Listed are a collection of recipes for homemade beauty products, using pure and luxurious natural ingredients.
So many commercial products contain chemicals with impossible-to-pronounce names that there's something soothing and comforting to know what exactly has gone into the products that we're applying to our bodies.
For the bride-to-be and her girlfriends, these recipes offer fun, easy-to-create, pampering lotions and potions, that are not only kind to skin, but also to the environment.
--------- Honey hair conditioner 3 tbsp clear honey 4 fl oz olive oil 2 drops of rosemary essential oil 1 tbsp cider vinegar +Mix the honey with the olive oil and add the rosemary essential oil. +Massage the mixture into your hair and wrap a hot, damp towel around it. +Leave for at least an hour before shampooing and rinse thoroughly. +Add the cider vinegar to the water for the final rinse to make your hair shine. -------- Olive oil body scrub 4 fl oz olive oil 2 tbsp sea salt +Mix the ingredients together. +Take a shower, and while your skin is still wet, rub the mixture over your body (avoid broken skin). +Rinse off thoroughly in the shower. -------- Yummy lip balm 3 tsp grated unbleached beeswax 5 tsp carrier oil (sunflower oil, castor oil, or jojoba) 6-7 drops of essential oil 1 tsp runny honey Yummy essential oils you could try include lime, lemon, tangerine, grapefruit, or peppermint. +Melt the beeswax and carrier oil together in the top of a double boiler, stirring to combine. +Remove from the heat and add the honey and the essential oil. +Mix thoroughly so that the honey does not clump together. +If you want to add colour, stir in a dab of lipstick. +Pour the mixture into empty containers (reuse old lip balm pots). +Let it sit for about 30 minutes before covering or moving. NOTE: For glossier lip balm, use 2 tsp wax and 8 tsp carrier oil. -------- Dry hair conditioning treatment 1 egg yolk 4 fl oz olive oil 2 drops of lavender essential oil +Beat the egg yolk and gradually add the olive oil, then the essential oil. +Massage the mixture into your hair and wrap a hot, damp towel around it. +Leave for at least an hour before shampooing and rinsing thoroughly. -------- Cleansing mask for blackheads 2 tbsp oatmeal 2 tbsp yoghurt 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp olive oil +Mix the ingredients to a paste and spread on your face. +Leave for 10 minutes and then rinse off with cool water. -------- Dry skin facial mask 1 egg yolk 1 tbsp olive oil lemon juice +Beat the egg yolk and add the olive oil gradually. +Add a few drops of lemon juice. +Smooth onto your face and leave until dry. +Rinse off. -------- Honey milk bath 3 tbsp dried lavender 1 1/2 cups whole milk 1/3 cup honey +Blend up the dried lavender until it is a fine powder. +Whisk together all the ingredients and then pour into a jar or container. +Shake before use and store in the fridge for up to a week. NOTE: Enough for 2 baths. -------- Zesty orange scrub Juice of 1/2 an orange 4 tbsp cornmeal +Add the cornmeal to the orange juice and pulp, and mix to form a paste. +Apply to your freshly washed face and body, massage gently for 2-3 minutes before rinsing off. -------- Coconut and rose bath soak 1/2 cup rose water 1/2 cup coconut milk +Add the rose water and coconut milk to your bath. +Relax! TIP: You could always add some fresh rose petals for an even more sumptuous and indulgent bath.------- Peppermint foot rescue 1 cup distilled water 1/4 cup vodka 1/4 tsp peppermint essential oil 1/4 tsp tea tree oil +Combine all the ingredients in a spray bottle. ------ Sugar scrub 2 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup sweet almond oil 4 tsp lemon juice 4 tbsp runny honey 4 drops lemon essential oil +Combine the sugar and sweet almond oil in a large bowl. +Add the lemon juice and stir. +Finally, add the honey and lemon essential oil and stir again to mix. Gently rub over your skin to exfoliate in a gentle, natural way. ------ Oaty bath soak 1 cup plain oatmeal +Blend the oatmeal into a fine powder. +Add it to the running water as you fill your bath. +Give it a good stir with you hand to get the oatmeal to dissolve. Good for dry skin and to relieve itching.
