boiling roses that I receive as gifts. I generally don't boil them when they're fresh out of guilt and because they look so pretty, but I tend to do it when they're getting old before they lose their fresh beauty. DON'T do this if you want the best quality rose water. Try to get newly picked roses, if possible.  

1. Once you have your roses, pick off all the petals. I normally use about 10 roses for a bottle of rose water. 
2. Put the petals in a bowl and rinse them off. Get off any impurities.
3. Get a metal pot and put about half a liter of water in it. Place the roses in the pot.
4. Place a lid (preferably a glass one) on top of the pot UPSIDE down. Place ice cubes on top of the lid. This allows the evaporated water to condense and make the rose water even more potent. 
5. Bring the rose water to a boil, and then put it on medium heat. Leave it for 25-30 minutes. Make sure to check on it and replace the melted ice cubes.
6. Take off the heat, remove the lid (CAREFULLY), and voila! You have your rose water.

How to Use Rose Water For Your Skin
1) Wash your hands with soap and water.
2) Wash your face of any impurities.
3) Place rose water in cupped hands and rinse your face with it.
DONE. Do this daily and expect naturally beautiful skin!