Natural Skin Care

Sore Muscle Creme

2 Tbsp hot sauce
1/2 cup coconut oill

Mix together and you can even melt the oil to make it easier to whip up. I put my coconut oil in a glass jar and then set that in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes to soften and it mixes easier.
Store in the refrigerator until you need it and wash hands after rubbing on effected area. Keep away from eyes and private parts.

Fall Moisturizing Sugar Scrub for Hands

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbsp cinnamon, clove, nutmeg
3 tbsp dishsoap

Mix together and use daily for softer smoother hands. This smells like fall and will make you think about apple pies and pumpkin spices. Makes a great gift.


Gentle and relaxing massage oil

 3 tbsp almond oil 
1 tsp wheat germ oil
10 drops chamomile oil
10 drops geranium oil
Pour the almond and wheat germ oils into a glass bottle and add the essential oils of your choice, shake to mix and store in a cool dark place.

Ti-Tree Massage Lotion


½ tsp borax
½ tbsp white beeswax
3 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp almond oil
1 tbsp wheat germ oil
20 drops ti-tree oil
Dissolve the borax in 4 tbsp boiling water. Melt the beeswax with the coconut, almond, and wheat germ oils in a double boiler over low heat. Remove from the heat when completely melted and slowly pour in the borax solution, while stirring continuously with a whisk. The lotion will begin to emulsify and thicken. Continue whisking until it has cooled completely then add the ti-tree oil, store in a glass container in a cool place out of direct sunlight.

Body lotion


Lavender body Lotion


 ¼ tsp borax
1 tsp beeswax
1 tsp lanolin
2 tbsp petroleum jelly
5 tsp apricot kernel oil
4 tsp cold pressed sunflower oil
20 drops lavender oil

Dissolve the borax in 2 tbsp boiling water. Melt the beeswax, lanolin, and petroleum with the apricot kernel and cold pressed sunflower oil in a double boiler. Remove from heat once the wax melts and stir well to blend. Add the borax solution, whisking as you do so. The lotion will turn white and thicken but keep whisking until cool. Then stir in the lavender oil. Store in a cool dark place.

Peppermint body Lotion


 ¼ tsp borax
1 tsp beeswax
1 tsp lanolin
2 tbsp petroleum jelly
5 tsp apricot kernel oil
4 tsp cold pressed sunflower oil
10 drops pepermint oil

Dissolve the borax in 2 tbsp boiling water. Melt the beeswax, lanolin, and petroleum with the apricot kernel and cold pressed sunflower oil in a double boiler. Remove from heat once the wax melts and stir well to blend. Add the borax solution, whisking as you do so. The lotion will turn white and thicken but keep whisking until cool. Then stir in the lavender oil. Store in a cool dark place.

Traditional cold Cream

Make all purpose cream that can be used to cleanse and soothe skin


52 oz white beeswax
½ cup almond oil
½ tsp borax
¼ cup rosewater
Place the beeswax in a double boiler and add the almond oil. Melt the wax over low heat, stirring constantly to combine the ingredients. Take off the heat and dissolve the borax in the rosewater and slowly pour it into the melted wax and oil, whisking constantly. It will quickly turn milky and thicken. Continue whisking while it cools. When it reaches thick pouring consistency, pour into glass jar or china pot.

Unscented Moisture Cream


2 tbsp carnauba wax
1 tbsp white beeswax
½ cup almond oil
Melt the waxes and oil in a double boiler over low heat and stir, take off heat  and pour the cream into a pot and leave to set.


Herbal Bath bags


Lovely Relaxing Bath Bag
6tbsp bran
1 tbsp lavender flowers
1 tbsp chamomile flowers
1 tbsp rosemary tips
Small rubber bands
3 yards narrow ribbon
3 9 in muslin circles


Place two tbsp of bran in the center of each circle of muslin. Add lavender to one, chamomile to another and rosemary to a third. Gather up material close w/ rubber band and tie with ribbon.


Basic Milk Bath Starter:


These amounts will make a batch at a time to be stored in an airtight container until you use them. For convenience, fill up your drawstring bags then store.

1 1/2 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup Epsom salt
1/8 cup baking soda
2 TBS cornstarch

■Use this as the base and add whatever dried flowers and herbs you like.

Lavender Soak:


■1/2 cup dried lavender
■1 cup Epsom Salts

Lavender Oatmeal:


■1 cup oatmeal
■1/2 cup dried lavender

Lavender Oatmeal Milk:

■1/2 cup powdered milk (or the milk bath starter recipe above)
■1/2 cup oatmeal
■1/4 cup dried lavender

Rosemary Oatmeal Tea:

■1/2 cup Oatmeal
■1/4 cup Rosemary (dried)
■1/4 cup Chamomile (tea is fine)

Lavender Chamomile Soak:

■1/2 cup each: Epsom salt, lavender, chamomile

Herbal Splendor:

■1/2 cup each: thyme, sage, lavender, mint, bay leaves, rosemary

Soother Soak:


■1/2 cup each: Lavender, Rose Petals, Sage, Rosemary

Rosemary Basil Soak:


■1/2 cup rosemary
■1/2 cup basil
■1 cup oatmeal

Shower Bags

2 parts coarse oatmeal
2 parts mixed dried herbs
1 part grated soap
Wrap in a piece of cloth and use in the shower to make every day feel like a day at the spa.


Body scrubs

Easy Sugar Scrub Recipe

Yummy vanilla sugar homemade body scrub recipe


•1 cup fine brown sugar (I use a light muscovado sugar, but any fine grain sugar would suit)
•1/3 cup (approx) sweet almond oil or other carrier oil
•20 drops vanilla essential oil or 1 tsp vanilla essence

Easy Salt Scrub Recipe


Energizing Salt Scrub Recipe


•1 cup finely ground salt
•1/3 cup (approx) sweet almond oil or other carrier oil
•8 drops grapefruit essential oil, 8 bergamot, 4 peppermint

In a glass or ceramic bowl, add essential oil to salt and stir thoroughly. Add almond oil gradually, stirring continuously. Stop when the scrub reaches the consistence of moist sand. Once you've made this one, go ahead and try out some other essential oil combinations!

Warning: Don't use a salt scrub immediately after shaving your legs - it will sting! Instead, use the scrub before shaving. The oils left on your skin will lubricate the blade and make shaving smoother.


Coffee Body Scrub Recipe


Cinnamon, Orange, and Coffee Body Scrub Recipe
•1 cup ground coffee
•1 Tbsp salt
•1/3 cup (approx) sweet almond oil or other carrier oil
•1 tsp ground cinnamon
•8 drops grapefruit essential oil, 8 drops orange, 4 drops peppermint

Mix coffee, salt, and essential oils in a glass or ceramic bowl. Add almond oil slowly, stirring continuously, until mixture reaches the consistency of moist sand.


An Exfoliate


Basically a gritty substance of some sort. Sugar and salt are the most common, and have the benefit that they dissolve in water so they don't leave any mess in your bathtub.

Salt is great for relaxing your muscles. Some people prefer to use sea salt, because it is less processed than table salt, contains a wider variety of trace elements and minerals, and is said to be kinder on the skin. Personally I've tried sea salts, table salt, and Epsom salts, and found all of them to be fine. Your mileage may vary depending on your skin type (mine is fairly normal, perhaps slightly dry). Whatever salt you use, I'd recommend grinding it finely, i.e. to a similar consistency to table salt, because coarse grains can feel a little too exfoliating.


Sugar feels slightly gentler on your skin than salt. You can use either brown or white sugar. I prefer brown, because it smells yummy, especially if you mix it with a little vanilla essential oil.

Ground coffee smells divine, and the caffeine may even have some benefits for your skin. Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, meaning that it causes blood vessels to constrict, so it can temporarily reduce varicose veins and rosacea. Intriguingly, experiments have shown that caffeine applied to the skin of mice makes them less likely to get skin cancer... but we don't know yet whether this works for humans.

Oatmeal is the gentlest of the exfoliates. It is an emollient, meaning that it softens and hydrates your skin. People have used it for decades as an effective home remedy for dry, itchy skin. Unlike salt and sugar, you can use it with a bit of water instead of carrier oil.

Other options include almond meal, flax meal (ground linseeds), rice bran, wheat bran, and ground nut shells. I haven't tried any of these so I can't really comment, though I've heard that ground nut shells can really be quite scratchy against your skin. (If you'd like to share your experience with any of these exfoliates, then get in touch.)

 


2. A Carrier Oil


Also called a base oil, the oil in a homemade body scrub holds the mixture together, and moisturizes your skin. Most body scrub recipes use about 1/3 cup of oil for each cup of exfoliate. There are many carrier oils to choose from. Unless your skin is very dry, I'd recommend choosing oil with a fairly thin consistency so that it will wash off easily and won't leave your skin feeling too greasy. Some popular options are

Sunflower oil has a very faint odor, thin consistency, and penetrates well without leaving much of a residue. It is also one of the most affordable oils and has a shelf life of about 12 months. It is used in several commercially available body scrubs, including some manufactured by "Body Shop", "Nourish", and "Jason Natural".

Sweet Almond Oil has a slightly sweet and nutty aroma, medium consistency, and absorbs fairly quickly. Shelf life is about 12 months.

Grape Seed Oil has a faint sweet odor, is very thin, and leaves a thin film on the skin. It has a shelf life of 6-12 months.

Hazelnut Oil has a sweet nutty odor, is quite thin, and leaves a film on the skin. Shelf life is about 12 months.

Kukui (Candle Nut) Oil has a light, sweet, nutty odor, a thin consistency, and absorbs well. Shelf life is about 12 months.

Macadamia Nut Oil has a nutty odor, thick consistency, and leaves a an oily film on your skin. Recommended for dry skin. Shelf life is about 12 months.

It goes without saying, but don't use a nut oil if you have a nut allergy!


3. Fragrance


The easiest way to scent your homemade body scrub is with essential oils. Avoid "fragrance oils", which are synthetic. Here are some essential oil combinations for different skin types, recommended by Carla Oates in her excellent book feeding Your Skin. Each combination is intended to be diluted in; 1 cup (approx 2½ oz) of carrier oil.

Normal: 10 drops lavender, 6 geranium, 4 ylang-ylang
Oily: 8 drops sandalwood, 6 lemon, 6 lavender
Dry: 8 drops sandalwood, 6 geranium, 6 rose
Sensitive: 6 drops chamomile, 4 rose, 2 neroli
Dehydrated: 10 drops rose, 8 sandalwood, 2 patchoulli
Mature: 8 drops neroli, 6 frankincense, 6 ylang-ylang
Acne: 10 drops lemon, 10 cypress, 5 lavender
Devitalised: 10 drops geranium, 6 rose, 4 cypress
Broken capillaries: 8 drops rose, 6 chamomile, 6 cypress
Have a go and experiment with your own combinations. But avoid getting undiluted essential oil on your skin - it is very concentrated and can cause irritation. For sensitive skin, avoid the following oils: basil, cinnamon, clove, lemon, lemongrass, tea-tree, thyme, citrus. Citrus oils in particular can cause sensitivity to sunlight.

Dusting powder

 

 

 

Rose Luxury Powder

 


5tbsp Talcum powder
1tbsp cornstarch
5 drops essential rose oil or jasmine oil
Peppermint oil is a sport scent( optional)
Mix together and keep in a shaker. Use as needed.


Perfumed After Bath Powder


8 ounces Tapioca Starch
4 ounces Corn Starch
4 ounces Arrowroot Powder
22 drops fragrance or essential oils.

Combine powders and mix well.
Add oils to absorbent cotton pad.
Place pad with oil in container with powder, shake or stir well, allow to sit 24 hours, shake or stir again, allow to sit another 24 hours, shake or stir powder, remove pad and discard, place powder into containers, it is ready to use. Makes 2 cups powder

Light Dusting Powder


11 ounces Tapioca Starch
4 ounces Baking Soda
1 ounce Kaolin Powder
15-18 drops fragrance or essential oils.


Combine powders and mix well.
Add oils to absorbent cotton pad.
Place pad with oil in container with powder, shake or stir well, allow to sit 24 hours, shake or stir again, allow to sit another 24 hours, shake or stir powder, remove pad and discard, place powder into containers, it is ready to use. Makes 2 cups powder

Silky Gardenia Powder


8 ounces Tapioca Starch
5 ounces Corn Starch
3 ounces Arrowroot Powder
12-15 drops gardenia essential oil.

Combine powders and mix well.
Add gardenia essential oil to absorbent cotton pad.
Place pad with oil in container with powder, shake or stir well, allow to sit 24 hours, shake or stir again, allow to sit another 24 hours, shake or stir powder, remove pad and discard, place powder into containers, it is ready to use. Makes 2 cups powder

Absorbent Bath Powder for Oily Skin

( Not quite as smooth as other powders, but it really is absorbent and will leave skin feeling clean and fresh )
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup rice flour
1 teaspoon orrisroot powder
If you want a perfumed powder, add several drops of your favorite essential oil, or leave this out if you prefer unscented.

Combine powders and mix well to make sure orrisroot powder is evenly dispersed.
Add essential oils ( if you are adding fragrance ) to absorbent cotton pad.
Place pad with oil in container with powder, shake or stir well, allow to sit 24 hours, shake or stir again, allow to sit another 48 hours ( a little longer than other powders to make sure orrisroot has absorbed fragrance ), shake or stir powder, remove pad and discard, place powder into containers, it is ready to use.
Makes 2 cups powder

Rose Bath Powder Recipe

1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup arrowroot powder
1 cup cornstarch powder
5cc rosehip powder
16 drops rose fragrance oil

Combine powders and mix well.
Add fragrance oil to absorbent cotton pad.
Place pad with oil in container with powder, shake or stir well, allow to sit 24 hours, shake or stir again, allow to sit another 24 hours, shake or stir powder, remove pad and discard, place powder into containers, it is ready to use. Makes 2 cups powder

Vanilla Dusting Powder Recipe

( Leaves a long lasting, pleasant vanilla fragrance on the skin )
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup tapioca starch
8 drops vanilla essential oil
30cc Pure Vanillin Powder
Combine powders and mix well.
Add fragrance oil to absorbent cotton pad.
Place pad with oil in container with powder, shake or stir well, allow to sit 24 hours, shake or stir again, allow to sit another 24 hours, shake or stir powder, remove pad and discard, place powder into containers, it is ready to use. Makes 2 cups powder

Extra Smooth Face and Body Powder

( good for absorbing oil and leaves a fresh feel to skin ) You will need:
1 Cup Arrowroot Powder
1/2 Cup Dry Flo Powder
1/2 Cup Rice Flour
30 cc Lemon Peel Powder
30 cc Chamomile Powder
A few drops of your favorite fragrance oils ( or you can use unscented )

Combine powders and mix well.
Add fragrance oil to absorbent cotton pad.
Place pad with oil in container with powder, shake or stir well, allow to sit 24 hours, shake or stir again, allow to sit another 24 hours, shake or stir powder, remove pad and discard, place powder into containers, it is ready to use. Makes just over 2 cups powder

Skin tonics

Use for normal skin

 


Orange flower skin tonic

 
5 tbsp cornflower water
1 ½ tsp rosewater
Mix in glass bottle and apply to skin with a cotton ball and smooth all over skin.

Use for dry skin

 


Elderflower skin tonic


3 ¼ tbsp elderflower infusion
3 ¼ tbsp rosewater
Mix in glass bottle and apply to skin with a cotton ball and smooth all over skin.

Use for oily skin


Lavender skin tonic


5 tbsp lavender infusion
1 ½ tbsp witch hazel
Mix in glass bottle and apply to skin with a cotton ball and smooth all over skin.


Washing Grains

Orange and Oatmeal Washing Grains


 1 tbsp Organic orange peels
2 tbsp Fine Oatmeal
Mix with warm water in the palm of your hand and gently massage into your face. Rinse and dry your face.

Hand Cream


Winter Hand Cream


Put on before bed in a thick layer and a pair of cotton gloves and your hands will be soft and healed in the morning.
 3 oz hard white soap
4 oz Beeswax
3 tbsp glycerine
2/3 cup almond oil
3 tbsp rose water
25 drops patchouli oil

Grate the soap and put it in a bowl. Add 6 tbsp boiling water and stir until the mixture is smooth. Combine the beeswax, glycerin, almond oil and rose water in a double boiler. Melt over low heat. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the soap mixture. Keep whisking as the mixture cools and thickens. Stir in the patchouli oil and pour the cream into a glass jar or china pot.

Healing Ointment


Perfect for cuts and scratches from the garden
 6 tbsp white petroleum jelly
½ tsp paraffin wax
¼ tsp anhydrous lanolin
10 drops of lavender essential oil
Place the petroleum jelly, paraffin wax and lanolin in a double boiler and melt slowly over low heat, stirring constantly. Once melted, remove from the heat and continue stirring the mixture as it cools and thickens. Stir in essential oils and store in a china or dark glass container.

Hair Treatments


Cider vinegar hair rinse


Gives hair a deep shine
 1 cup cider vinegar
4 cups warm water
Mix together and use as a final rinse.

Chamomile Hair Rinse


Lightens hair naturally
2 oz chamomile flowers
2/3 cup cider vinegar
5 drops chamomile oil
Pour 3 ¾ cups boiling water over the chamomile flowers and let them steep over night. Strain flowers in the am and add vinegar and essential oil. Pour in a glass container and seal. Pour over hair when wet and let it dry in the sun, results will vary depending on how light your natural hair is.

Rosemary Hair rinse


Conditioner for dark hair or dandruff
2 oz Rosemary sprigs
1 ¼ cups cider vinegar
10 drops rosemary oil
Pour 3 ¾ cups boiling water over the chamomile flowers and let them steep over night. Strain flowers in the am and add vinegar and essential oil. Pour in a glass container and seal. Pour over hair when wet, use once weekly to promote and improve hair health

Oil Treatment for hair


Lightens hair naturally
6 tbsp coconut oil
3 drops rosemary oil
2 drops ti tree oil
2 drops lavender oil
Blend together and store in a dark container. Apply sparingly to dry hair and massage into scalp, wrap hair with hot towel for 20 minutes. Shampoo out of hair

Making Fresh Rose Water

Place the fresh petals into a saucepan. Pour in the water.
Boil for 15 minutes.
Cool and strain the petals out.
Bottle the water and keep in the refrigerator.

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