Homemade Beauty · Eco-Chick

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Pine & Calendula: Two Magical Herbal Oils for Beauty & Health

I’m no Drew Barrymore – I don’t use the word ‘magical’ very often. But sometimes it applies, and I’m not talking about supernatural phenomena here. I mean magic of an earthly sort, those moments of amazing interaction between us and the natural world where everything seems to fit together – well – magically.

To me, a prime example is the way certain plants can ease our ills and make us feel beautiful without any kind of laboratory manipulation. Two of my absolute favorites – pine and calendula – might be growing in your area right now, just waiting to be plucked and infused and allowed to work their particular magic on your body. Making infused herbal oils is so easy, they smell fantastic and it’s comforting to know that what you’re putting on your skin is as pure as can be.
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Beauty, Herbal Remedies, herbs/homeopathics, Homemade Beauty, Plants

Fix Winter Frizz: 3 Organic Mega-Hydrating Deep Conditioner Recipes

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by Stephanie Rogers · 01/11/10

Image via mikal_bisnovat

Brrr! It’s brutally cold outside for most of us this winter, and the harsh wind combined with dry indoor heating robs our hair of its moisture. Get some luster back into your locks with easy, homemade deep conditioning recipes that only take a few minutes to whip up.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t stand the smell of mayonnaise – especially in my hair – so I avoid recipes that contain it, or any combination of eggs and vinegar. I prefer to use the natural moisturizing properties of yummy-smelling ingredients like coconut oil, papaya and honey.

For all three of the following recipes, just throw the ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth, apply to your hair and let it sit for at least 10 minutes (preferably more like 30), then rinse.

Avocado-Coconut Deep Conditioner

1 mashed avocado
1 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp coconut oil

This combination smells so delicious, and the avocado is rich in nourishing fatty acids and protein for super-soft results.

DIY, Hair Care, Homemade Beauty

Post-Holiday Spa Goodies You Can Make Right Now

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by Stephanie Rogers · 12/26/09

Why is it that every year, despite our best intentions to relax and have a good time during the holidays, we end up running around crazy anyway? Entertaining visitors, attending parties, shuttling kids to various events and commitments, braving the crowds to pick up gifts, making crafts – there’s not much time left to squeeze in a little R&R, is there?

You might not be able to make it to the spa, but you can revitalize your skin at home on the cheap. These quick and easy homemade bath & body goodies have delicious holiday-themed fragrances and ingredients designed to perk you up, soften your skin and make you feel pampered and relaxed. You probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry (especially if you’ve been making holiday treats!)

Candy Cane Body Scrub

½ cup granulated white sugar
¼ cup coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
2 candy canes, finely crushed to powder
3 drops peppermint oil

Mix together all ingredients in a small bowl or jar. Make sure that you keep the mixture in a warm place before use so that the coconut oil stays in liquid form, and scrub away! It’s a great way to use up candy canes that you don’t want to consume, the scrub smells awesome and it’ll slough away all that flaky, dry winter skin.

Eco Beauty, Holidays, Homemade Beauty, Natural Beauty

Make Your Own Soothing, Natural Bath Salts

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by Stephanie Rogers · 10/07/08

Now that the weather is getting colder, hot baths are even more enticing after a long, hard day of work. Sometimes, there’s nothing you want more than to sink into a soothing, steamy bath full of scented bath salts. Of course, those bath salts sold at most stores are usually packed with overly strong, headache-inducing artificial fragrance – not exactly what you’re going for when all you want to do is relax and wind down. But making your own bath salts scented with pure essential oils is easy and allows you to customize them to your needs.

A quick note on Dead Sea salt: it’s not the most eco-friendly choice. While salt extraction from the Dead Sea is only a small factor in the shrinking of this renowned body of water, it still has an effect – and still has to travel halfway across the world. And, technically, Dead Sea salt is really no different from regular old salt. Epsom salt – also known as hydrated magnesium sulfate – is a better choice. It also packs a muscle-relaxing wallop, since magnesium sulfate acts as a sedative for the nervous system.

All you need to make your own bath salts is a mixing bowl, a spoon, an empty jar, salt, baking soda, essential oils, and any other additives you might like to use. I like including a little club moss, used by herbal healers to relieve muscle cramping. My personal favorite blend of essential oils includes ginger, clove and vanilla.

Combine about a cup of salt with a cup of baking soda, and add in several drops of essential oil (a little goes a long way!). You can also mix in a little bit of some moisturizing oils like olive or jojoba. Allow the mixture to sit overnight in the bowl, covered with a cloth, to let it dry completely, before putting it in a jar. Otherwise, it’ll solidify and be difficult to use.

You can pick up 5 pounds of Epsom salt from Mountain Rose Herbs for just $12. They’ve also got a wide range of essential oils, herbs, flower petals and other things you can add to your homemade bath salts to make them look and smell pretty!

bath, Eco Beauty, Homemade Beauty

Natural Homemade Face Mask for Combination/Oily Skin

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by Stephanie Rogers · 05/26/08

French green clay is a completely natural alternative to prepackaged face masks full of preservatives and synthetic ingredients. This stuff will really work some magic on oily and acne-prone skin, absorbing tons of oil and leaving your skin feeling soft and smooth. It’s gentle enough to be used on sensitive skin, too.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp French Green Clay
1/2 tbsp grapefruit juice (or carrot juice, if you have dry patches)
1 tsp honey
Drop of your favorite essential oil (optional)

Instructions:

Mix the clay with the grapefruit juice and then add the honey and the essential oil, if using. Smooth the mixture onto your face and leave it on for about 15 minutes, or until it dries completely. Gently remove it with a warm wet washcloth.

You can use this face mask up to twice a week; avoid using it more often than that or you may experience some dryness and irritation. If your skin is extra sensitive, use water instead of grapefruit juice. You can add a little extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil to the mixture if you need some extra moisture. The great thing about getting pure French green clay is you can experiment a bit and find a formula that’s just right for your skin. Some ideas for additions include eggs, banana, shea butter, rosewater, yogurt, avocado and green tea.

French green clay can typically be found at health food stores and can be purchased online, or you can just use the Burt’s Bees Pore Refining Mask powder, which contains some extra ingredients but can be substituted for pure French green clay in the recipe above.

Burt's Bees, Face Masks, French Green Clay, Homemade Beauty