Wednesday 25 February 2009

Rose Facial Lotion

Rose essential oil has perfect palliative, antiseptic, moisturizing, restorative and anti-aging qualities. Rosa damascena and Rosa centifolia are the most famous types of roses for those qualities and the ones preferred for essential oils and rosewater. Here is a recipe for a wonderful facial lotion with all those regenerative properties.

What you need:
  • 150ml Rosewater
  • 3 teaspoons tincture of Calendula
  • 1 drop Rose essential oil
  • 3 drops Geranium essential oil
  • 3 drops Rosewood essential oil
  • 4 drops Chamomile essential oil
Preparation:
  1. To make the Calendula tincture, put your dried calendula into a jar and cover it up with alcohol 45-50o (Vodka is perfect for that), in a 1:5 analogy. Keep it in cool and dark environment and leave it like this for 3-4 weeks. Don't forget to shake it frequently. After this period of time, take the herb out and keep the tincture into a brown sterilized glass jar, in cool environment.
  2. Put the Calendula tincture with the essential oils into a small brown glass jar. Blend the mixture and leave it like this for 3-4 days, so that the ingredients are completely unified.
  3. Mix the Rosewater with the Oil mixture, into a larger jar (it's better if you use a vaporizer).
Your lotion is ready to use! The combination of rosewater qualities with the regenerative and palliative qualities of Calendula, give us an ideal lotion for all skin types! :)

Rosewater

Rosewater is an essential ingredient for many recipes! It is a perfect emollient for the skin and has restorative properties! It is very simple to make it, so just follow the next easy steps :)

All you need is 1/2 liter of water and 1 handful Rose Petals.
Boil the water and put the Rose Petals inside and leave them like this for 15 minutes. Leave the mixture to cool and take out the rose petals. Your rose water is ready! You can use it as facial lotion and for tired eyes!

Monday 23 February 2009

Quick Moisturizing Facial Creams

Let me give some more quick and easy solutions, that will keep your skin moisturized and perfect! You already have the ingredients so, do your skin a favor :)

For Normal Skins:

Just mix 1 spoonful of Yogurt with 1 teaspoon of Corn (Maize) Oil.
Apply the mixture to clean skin and leave it for a while, so that all the beneficial nutrients will penetrate your skin! In the end, wash your face with lukewarm water to remove the amount of the cream that was not absorbed!
It's that easy, but will keep your face moisturized!

For Dry Skins:

Mix 1 spoonful of light Yogurt with the White of 1 Egg and some drops of Fruit Vinegar (apple, framboise...).
Apply the cream to clean face and leave it as long as you feel that your skin needs it! In the end, wash your face with plenty lukewarm water and you are done! :)

For Oily Skins:

Mix 3 spoonful of Yogurt, 1 Egg Yolk, 1 spoonful of Chantilly (Cream Milk stirred with Sugar), 1/2 spoonful of Apple Cider Vinegar and 1/2 spoonful of fresh Tomato Juice. Add 1 spoonful of Honey, which you should heat first in very slow fire, till it becomes liquid enough.
This cream needs enough time to get absorbed and to make an effect to your skin, so I suggest that you use it as night cream!

All of them are so easy to make and so beneficial to our skins! Enjoy :)

Saturday 21 February 2009

Quick DeMake-up Solutions!

As sometimes we don't have enough time to prepare our Cleansing Milk, we can use some quick natural alternatives, instead of using market products :)

Almond Oil is ideal to remove make-up from the eyes area, while it helps eye-lashes to grow stronger at the same time!

We can also prepare instantly, a very good alternative for removing make-up from the rest face area, by mixing 2 spoonfuls of Fresh Milk with equal amount of Chamomile tea, if our skin is dry. For normal skin types, use a few drops of Sunflower Oil instead of Chamomile and for oily, use tea from Lilac flowers.

Apply the mixture with some cotton onto the skin and after having all the make-up removed, wash your face with cold water!
Quick and natural!

Deep Facial Cleansing Cream for all skin types

This cleansing cream is ideal to remove excessive make-up residue, while providing beneficial oil and ingredients to our skin and acting as a moisturizer at the same time.

What you need:
  • 1 Egg Yolk
  • 1 spoonful Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
  • 8 spoonfuls Olive Oil

Preparation:
  1. Stir the egg, the vinegar and sugar together, till they are completely unified.
  2. Poor the oil slowly into the mixture, while stirring at the same time. Add Olive Oil till the mixture becomes smooth and creamy.
Now, your Cleansing Cream is ready! Put it in a sterilized jar and keep it in the refrigerator. Use it after removing your make-up, by applying it onto the entire face and rub it for a couple of minutes to help it penetrate your skin. In the end, remove all the extra cleanser with a tissue and feel how smooth and moist you skin is!

Friday 20 February 2009

Facial Cleansing Milk for "problematic" and oily skins

Another Facial Cleanser, rich in Vitamin E. The procedure is like the previous described, but the herbs and oils used in this one are suitable for oily skins and "problematic".

What you need:
  • Tea from Lavender, Rosemary, Basil, Mint, Chamomile and Calendula
  • 50ml of low fat Milk Cream
  • 100ml Aloe Vera Gel
  • 5 drops Olive Oil
  • 5 drops Wheat Oil
  • 5 drops Sesame Oil
  • 3-4 drops Rose essential oil
  • 2-3 drops from Melissa, Lavender, and Rosemary essential oils, diluted into 2 spoonfuls Chamomile oil and a few drops of Apple Cider Vinegar.
  • Lemon Juice (from 1/2 lemon)
Preparation:
  1. Sterilize all the equipment that you are going to use.
  2. Prepare the tea, by boiling the herbs into 300ml of water, for 10 minutes approximately and let them cool.
  3. Put the Milk Cream, the Aloe Vera Gel and the 4 oils into a pot.
  4. Prepare the second mixture of oils by adding the essential oils into 2 spoonfuls of Chamomile oil and some drops of Apple Cider Vinegar. Add the mixture to the pot and stir well till all the ingredients are unified.
  5. Strain the herbs and add 50ml of the tea into the mixture.(you can add up to 100ml of the tea, it depends on how dense you want your milk cleanser to be)
  6. Blend the mixture very well, till all the ingredients are unified and add the lemon juice in the end, which serves as a natural preservative. Put the cleanser into a nice bottle and keep it in cool temperature for 1-2 weeks.
You are ready to use your new cleanser now!

Tips: You can keep the rest of the tea as skin lotion, by adding some drops of apple cider vinegar!

Good luck! :)

Tuesday 17 February 2009

Facial Cleansing Milk with Vitamin E

This homemade cleansing milk is perfect for dry and mature skins and rich in Vitamin E! It's easy to make and your skin will love it!

What you need:
  • Tea from Rose Petals, Mallow and Chamomile
  • 150ml full fat Milk Cream
  • 1 spoonful Glycerin
  • 1/2 teaspoon Aloe Vera Gel
  • 5 drops Olive Oil
  • 5 drops Wheat Oil
  • 5 drops Sesame Oil
  • 3-4 drops Rose essential oil
  • Lemon Juice (from 1/2 lemon)
Preparation:
  1. It is important that you sterilize all your equipment into boiled water first.
  2. Boil the herbs into 300ml of Water, for 10 minutes approximately and let them cool.
  3. In a pot, mix the Milk Cream, the Glycerin, the Aloe Vera Gel and the four different oils and stir the mixture till all the ingredients are unified.
  4. Strain the herbs and add 50ml of tea (keep in mind that it should not be hot) into the mixture. The total volume now, should be 200ml, but if you like, you can also make it more diluted, by adding more tea.
  5. You blend the mixture (you can also use a mixer for that) and when all the ingredients are unified, add the lemon juice as a natural preservative.
You are ready! Put your Cleansing Milk in a nice bottle with a label of the day of preparation and keep it in a cool place for 1-2 weeks.

Tips: You can keep the rest of the tea as skin lotion, by adding lemonjuice from 1/2 lemon! :)

Good luck!

Monday 16 February 2009

Moisturizing facial cream with Rose Oil

Rose oil is perfect for all skin types and especially for the mature ones and is well know for its natural anti-aging and moisturizing attributes. If you have oily skin and you find this recipe a bit heavy for you complexion, you can alternatively use it as night cream!

The preparation takes some days, but it is worth it! You will love this cream and its wonderful smell!

What you need:
  • 4 spoonfuls Almond Oil
  • 1 spoonful Beewax
  • 2-4 spoonfuls Rose Water
  • 1/4 teaspoon Borax
  • 3 Lecithin capsules
  • 3 Vitamin E capsules
  • fresh Rose Petals
  • 6-7 drops Rose essential oil (it is expensive and although worth it, you could use alternatively 3 drops of Geranium and 4 drops of Rosewood essential oil.)
Preparation:

First of all, as always you must sterilize all your equipment in boiled water!
  1. You put the Almond Oil with the Rose Petals into a ben-mari heater in slow fire. Alternatively, put some water into a frying pan and put your other pot inside. The water should not boil! You leave the oil and petals like this for at least an hour.
  2. After you take it away from the fire, you should leave the mixture in cool environment, for 4-5 days and then you strain the petals and keep the oil separately.
  3. You put the Beewax into a pyrex pot and the Rose Water into another. You use the frying pan with water and put those pots inside, in slow fire.
  4. You add the Borax into the Rose Water and you stir with a teaspoon, till it is dissolved.
  5. When the Beewax has melted, you add the Almond Oil, the content of Lecithin capsules and you stir the mixture.
  6. You take the pots out of the fire and you the Vitamin E capsules into the Oil mix and you blend well the mix.
  7. Now it's the time to mix the Water with the Oil. The two mixtures should have the same temperature (around 37oC). You pour slowly the Rose Water into the Oil and you stir continuously. You can use a small hand mixer for that. You don't stop stirring, till all the ingredients are unified, the cream has cooled and has taken a nice white color.
  8. Now you can add the essential oils and you stir well again! The cream is ready and it has a wonderful smell! You can put it in a beautiful jar and don't forget the label with the date of preparation on it. You can keep it up to 3 months in a cool place, but if a cool place is not available, use the refrigerator, although this is not good for the essential oils.
Good Luck and give me your comments! :)

Moisturizing facial cream with Kukui Nut Oil

This cream uses Kukui Nut Oil as base, which is a very good source for vitamins A, C and E. It is very good for dry or mature skins and very moisturizing. You can also use it as an after-sun cream!

As sometimes Kukui Nut Oil is difficult to be found, you can use Evening Primrose Oil as an alternative.

What you need:
  • 10ml Kukui Nut Oil or Evening Primrose Oil
  • 15ml sterile water
  • 1/2 teaspoon liquid organic Lecithin
  • 1 teaspoon Beewax
  • 1/4 teaspoon Borax
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable Glycerine
  • 1 teaspoon Aloe Vera Gel
  • 4 drops Grapefruit Seed Extract oil
  • 5 drops Rosewood essential oil
  • 3 drops Cypress essential oil
  • 2 drops Myrrh essential oil
  • 2 drops Sandalwood essential oil
Preparation:

First of all, you need to boil all your equipment to have them sterile.
  1. You pour Borax into the water and blend the mixture till Borax is completely dissolved.
  2. In another pot (glass if you like) you put the Beewax and the Lecithin.
  3. If you don't have a ben-mari heater, put a little water into a frying pan and warm it, but not boil it. Put the 2 pots into the frying pan and blend the mixtures. Lecithin and Beewax should be mixed well together.
  4. Take the Lecithin-Wax pot out of the heater, pour the Kukui Nut Oil and keep blending.
  5. When your ingredients are mixed well together, take the Water pot out of the heater and pour slowly the Lecithin mix into it. Keep blending, till the temperature of the mix reaches body temperature approximately.
  6. Add the Glycerine and after it is well mixed too, add the Aloe Vera Gel and in the end the Grapefruit Seed Extract. Keep blending, till the mixture reaches room temperature.
  7. In the end, you add the essential oils one by one and you blen the mixture till all the ingredients are completely unified.
  8. Leave the cream to rest for half an hour and then put in a jar. Don't forget to write the date of preparation on a label!
Good Luck! :)

Moisturizing facial cream with Avocado oil

This is a very nice recipe, try it in winter

What you need:
  • 10gr Beewax
  • 10gr Cocoa Butter
  • 30ml (2 spoonfuls)Avocado Oil
  • 60ml Almond Oil
  • 5gr of Lecithin powder diluted in 60ml warm water
  • 2 drops of Chamomile Blue essential oil
  • 5 drops of Geranium essential oil

Preparation:
  1. Put all the solid ingredients in a ben-mari heater, so that they will melt slowly.
  2. Put Avocado and Almond Oil in the mix.
  3. Melt the Lecithin powder into the warm water.
  4. Pour slowly the water-lecithin mix into the mix and blend at the same time (either by hand or with a mixer), till you have a white cream (like chantilly)
  5. In the end, add the Essential Oils into the cream and blend again.
Now, your cream is ready, you can keep it into jars and don't forget to put a label with the date of preparation on it.

Of course, all your pots, jars, mixers etc. should be boiled and sterilized from the beginning!

Good Luck! :)