Sometimes, all you need are natural ingredients and a bit of time to whip up your very own beauty solutions. These recipes, taken from Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair by Dina Falconi, feature items you can find easily, even in your cupboard! And the best part? You know exactly what's gone into it, and therefore, what will going into your body.
Queen of Leaves Face Cleanser (to moisturize and exfoliate tired and dry skin)
2 tablespoons seeds (choose from any or all of the following: sunflower, sesame, green pumpkin, flax)
2 tablespoons black beans
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
10 drops peppermint essential oil
5 drops lavender essential oil
Grind and sift the seeds and beans with a seed/coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. Sift the scrub through a wire mesh strainer, removing any large particles and regrinding the mixture to obtain a uniformly small-grained scrub. Place ground seeds and beans in a small bowl and stir in the honey and then the olive oil until a smooth paste results. Add the essential oils, stirring them in thoroughly; transfer to a small 3- or 4-oz. jar and cap with a tight-fitting lid. The recipe will last a few weeks out of refrigeration, but place in refrigerator for longer storage. After massaging cleanser into skin, allow it to stay for a few minutes to further the moisturizing effects before rinsing off with warm water. Makes 3 ounces.
Ceres Delight Body Pack (to nourish and soothe all skin types, as well as increase absorption)
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup flaxseeds
1/4 cup fennel or anise seeds
1 cup water
Mix the flours, grind the flax and fennel seeds, add ground seeds to the flour mixture and mix in thoroughly, then pour water into the dry mixture, a few tablespoons at a time, till a smooth paste the consistency of pancake batter results. Note that the paste will have grit in it due to the cornmeal and flax and fennel seeds. The finer you grind the seeds, the less grit will be in the final product. Grit is desirable, as it helps exfoliate the skin, yet sensitive skin may become irritated from too much abrasion. If the paste is too loose sprinkle in more flour, if too thick add water a little at a time. Massage the body with the paste and then apply a thin coat of paste over the surface of the skin. Leave on for as long as possible, at least 20 minutes, Rinse off. Makes enough for 1 treatment.
Lavender Chamomile Hops Relaxation Bath (to release tension and soothe the skin)
2 handfuls lavender
2 handfuls chamomile flowers
1 handful hop strobiles
about 1 gallon boiling water
Place herbs in a jar, pour boiling water over them, cap tightly and steep for a minimum of 1 hour. Strain and add to bathwater. Set aside a cup of the infusion and sip some as you bathe for a relaxing tea blend. Makes enough for 1 bath.
Carrot Parsley Brandy Astringent (to tighten, tone and cleanse all skin types)
1/4 cup fresh-pressed carrot juice from 1 large carrot
a handful of parsley
1/4 cup brandy
optional: 1 teaspoon glycerin
Press juice from a large carrot and a handful of parsley in a juicer. Pour juice into a jar with the brandy. Cap tightly and shake vigorously. It is ready for use. If you don't have a juicer and you do have a blender or food processor, place grated carrot with a handful of chopped parsley into food processor, add the brandy and blend till everything is pureed. Pour puree into a cloth-lined strainer placed over a bowl, gather up the cloth ends and squeeze the liquid out. If desired, add glycerin for a more hydrating effect and shake well. Makes about 4 oz.
Variation: Replace the carrots with apples for a more astringent effect. Replace 1/4 cup of brandy with calendula or other tincture of choice to increase reparative action.
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