Lavender body lotion
This recipe has an oil base of your choice. Olive oil is great for moisturising your skin when it’s very dry. It can be replaced with a lighter oil for summer, like macadamia or almond oil. The smell of lavender is known to improve sleep – so use this lotion before you go to bed for a good night’s rest.
Ingredients
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup coconut oil
¾ cup water
2 tablespoons beeswax
30 drops lavender essential oil
Tea tree oil
2 500ml glass bottles
Blender or egg beater
Instructions
1. Pour the olive oil, coconut oil and beeswax into an old pot, heat on the stove and stir continuously until the beeswax melts completely
2. Stand to cool for about 5 minutes, then pour into a mixing bowl with the water
3. Blend with the egg beater or blender until fully combined, then add the lavender essential oil and a few drops of tea tree oil and blend again
4. Transfer to glass bottles
Source: Adapted from www.theholisticmama.com
Sugar body scrub
This invigorating scrub will exfoliate and moisturise dry skin. Simply mix all ingredients and store in a glass jar – it stays fresh for about one week, but will last a little longer if you add a few drops of tea tree oil to preserve it. Rub all over the body, especially dry areas like the elbows and knees, in a circular motion, and rinse with water.
Ingredients
¼ cup coarse brown sugar
1 cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup grated lemon or grapefruit peel
Honey and cinnamon face mask
Face masks can be applied once every two weeks to revive the skin. A blend of cinnamon and honey is often used to treat light acne, and can also soothe skin irritations and light rashes. Simply combine all the ingredients and apply evenly to the face (not covering the eyes and mouth), and leave to dry for about 10 minutes. Rinse off with lukewarm water. Coconut oil can be replaced with almond oil during summer when skin tends to be less dry.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons pure honey
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons pure coconut oil
Source: www.stylecraze.com
Top 3 home-made beauty trends
1. Good oil face wash recipes are available on various skincare blogs. It may sound crazy, but ingredients like castor oil, pure olive oil and coconut oil are known to heal, moisturise and protect the skin. It also improves elasticity to combat the signs of ageing skin.
2. It’s incredibly easy to make handmade soap. Look out for glycerine-based heat-and-pour soap kits, and experiment with your own scents by adding essential oils, citrus peels, and essences.
3. Natural shampoos and conditioners can be made with baking soda, apple cider vinegar and vitamin E oil. The more adventurous can experiment with real fruit such as banana and kiwi, or even test how advantageous egg can be for hair.
