Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Cleansing Grains

1) Almond Cleanser
Grind almonds to a fine powder in a blender. Wet face then rub on almond powder. Rinse. Store powder in a tighly sealed container.
2) Orange & Oats Scrubbing Grains
1 cup dried orange peel
1 cup cooked oatmeal
1 cup almonds
Place peels, oats, and almonds in food processor, blend until mixture is a fine powder. Place some in the palm of your hand and moisten with a few drops of warm water. Rub paste onto face with a gentle circular motion. Rinse with warm water.

Homemade Cleansing Creams, Milks and Scrubs

1) Apricot Butter Cold Cream (For Dry Skin)
10 oz apricot kernel oil
2 oz cocoa butter
2 oz beeswax
Heat all in top of double boiler until wax and butter are melted. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and cooled. Transfer to jars, cap and refrigerate.
2) Buttermilk and Fennel Cleansing Milk (For Oily Skin)
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp crushed fennel seeds
Heat the milk and fennel seeds in top of double boiler for 30 minutes. Turn off heat, let steep for 2 hours. Strain, cool, pour into bottle and refrigerate. Keeps for 2 weeks.
3) Chamomile Cleansing Milk (For Dry and Sensitive Skin)
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp chamomile flowers, fresh or dried
Simmer ingredients in top of a double boiler for about 30 minutes, do not allow milk to boil. Turn off heat and let sit for about 2 hours, strain. Keep refrigerated. Apply with cotton balls to the face. Variations: Use elderflowers, sweet violets or lime blossoms in place of chamomile
4) Cornmeal Cleanser (for Oily Skin)
Castile soap
1 Tsp Cornmeal
Wet face. Pour a little castile soap into the palm of your hand, add cornmeal. Mix meal and soap into a lather, wash face, being careful to avoid the delicate skin around the eyes.

5) Honey Cleanser (For Dry Skin)
Castile soap
1 Tsp Honey
Wet face. Pour a little castile soap into the palm of your hand, add honey. Mix honey and soap into a lather, wash face.
6) Honey Almond Scrub
2 Tbsp almonds
2 tsp milk
1/2 tsp flour
1/2 tsp honey
Grind almonds in a blender. Add milk, flour and honey, mixing until a thick paste is formed. Rub into skin, rinse with warm water followed by the pH balancer.
7) Honey 'n Oats Scrub
1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp ground almonds
Moisten face with a warm washcloth then apply mixture to face avoiding the sensitive area around the eyes. Let mixture dry, then remove with a warm, damp washcloth.

8) Lemon Cleansing Cream (For Oily Skin)
1 Tbsp beeswax
1 1/2 Tbsp Unpetroleum Jelly (available in natural foods stores)
3 Tbsp jojoba oil
1 Tbsp witch hazel
1 Tbsp strained lemon juice
1/8 tsp borax
6 drops essential oil of lemon
Melt beeswax and unpetroleum jelly over low heat. Add warmed jojoba oil to wax and jelly mixture, blending for 3-5 minutes. Mix witch hazel and lemon juice, warm gently, mix in borax until dissolved. Slowly add this to the wax mixture, beating until cool and creamy. After completely cooled, add lemon oil, spoon into clean jar.
 
9) Milk and Honey Cleanser:
Mix 1 tsp warm honey with 1 tablespoon milk or cream. This recipe should be prepared fresh each time.
10) Peppermint Patty Scrub: (For Oily Skin)
2 cup rolled oats
1 cup almonds
2 tsp dried lavender
2 tsp dried peppermint
2 cup white cosmetic clay
Grind oats, almonds and herbs to a very fine powder in blender or with a mortar and pestle. Mix ground herbs with clay, store in covered container. To use: mix 1 heaping tsp of mixture with water to make a paste. Massage into skin then rinse well with warm water.

11) Sesame Oil Cleanser: (For Dry Skin)
Apply sesame oil to face and neck. Remove oil and makeup with a washcloth that has been soaked in hot water and wrung out. Finish with a rinse of the pH Balancer.
12) Sweet Butter Cleansing Cream: (For Dry Skin)
Whip sweet, unsalted butter, transfer to container with a tid lid. May be stored at room temperature away from heat sources or refrigerate.

Home Remedies for Hair Loss and Split Ends

Hair loss may be caused due to a variety of reasons, for example, tension, malnutrition, illness etc. Split ends, if not treated travel up to the root giving the hair an uneven length. Here are some simple home remedies to combat hair loss and split ends:
1) Apply olive oil at bed time and wash off the hair next morning.
2) At home, wash hair with cold water, rub scalp with fingers. This is a simple, and effective remedy against hair loss.
3) Boil Heena leaves in mustard oil till they are burnt, the oil can be filtered. A regular massage of this oil is helpful.
4) Seeds of lime and black pepper ground together to a fine paste helps treat patchy baldness.

5) Apply coconut milk all over the scalp and massage into roots.
6) Scrub the area of patchy baldness with onions untill it becomes red. Follow up by applying honey over this patch.
7) Trim the hair every 4 to 5 weeks even if you are growing it.
8) Avoid rubber bands, sharp clips, spiky brushes and do not brush hair when it is wet.
9) The juice of leaves of bhongra massaged into the head is an effective hair tonic to check falling hair.
10) The paste made from powdered seeds of shana with coconut/sesame/castor oil is used as a hair tonic.
11) The juice of kanta karika  mixed with honey applied to the head acts as a hair tonic.
12) The oil extracted from rohisa, briskly rubbed into the head encourages the new growth.
13) The oil extracted from the seeds of sagvan is massaged on the head to check premature loss of hair.

Lemon for Skin Care

Lemons can be rubbed directly onto skin and left for about 2 hours before rinsing. This is good to reduce wrinkles and treat blemishes.
 

The treatment will work better if followed by olive oil after rinsing. It works by speeding up skin renewal and uncovering a fresh new layer of skin. However, it is important not to do this before going out in the sun as it will have a bleaching effect.


Another beauty treatment that can be done with lemons is a hair tonic. Massage some lemon juice onto hair and leave it for a while before rinsing. Again, do not do this before going in the sun. This treatment is especially good for greasy hair as it will regulate the sebaceous glands which produce oil and make the hair shine and prevent dandruff.