Oh yeah! This Christmas season I want you to shine like a star in the sky. Yes yes! You heard well, this upcoming Christmas/Aussie summer season you’ll bring the sparkle to all parties. Put into practice this bunch of natural DIY skincare recipes and you’ll glow as never before! Get your hands on and be ready for the upcoming season.
Shall we start by the bottom?
1. Coffee foot scrub & soak
Are you a barefoot kind of person? I love to shed my shoes as often as possible. Now is time to soften these buddies and give them lovely cuddles.
First, add 1 cup of white vinegar and 1/4 cup sea salt or Epsom salt to a bowl of warm water. (I do this in the tub and sit on the side with a magazine.) Add a few drops of sage essential oil if you want. Sit for 10 minutes and let the acidic water soften your soles.
I’ve combined a mask with a scrub so you can apply it, finish reading your magazine and then let the salt and coffee do their scrubbing magic. I love using coffee grounds because it’s cheap and eco-friendly and the caffeine can help tone your legs.
1/4 cup fresh coffee grounds
1/4 cup sea salt
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/2 banana
Combine ingredients in a bowl and slather all over your feet and lower legs. I highly recommend doing this in the tub to keep the mess contained. Pack the banana around your feet and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Then give your feet and legs a really nice, long scrub. Rinse yourself and the tub well.
2. Energising Orange Scrub Recipe
1 cup organic cane sugar
1/3 cup sea salt
1/2 cup organic coconut oil
2-3 tablespoons almond oil
30 drops Orange Essential Oil
3. Oatmeal Honey Scrub Recipe
One of my favourite home made facial scrub recipes is so simple but OH SO GOOD! There are only 3 ingredients and you may already have them: oatmeal, honey and macadamia oil (or coconut oil). These ingredients have wonderful healing qualities. Oatmeal is full of anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds and is known for its skin-soothing properties including moisturising dry skin, providing relief from itching, rashes and other minor skin irritations. Honey provides natural antibacterial and healing properties to soothe and clarify the skin. Macadamia oil is very light and not greasy at all. It cleans skin pores and helps moisturise and nourish it.
I usually put the scrub on my face, give a quick rub around to make sure it’s covering everything, leave on for 4-5 minutes and then give one last good scrub before I wash it off.
This scrub is particularly great during the cold winter months when skin tends to get dry and irritated or simply for every sensitive skin.
Two parts oatmeal (ground up finely in a blender or food processor)
One part honey
One part macadamia oil (or coconut)
Mix everything together until it’s a thick sticky mixture. Feel free to add a little extra oil or even a few drops of water if it’s too sticky or clumpy. Smooth onto face and rub into skin for a couple of minutes and then rinse off.
4. Fruit Scrub
Have a banana, mango, straws lying around in the kitchen that’s too ripe to eat? Great! You can make it into a sugar scrub that will make your skin feel and smell amazing!
Mash the fruit in a bowl to leave it more on the chunky side, add two or three tablespoons of granulated sugar and some vanilla extract or your favourite essential oil (again – Optional, but definitely worth it. Do your homework and act as a natural preservative). When you’re in the shower, pat and massage the mixture all over your body then rinse off with warm water. Strawberries work wonderfully, especially if you’re looking for a deeper exfoliation.
5. Relaxing bath
1 cup Rose water
1 cup coconut milk
3 tbsp raw honey
Warm it slightly to blend well the mixture and add it to the bath... mmmm HEAVEN!
6. Skin clearing face mist
Tea tree oil kills bacteria before it has a chance to cause a blemish. Sea salt helps treat existing blemishes while its minerals nourish the skin, peppermint cools the skin after a heated workout, and lemon lifts the mood as lavender calms the mind.
2tsp Himalaya sea salt
1 cup fresh mint tea
1-3 drops of each one: lavender, tea tree and lemon essential oil.
To make, first brew a cup of fresh mint tea. While it’s still hot, add in the sea salt and mix well to dissolve. Then, mix in the essential oils, and allow to cool. Funnel your mixture into an atomiser bottle (glass is best), and you’re ready to go!
7. Sea Spray for Hair
1 cup Chamomile (Blond hair) or Rosemary (Dark hair) tea, hot
4 drops Essential oil—like lavender, ylang ylang or orange
1 tsp Lemon juice (optional)
1 tbsp Epsom salt
1 Pinch Sea salt
1 tsp Coconut
1 teaspoon aloe Vera gel
Brew the cup of herbal tea of your choice with the dried coconut, set it for 5 min. Remove herbs or tea bag and add the salt and lemon juice. Blend well the essential oils into the Aloe gel, and pour the mix into the water phase. Whip thoroughly until you get a homogenised liquid.
8. Anti-Aging Face Mask
It’s really simple and it helps to tighten and firm the skin naturally. No need to inject your face with gross chemicals when you can achieve great anti-wrinkle results at home with no pain. All you need is
1/2 banana
1/4 cup of yoghurt
1 teaspoon of honey
Mash the banana with a fork or spoon or your hands, mix in the yoghurt and honey, put it on your face and sit back and relax for 15 minutes. For additional “soak it in” benefits place a warm washcloth over your face, then rinse it off. Your skin will feel softer, smoother and it helps to reduce wrinkles in your skin. Enjoy looking younger!
9. Shea Butter Lotion Bar
3 tbsp Coconut oil
10 drops Calming essential oils blend
1/4 cup Shea butter
1/4 cup beeswax
In a double boiler, melt shea butter and beeswax over low heat. (I use a Pyrex measuring cup sitting inside a pot of water – this method makes it easy to pour melted lotion base into the mould). When shea butter and beeswax are nearly melted, add coconut oil (which will melt very quickly). Stir. And put aside. Add essential oils, if desired. Pour melted lotion base into mould and let cool until completely solid (this will take several hours). Remove lotion bars from moulds and store in a cool, dry place.
How to use it: simply rub the lotion bars in between your hands to activate by warming it up. Your body heat will melt/soften the bars just enough to bring you some good lotion to apply everywhere!
Now it's time to get your hands on! Happy DIY season ☀️
Sonia x