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| Friday, April 07, 2006 |
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Herbal & Aromatherapy
By @ 6:52 PM :: 419 Views ::
0 Comments ::  :: Lotions & Potions
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Of course we all know that beauty is within, and doesn't come out of a bottle or a jar! A healthy diet is essential along with regular exercise combined with a good balance of R&R (rest and relaxation), not to mention pleanty of fresh air and those all important 8 glasses of water every day! However, natural treatments can help you to look and feel good! There is nothing like indulging in a heavely pampering of home made products, and even better when you know exactly what the ingredients are! Most of these recipes are so simple and fun to make that you can even get your children to help, and some of the ingredients can be found in your kitchen cupboard! Have fun!
Normal Skin Types
Normal skin is clear, smooth and springy with a translucent glow. A simple routine of gentle cleansing, toning and moisturising daily is quite sufficent.
Yogurt Cleanser
1 fresh strawberry
1 tablespoon plain whole-milk yogurt
1 drop lavender essential oil
Mash the strawberry and mix well with the yogurt, add the essential oil and again mix in well.
Splash a little water onto your face and pat with a towel so that it is damp and not dry. Massage the yogurt mixture into your skin for one minuet using gentle circular movements. Rinse well with tepid water and pat dry with a towel.
Lavender Cleanser
2fl oz/60ml rose water
2fl oz/60ml vegetable glycerine
2fl oz/60ml aloe vera gel
10 drops lavender essential oil
Blend all the ingredients together in a bottle and shake well.
Gently apply to face with cotton wool and rinse with tepid water.
Herby Cleansing Milk
8fl oz/250ml whole milk
1 tablespoon dried calendula
1 tablespoon chamomile
1 tablespoon dried rose petals
Place all the herbs and milk in a glass jar, and leave in the fridge overnight.
Strain, rebottle and store in the fridge for upto a week.
Apply with cotton wool, rinse well with tepid water.
Herbal Toner
8fl oz/250ml distilled witch hazel
1 teaspoon dried chamomile
1 teaspoon dried calendula
1 teaspoon comfrey leaf
1 teaspoon dried elderflower
1 teaspoon dried rose petals
Place all the petals in a jar, pour in the witch hazel, cover with a lid and allow to steep for two weeks in a warm, dark place. Every day gently shake the jar so that the herbs do not settle.
Strain and store in a clean bottle.
Apply to skin with cotton wool after cleansing your face. Tis also makes a good spritzer to freshen up during the day or after exercising.
Lavender & Grapefruit Moisturising Cream
Lavender soothes and grapefruit refreshes. Grapeseed oil is a good antioxidant, and the aloe contains healing properties. Extra moisturising power is boosted with the jojoba and beeswax. The vitamin E acts as a preservative for the cream.
2 tablespoons grape-seed oil
2 tablespoons jojoba oil
1 tablespoon grated beeswax
1 400-IU capsule vitamin E oil
2fl oz/60ml aloe vera juice
3 drops grapefruit-seed extract
5 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops grapefruit essential oil
Melt the jojoba-oil, grape-seed oil and beeswax in a heat proof jar stood in a pan of simmering hot water (as you would melt chocolate) gently stir with a lolly stick or a chop stick until the wax has melted. Remove from heat. Add the vitamin E capsule. Warm the aloe vera over a low heat and when luke warm, slowly pour into the beeswax mixture. Beat steadily with an electric whisk set on the lowest speed, do this until the mixture is cool, thick and smooth. Stir int he grapefruit seed extract and the essential oils. Spoon into a clean jar and cool completely before covering.
Store in a cool place and use sparingly.
Facial Steam
2.5 litres/4 pints water
2 tablespoons dried calendula
2 tablespoons dried chamomile
2 tablespoons dried rose petals
2 tablespoons dried lavender
Bring the water and the herbs to the boiling a large pan with the lid on.
Remove from heat and allow to steep for five minutes. Pour into a large bowl, and cover your head with a towel over the bowl so that the steam covers your face. Take care not to burn yourself!
Stay under the towel for at least ten minutes. Rinse with tepid water and pat dry with a towel.
Honey & Almond Facial Scrub
1 teaspoon finely ground almods
2 teaspoons finely groud oats
1 tablespoon pain-low fat yogurt
1 teaspoon honey
1 drop lavender essential oil
Mix all the ingredients together.
Dampen face with warm water and gently massage the scrub onto your face using circular movements. Rinse well with tepid water and follow with toner and moisturiser.
Dry Skin Types
Dry skin feels taut and dry and has no shine. All skin types become drier and more sensitive to changes as they age. This skin type requires moisturiser at an early age, and treated with mild cleansers and gentle care.
Quick n' Easy Cream Cleanser
1 tablespoon double cream
1 drop sandalwood essential oil
Blend ingredients together.
Dampen face with warm water and massage into your skin using your fingertips. Do this for 1 minute then rinse withe tepid water.
Cleansing Oil
This is great for removing make-up whilst moisturising at the same time!
2fl oz/60ml jojoba oil
2fl oz/60ml almond oil
1 400-IU capsule vitamin E oil
10 drops carrot-seed essential oil
Blend oils together in a small glass bottle. Shake well before each use.
Apply the oil with cotton wool and follow by cleansing with a lotion.
Herby Toner
This is soothing, healing and also helps skin retain moisture!
4fl oz/124ml distilled witch hazel
4fl oz/125mil rose water
2 teaspoons dried comfrey leaf
1 teaspoon dried chamomile
1 teaspoon dried calendula
1 teaspoon dried rose petals
1 teaspoon vegetable glycerine
Combine all the ingredients in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Steep the mixture for two weeks in a warm, dark place. Gently shake the jar every day to prevent the herbs from settling. Strain, and store in a clean bottle. To use, saturate cotton wool with the toner and gently wipe over your skin.
Essential Toner
1 teaspoon distilled witch hazel
20 drops sandalwood essential oil
1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
8fl oz/250ml rose water
Combine the sandalwood essential oil and witch hazel in a bottle, shake well. Add the vegetable glycerine and rose water and shake again. Staurate a cotton bud with the toner and gently wipe over your skin.
Herby Scrub
7oz/200g rolled oats
2.5oz/75g almonds
2 tablespoons dried calendula
2 tablespoons dried rose petals
2 tablespoons dried comfrey leaf
1/2 teaspoon almond oil
In seperate batches, finely grind the oats, almonds, and herbs in a coffee grinder or blender. Mix well, and store in a covered container in a cool, dry place.
To use, mix a heaped teaspoon of cleansing grains with half a teaspoon almond oil with enough warm water to make a paste. Gently massage the mixture onto your skin, rinse well with tepid water. Use this scrub twice per week for best effect.
Rose Moisturising Cream
2 tablespoons jojoba oil
2 tablespoons almond oil
1 tablespoon grated beeswax
1 400-IU capsule vitamin E oil
2fl oz/60ml rose water
5 drops rose essential oil
3 drops grapefruit-seed extract
warm the jojoba and almond oils with the beeswax in a pot over a low heat until the wax melts. Add the contents of the capsule. warm the rose water over a low heat. When the liquids are lukewarm, slowly pour the rose water into the oil, beating steadily until cool, thick, and smooth. Stir in the rose essentail oil and grapefruit-seed extract. Spoon into a clean jar and cool completely before covering. Store in a cool place. Apply sparingly.
Avacado Mask
Mash a quarter of a ripe avacado, mix with a teaspoon of plain whole-milk yogurt into a paste, apply to clean skin for 15 minutes. Remove with a warm, wet flannel. Use one a week for soft, smooth skin.
Aromatherapy Mud Mask
2 teaspoons plain whole-milk yogurt
1/2 teaspoon jojoba oil
1/2 teaspoon cometic clay (Fullers Earth)
2 drops sandalwood essential oil
1 drop rose essential oil
Mix the ingredients together and apply to clean skin. Remove after 15 minutes with a warm, wet flannel.
Facial Steam
2.5 litres/4 pints water
2 tablespoons dried chamomile
2 tablespoons dried rose petals
2 tablespoons dried elderflower
2 tablespoons dried comfrey leaf
1 teaspoon almond oil
Bring the water and herbs to the boil in a large covered pan. Let the herbs steep for five minutes. Add the almond oil. Pour mixture into a large bowl, make a tent with the towel over you head to allow the steam on your face. Be careful not to burn yourself. Rinse your face with tepid water and apply toner or mask if desired.
Oily Skin Types
Oily skin has a definate shine and is supple. The pores are open and the skin may look coarse and sallow. An oily skin is less vulnerable to sun and winds, and a further benefit comes later in life as it appears supple for longer. It need thorough cleansing as the greasy surface acts like a magnet to dirt and a breeding ground for spots, but cleansing must be gentle to avoid stimulating the sebaceous glands into yet further oil production.
Cleansing Milk
4fl oz/125ml plain low-fat yogurt
4fl oz/125ml water
2 tablespoons dried lavender
1 tablespoon dried peppermint
Mix all the ingredients together in a pint (half litre) sized glass jar and steep the mixture overnight in the fridge. Strain, rebottle and use within one week if kept in the fridge.
To use, first dampen your face with warm water, soak cotton wool in the cleansing milkand gently wipe over the face. Rinse with tepid water, apply toner and follow with moisturiser.
Essential Cleanser
2fl oz/60ml distilled witch hazel
2fl oz/60ml vegetable glycerin
2fl oz/60ml aloe vera gel
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
5 drops grapefruit essential oil
2 drops lemn essential oil
Mix the ingredients together in a bottle and shake well. dampen your face with warm water and gently massage in the lotion. Rinse with tepid water.
Aromatherapy Astringent
8fl oz/250ml distilled witch hazel
10 drops juniper essential oil
10 drops lavender essential oil
Combine the ingredients in a bottle and shake well. To use, saturate cotton wool with the astringent and gently wipe over face. You can also make an extra batch of this, and put it in a spray bottle to carry round with you to freshen up during the day!
Herby Astringent
8fl oz/250ml distilled witch hazel
2 teaspoons dried yarrow
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried peppermint
1 teaspoon dried comfrey leaf
Combine the ingredients in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Allow the mixture to steep for two weeks in a warm, dark place, gently shaking the jar every day to prevent the herbs frm settling. Strain and store in a clean bottle. To use, saturate ctton wool with the astringent and wipe overyour face.
Essential Moisturiser
Cypress and grapefruit essential oils are mild astringents and help regulate the production of oil in the skin.
1fl oz/30ml jojoba oil
5 drops cypress essential oil
5 drops grapefruit essential oil
Mix the ingredients in a small glass pharmacy bottle with a dropper. After cleansing your skin, gently massage two to three drops of the oil on the damp skin with your fingertips.
Parsley & Lemon Steam
4 pints/2.5 litres water
20g/3/4oz fresh parsley, chopped
10g/2 teaspoons chopped fresh peppermint
1/2 lemon sliced
Bring the water, parsley and peppermint to the boil in a covered pan, remove from heat and allow to steep for five minutes. pour mixture into a large bowl, make a towel tent over your head to allow the steam on your face. Remain under the towel tent for ten minutes, take care not to burn yourself! Finish by a facial scrub and warm water or applying a deep cleansing mask.
**A good tip to remove blackheads from skin. before steaming your face, massage a little jojoba oil into your skin as this helps to soften the debris and hardened sebum, or oil, that clog up the pores!
Herby Facial Scrub
7oz/200g rolled oats
2.5oz/75g almonds
2 tablespoons dried lavender
1 tablespoon dried peppermint
1 tablespoon dried comfrey leaf
2oz/60g cosmetic clay
In separate batches, finely grind the rolled oats, almonds and mixed dried herbs in a coffee grinder or blender. Thoroughly combine the three batches into a mixture of cleansing grains. Add the cosmetic clay to the mixture of cleansing grains and combine thoroughly, Store the resulting herbal scrub in a covered container and keep in a cool, dry place.
To use, mix a heaped teaspoon of the herbal scrub with enough warm water to make a paste. Gently massage the mixture on to your skin, then rinse well with warm water.
Apply every day to unclog pores and smooth the texture of your skin.
Essential Face Mask
2 teaspoons plain low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon finely chopped cucumber pulp
2 teaspoons cosmetic clay
2 drops lavender essential oil
1 drop juniper essential oil
Combine all the ingredients together and mix them thoroughly into a paste. Cleanse your face and then smooth on the aromatherapy mask. relax for 15 minutes then remove paste with a warm wet flannel.
Mature Skin Types
As we age our skin loses elasticity and its ability to retain moisture, this is when the signs of ageing appear, including sagging skin, fine lines and wrinkles. The emphasis on skin care is on nourishing and moisturising the skin to reduce the effects of the ageing process. Regenerative herbs suitable for mature skin include rose, comfrey, marshmallow and marigold. Essential oils include frankincense, myrrh, rose, palmarosa, lavender and neroli.
Essential Moisturising Oil
1fl oz/30ml jojoba oil
7 drops frankincense essential oil
3 drops rose essential oil
Combine the ingredients in a small glass bottle with a dropper and shake well. After cleansing your skin, gently massage several drops of the moisturising oil on to your damp skin with your fingertips.
Orange Blosson Cleansing Cream
2 tablespoons jojoba oil
1 tablespoon almond oil
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon grated beeswax
1 400-IU capsule vitamin E oil
4 tablespoons rose water
3 drops neroli essential oil
3 drops palmarosa essential oil
3 drops grapefruit-seed extract
Gently warm the jojoba, almond, and coconut oils with the beeswax over a low heat until the wax melts. Remove from heat, Add the contents of the vitamin E capsule. Warm the rose water over a low heat. Remove from the heat. When both liquids are lukewarm, slowly pour the rose water into the oil, beating steadily with a wire whisk or electric blender set on the lowest speed until cool, thick, and smooth. Stir in the essential oils and the grapefruit-seed extract. Spoon into a clean jar and cool completly before covering. Store in a cool place. Apply the cream sparingly to your skin, wipe off with damp cotton wool and rinse thoroughly with tepid water. Follow with toner.
Revitalising Cream
3 tablespoons almond oil
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon grated beeswax
1 400_IU capsule vitamin E oil
2fl oz/60ml rose water
3 drops frankincense essential oil
3 drops neroli essential oil
3 drops sandalwood essential oil
3 drops grapefruit-seed extract
Warm the almond oil, coconut oil, and beeswax gently over a low heat until the wax melts. Remove from heat. Add the contents of the vitamin E capsule. Warm the rose water over a low heat. When both liquids are lukewarm, slowly pour the rose water into the oil, beating steadily with a wire whisk or an electric blender set on the lowest speed until the cream is cool, thick and smooth. Stir in the frankincense, neroli and sandalwood essential oils together with the grapefruit-seed extract. Spoon the cream into a clean jar and cool completely before covering. Store in a cool place. Apply cream sparingly after cleansing and toning skin.
Papaya Exfoliating Mask
Papaya contains protien-digesting enzymes that gently remove dead skin cells. Frankincense and comfrey stimulate the production of new skin cells, and honey moisturises the skin.
2 tablespoons mashed papaya
1 teaspoon honey
2 drops frankincense essential oil
1 tablespoon or more powdered comfrey leaf
Mix the mashed papaya, honey and frankincense essential oil. Add enough comfrey to make a thick, spreadable mask and smooth onto clean, damp skin. Leave on for 15 minutes, then rinse with tepid water.
Fruit Enzyme Mask
The natural alpha-hydroxy acids in apples and strawberries help to slough off dead skin cells.
1 oz/30g diced apple
2 strawberries, sliced
2 tablespoons plain whole-milk yogurt
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoons cosmetic clay (or more is required)
Blend the fruit, yogurt and honey until smooth. Mix enough clay to make a spreadable mask. Wash your face and neck with warm water, and apply the mask. Relax for 20 minutes, remove with tepid water, and apply toner and moisturiser.
Resource: '101 Natural Remedies' by Laureal Vukovic
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