August 17, 2011: Liquid Facial Cleanser Recipe

I recently ran out of facial cleanser I’d bought at the store. But rather than replenish the store bought cleanser, I saved the dispenser, which was fitted with a foaming gel pump, and mixed up my own recipe. This one is great for aging or dry skin since it the ingredients are naturally moisturizing. The peppermint oil gives it a bit of a zing but you could also substitute other scents of your liking. It leaves your skin feeling amazing!

The beauty of this formula, unlike many others you’ll find online, is that it doesn’t require refrigeration. Who washes their face in the kitchen?

Liquid Facial Cleanser

3 ounces castile soap (I used 18 in 1 Hemp Lavender)

2 T. honey

1 t. almond oil

6 drops peppermint oil

Combine all ingredients. You don’t have to measure them exactly; instead you can look at the volume of your container and eyeball it to get an approximate ratio.

Shake well before using.

July 1, 2011: Mani-Pedi Recipe

Welcome to July! July means that we are now on the downswing of the year, headed to shorter days and winter. It may be hard to think about snow when it’s so hot right now, but it’s coming sooner rather than later!

July’s birthstone is the brilliant red ruby and the flower of the month is a water lily. Of course the big day is the holiday of Independence Day. Outside of the intense heat, I love the 4th of July – it’s a great time to spend with friends and family and eat, drink, and be merry!

Skin-baring clothing that beats the heat means that your hands and feet are going to be exposed and they need to look their best. But rather than shelling out big bucks and waiting for the next appointment at the beauty salon, why not take care of your mani-pedi at home?

Here’s what you’ll need for a Home Manicure and Pedicure:

Nail Polish Remover
Cotton balls or pads
Emery board
Cuticle remover cream (can substitute petroleum jelly)
A big bowl or pan or bucket (I use my dog’s water dish, washed, of course)
Dish soap
Almond or apricot oil
Old towel
Wooden cuticle stick
Buffer board
Nail polish

Set aside an hour to spend on yourself before getting started. If you rush, your polish is going to smear and then you’ll have to start all over again.

Remove any old polish from your nails and use the emery board to shape them. Rub cuticle remover into the base of your fingernails and toenails.

Fill a big bowl or container with warm water and add a drop of dish soap and a few drops of oil. Place the towel underneath the bowl (if indoors) and place your feet in it. Now sit back and relax for a while (this is a great time to read a book). After 5 to 10 minutes, immerse your hands and swish them around in the water. Take out one foot and push back the cuticles with your orangewood stick. Repeat with other foot. Immerse your hands again and push back the cuticles on your fingernails. Dry all your nails, pushing back your cuticles one more time with the damp towel.

Buff each of your nails. Wash with soap and water to remove any lingering residue, then apply colored polish topped with a clear coat. Sit back and read your book again until the polish is dry.

There now, all done! That didn’t take too long, did it? And it sure was a lot cheaper than going to the nail salon. Okay, it may feel better to have a professional mani-pedi, but if you use nicely scented oils and creams and pretty colors, it feels almost as good to do your own.

Tip: Use a pumice stone during your daily shower to keep those heels from cracking!

June 16, 2011: More Household Hair and Face Fixes

By now you know how thrifty I am – there’s nothing I enjoy more than finding a new use for household items. Here’s a few hair and skin ideas using household products, most gleaned from an old issue of Cosmopolitan.

Eyeliner

Fresh out of eyeliner? Light a match! Blow it out, then run the tip of the cooled match along the base of your eyelashes for a truly “smoky” hue!

Overnight Hairdo

Want a hairstyle that requires little fuss? Wash your hair at night and while still damp, wind around a length of cut-up T-shirt. Loosely knot the ends. Do this all over; get a good night’s sleep, and then remove the rags in the morning. Gently brush out your “pin curls” with your fingers and you’re ready to go!

Hair Volumizer

Yesterday I shared how a bit of lemon-lime soda could be used to volumize your hair; well shaving cream does the same thing. Just apply a bit of shaving cream to the roots of your damp hair then blow dry as usual. Use it sparingly, though, as shaving cream can rob natural oils from your hair and make it dry.

Hairdo Fix

Have a few errant strand of hair or a curl that just won’t stay in place? Use a small piece of scotch tape beneath the strands to force it into submission. Because the tape is transparent, it won’t be seen (but do opt for a matte finish tape instead of the shiny kind).

May 27, 2011: Culinary Stats and a Faux Lipstick Recipe

I’ve been a member of Shopper’s Voice (you know - those long surveys you get in the mail sometimes asking for all your information just short of blood type?) for some time. It’s not that I like filling out surveys so much but that I enjoy getting the special offers and coupons that are a benefit of membership.

Recently, Shopper’s Voice sent a little booklet along with my coupons and in it they shared some of the statistics gleaned from a recent survey. I was rather surprised; I’ve always thought I’m somewhat unusual – a throwback to an earlier time, like Betty Crocker's granola girl alter ego, if you will. I love thumbing through recipes and cooking tips and the only types of periodicals I read on a regular basis are cooking magazines.

Well, according to the results of this Shopper’s Voice survey, I’m not alone! Take a look:

Question: What types of leisure activities do panel members and their family enjoy?

Homestyle cooking – 47%
Outdoor grilling – 46%
Home Improvement – 38%
Gardening – 38%
Crafts – 27%

These are my top choices!

Question: What types of books or magazines do panel members enjoy reading?

Cooking or culinary – 36%
Bestselling fiction – 32%
Bible or Devotional – 28%
Medical or Health – 26%
People or Entertainment – 21%

I don’t agree with all of these but cooking and the Bible are two of my top choices. I just didn’t realize so many others shared that passion with me…

Anyway, I thought those statistics were pretty interesting and I wanted to share them with you.

And, since I owe you a recipe, here’s a quickie gleaned from the latest issue of Redbook magazine:

Kool-Aid Lipstick

Kool-Aid (any red variety, such as cherry or punch)
Water

Just mix a little water with the Kool-aid powdered drink mix – just enough to form a paste. Use a cotton swab to paint it on your lips.

Works great (remember being a kid and your tongue being stained when you licked the Kool-aid powder? Same principle applies here!) and it’s incredibly C.H.E.A.P. Need I say more?

February 18, 2011: Facial Toner Recipes

If you use a facial toner during your normal cleansing routine, these recipes for fresheners will do the job just as well and cost you only pennies.

The purpose of a toner/freshener is to draw out any stubborn toxins and close your pores. If you live in a major metropolitan area, I’m sure you are aware of how pollution gets into your skin and never seems to go away. An after-cleansing toner can help your face feel cleaner.

Here are three facial freshener recipes for three different types of skin.

For Normal or Combination Skin:

Witch hazel

That’s it. Just moisten a cotton ball and wipe it across your face. Some people do not like the scent of witch hazel and if that’s you, just add a couple drops of essential oil.

Orange Freshener

3 oz. orange extract
2 oz. witch hazel
1/8 t. alum (you should be able to find this in a drugstore) or cinnamon oil

Shake together in bottle.

For Oily Skin:

Gin & Tonic Freshener

Equal parts gin (or rubbing alcohol) and witch hazel

Lemon Freshener

2 oz. fresh lemon juice
3 oz. witch hazel
1 oz. rubbing alcohol
1 T. lemon extract

Strain the lemon juice and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Pour into a bottle and shake before using. Store in the refrigerator (cold toner feels great in the heat of summer).

For Acne-Prone Skin:

Apple Freshener

1 oz. apple cider vinegar
2 oz. witch hazel
2 oz. rubbing alcohol

Shake together in a bottle.

Carotene Freshener

3 oz. witch hazel
3 oz. rubbing alcohol
2 oz. fresh, strained carrot juice

Shake together in a bottle; store in the refrigerator. Shake before using.

For Aging or Dry Skin:

Chamomile Freshener

2 oz. chamomile tea
4 oz. witch hazel

Shake together in a bottle.

Fruit Skin Freshener

Peel from a grapefruit, lemon, or lime (do not include white pith)
3 oz. rubbing alcohol
12 oz. witch hazel
3 T. vegetable oil

Cut the peel into thin strips. Put the alcohol in a small glass jar and add 2 tablespoons of the peels. Cover and let stand for 3 days. Remove the peels and add the alcohol to the rest of the ingredients. Shake together in a bottle.

These recipes are courtesy of Back to Basics Natural Beauty Handbook by Alexandra York. Although there are more, I included only the ones with the easiest-to-find ingredients. If you’d like additional recipes for specific skin issues, just let me know in the comment section.

February 15, 2011: The Incredible, Edible Egg

Eggs – they do a body good.

Okay, maybe that’s the slogan for milk, but eggs are nutritious, too – not just for your insides but for your skin, too.

Let’s consider the parts of the egg and what they do. The white, or albumen part, is a watery substance. It breaks down and becomes watery when it encounters salt (that’s why you shouldn’t add salt to scrambled eggs until they are cooked). Egg whites add a light, fluffy texture when whipped and added to recipes. The older the egg, the thinner the albumen becomes – which makes it harder to perfectly fry it because it tends to lie flat and spread out thinly in the skillet.

The yolks are where the fat and a little less than half the overall protein is located – but it’s also where you’ll find the majority of vitamins and nutrients. Egg yolks are emulsifiers; if you want to bind together another protein, such as ground beef, the yolks are your tool (but skip the watery whites).

Egg yolks also contain lecithin, which is a stabilizer. That’s why mayonnaise, many salad dressings, and Hollandaise sauce all use raw eggs.

Did you know? The color of the yolks is determined by what the chicken eats. My chickens’ eggs are deep orange-yellow in color – the store bought variety looks very pale in comparison.

How can you tell if an egg is fresh or outdated? One way is to drop into a bowl of water. A fresh egg will sink to the bottom while an older egg will float in the water. This is due to the additional air inside the yolk which enters an older, more porous shell. Because a bigger air pocket makes a hard-boiled egg easier to peel, don’t use very fresh eggs for this cooking method.

Did you know? The color of the shell – usually brown or white – is dependent on the breed of the hen laying the egg. My hens produce brown eggs because they are Rhode Island Red and Plymouth Rock mixes. They're usually really good layers but they've slacked off this winter and I'm waiting for them to start the production cycle again right now.

How to tell if an egg is raw or cooked? Spin it on your counter top. A cooked egg will spin fast and a raw egg will wobble. By the way, if you don’t want your hardboiled eggs to have that unsightly greenish-gray tinge around the yolk, be sure you cool them down quickly after cooking by plunging into an ice bath.

And here’s the real beauty of an egg – it’s great as a facial treatment, and it’s cheap, too!

Egg White Mask

White of one egg
Honey

Whip the egg white until frothy. Add a tablespoon or so of honey and mix with a fork. Apply the mixture to your clean face. That’s it!

The egg white is largely water and protein and it pulls out toxins as it tightens. The honey also pulls toxins from your pores while moisturizing. After the mixture dries, rinse your skin with tepid water. It will feel soft and smooth.

You can also use a whipped egg yolk instead of the white.

Tip: If you have oily skin, skip the honey and apply the egg whites twice in a row.

February 12, 2011: Steam Your Face

One of the beauty treatments I used to do religiously when younger was a steam bath for my face. It opens the pores and the scent of herbs and/or flowers is very calming. Now that my skin is aging, this feels better than ever!

Now, in the middle of winter when the air is particularly dry, is an excellent time to take a few minutes and indulge yourself with a facial steam. If you can’t afford an expensive spa treatment, this is the next best thing and it literally costs only pennies. Just be sure to do this after the kids are in bed or when you have a half hour or so to yourself because you may be ready for bed afterward!

Recipe for Steam Facial

1 quart boiling water

Remove the pot of water from the heat and add one of the following herbs, depending on skin type:

Normal to Dry Skin – Add a handful of:
Chamomile (or 6 tea bags)
Fresh or dried rose petals
Dried rosemary leaves

Oily or Acne-Prone Skin – Add a handful of :
Dried Sage
Fresh or dried thyme
Fresh or dried mint leaves

Steep the herbs or flowers for about half an hour. Briefly bring the mixture back up to a boil then remove from heat. Lower your face over the pot, being careful not to burn your skin with the steam. Cover your head with a towel and relax for 10 minutes, breathing in the fragrant scent of the herbs while feeling your pores open.

After steaming, splash your face with cool water, dry gently, and finish off with a freshener/toner (plain old witch hazel works great). For the full weekly or monthly beauty treatment, you would follow the steaming with a facial mask, while your pores are open (recipes for homemade masks to follow).

It’s amazing how therapeutic this simple recipe feels! It’s the perfect way to freshen up winter-pasty facial skin.

February 9, 2011: Homemade Facial Cleansing Cream

If you’ve been shopping for beauty products lately you know the stuff is priced like it’s made out of platinum. Sure, those expensive creams and cleanser have all sorts of chemicals added that supposedly tighten your skin and take years off your face. Personally, though, I’ve yet to notice a difference other than a lightness in my wallet.

Here’s a recipe I adapted from one I found in the book, Back to Basics Natural Beauty Handbook by Alexandra York, published in 1977. Because some of the ingredients the author includes in her beauty product recipes are not easy to find, I used a couple different recipes and substituted ingredients I always keep around the house to make this version.

Moisturizing Cleansing Cream

3 T. coconut oil
1/8 t. borax
1 T. almond oil
1 T. castile soap
½ t. essential oil in scent of your choice
1 T. witch hazel

Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan or using a glass bowl in the microwave (it melts much like butter so it only takes about half a minute or so, depending on the wattage of your microwave). Stir in the borax and continue stirring until is dissolved. Use a small whisk or whip to beat in the almond oil and castile soap, followed by the essential oil and the witch hazel. Let cool and store in covered container.

To use: dip your fingertips into the cleanser (it will be goopy) and slather over your face. Wipe off with a warm, wet washcloth (no need to rinse).

Tip: I use lemongrass essential oil because it’s a clean scent and refreshing yet calming. For a container, a small, clean, plastic margarine tub works great!