The March 2003 issue of Country Living offers some great recipes for kitchen-made beauty products. I thought I'd share a few here. Whip em up and store them in your gorgeous vintage glassware! I can personally vouch for the Strawberry Foot Exfoliant, the Banana Hair Mask and the Lemon Facial Toner. Set up a spa day for yourself...pretend you are sitting beside a tropical waterfall...ahhhh...
Buy this Havasu Falls photoKeep in mind that these wonderful antioxidant concoctions do not have preservatives, so you'll want to store them in the fridge and use them in a few days' time.
Lemon Facial Toner
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
grated zest of one lemon
1 cup distilled water (any water should do)
2/3 cup witch hazel (you can get this at any drugstore)
Shake well before use, apply with cotton balls until face is clean. Keeps one month.
Gardener's Hand Cream
1 cup grated beeswax
1/2 cup jojba oil
2 tablespoons aloe vera gel
2 tablespoons vitamin E oil
1/2 cup sweet almond oil
9 drops essential peppermint oil
9 drops essential orange oil
Use a double boiler or a microwave to melt together the first three ingredients. Remove from heat, whisk until cool, adding the E, almond oil and essentail oils as it begins to thicken. Spoon cream into a jar and use within 3 days.
Avocado and Honey Face Pack
1 ripe avocado
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon jiuce
1 teaspoon clear honey
Mash all ingredients in a medium bowl. Chill for 30 minutes, slather over face, let sit for 10 minutes. Splash off with cool water. This is a nice one.
Strawberry Foot Exfoliant
8 strawberries
3 tablespoons kosher salt (or sea salt)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Do not overblend this mash - leave it chunky and frothy. Massage into feet, rinse and dry off. Put your feet up and relax. Eat any strawberries you didn't use.
Banana Hair Mask
1 banana
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Mash ingredients until creamy. Apply to hair, cover head with plastic wrap, let sit for 15-30 minutes - in the sun if possible. Rinse completely and shampoo as usual.
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Small e-store selling all-natural, handcrafted soaps: Eclectic Lady Handmade Bath & Body Products. There are made by a fellow Bella Online Editor Jeanne Daigle. I recommend the lavendar shea butter body creme and the Honey-Almond Oatmeal soaps!
Here's Jeanne's banner:
