Bonjour Monday, Plus 5 Unconventional Beauty Ingredients

I hope you had a wonderful weekend!  Ours was full of relaxation and repose..

Today, I'm sharing some of my favourite unconventional beauty ingredients.  While there are many, maaany recipes and ingredients circulating, these are some of my personal favourites.

 

Aspirin

• Aspirin is an anti-inflammatory when taken internally and applied topically.  It helps to reduce redness and calm inflamed skin conditions such as rosacea and acne.  Mix 4-6 crushed aspirin and water to form a paste (1 tablespoon per 3 aspirin).  You can also add lemon juice, warm honey, or tea tree oil. Cleanse your face and apply this pack all over the face, especially on the acne prone area.  Allow to dry and Remove the mask with a warm, wet washcloth dipped in baking soda.
• Cleanses clogged skin pores, thus reducing the probability of acne formation.
• Removes dead skin cells from skin.
• Reduces skin discoloration due to ageing and sun damage.
• Reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines due to its anti-inflammatory properties.
• Reduces puffiness on face and puffy eyes.

Rosebud Salve

• Doubles as a moisturizing night cream. This use is best suited for dry, sensitive, and mature skin.
•  Is an excellent cuticle treatment that instantly moisturizes and smooths dry skin. Soak your hands in hot water then gently pat dry, but do not dry completely.
• Deeply moisturizes dry and patches of skin, such as the knees, elbows, and heels. This is because it contains emollients and essential oils.
• Light balm that doubles as a frizz tamer. It can also be used as an eyebrow gel to keep the brows in place. To use it as an eyebrow gel, dab the balm over the brows in the hair's natural direction of growth. It also adds a light sheen the brows, giving them a healthy and youthful appearance.
• It can help give your skin a dewy look. Most include shimmers that provide an artificial looking glow to the skin.

Coconut Oil

• I love, love, love this stuff!  It has so many wonderful uses that it deserves it's own post.
• Before washing your face, gently rub downward over eyelashes to remove eye makeup. Tip: Leaving a little oil on the base of your eyelashes can help them grow.
• Heat up about 4 to 5 tablespoons (depending on the length of your hair) of coconut oil in the microwave, and once cooled, apply it to your hair as you would any hair mask. Wear a shower cap while you sleep.  Wash hair and style as usual.
• Apply as a face and body moisturizer.  It helps to remove dead skin cells and leaves you with glowing skin.  It can be used a facial moisturizer or eye and lip cream before bedtime. Mix equal parts coconut oil and body lotion will create an ultra-hydrating cream before bed and after a bath/shower. You can also add essential oils or keep it natural.
• Oil pulling works as an all-natural mouthwash. Right when you wake up in the morning, drink a glass of big water. Then, put a spoonful of coconut oil or sesame oil in your mouth and swish it around for 5 to 20 minutes (20 is recommended, but I usually do about 15). Don’t eat anything before—you want the oil to literally pull the toxins from your body before you’ve put anything else in your mouth. While swishing, aim to have the oil hit every area of your mouth evenly. Try not to swallow the oil while swishing because then the toxins will just go right back into your system.

Baking Soda

• Make a pimple disappear quickly by dabbing with a mixture of water and baking soda.
• To get the softness back, make a pack of baking soda and warm water. It will help exfoliate the dead skin cells around the hands and nails.
• As a substitute when you run out of your deodorant. All you need to do is mix about a pinch of baking soda with a tablespoon of water.
• Mix baking soda and baby oil to bath to help moisturize skin.

Fresh Fruit

• Mix three tablespoons of fresh orange juice three teaspoon and one tablespoon of yoghurt. The citrus property of orange juice will give a glow, cleanse, and lighten skin as well as help reduce dark spots and blemishes to improve the complexion. The citric nature of the fruit acts as a natural toner and and improves the skin texture resulting in tighter skin. The yoghurt maintains the moisture level.
• Mix and pulp of fresh berries together. The mixture will be quite watery due to the high water content in each fruit. You can use ground oats to thicken the mixture and provide granules for a scrubbing action. Apply onto a thoroughly washed face and keep for 20 minutes. Blueberries are packed with antioxidants that rejuvenate the skin internally. Vitamin C is a major component in strawberries and plays a key role in the production of collagen, the amino acid responsible for promoting skin elasticity. Watermelon is rich in vitamins A, B and C and keeps skin hydrated and radiant. Together, these fruits will repair the damage and wear-and-tear your skin undergoes and result in a fresh complexion.
• Fresh fruit is always best consumed but applying it to your skin is said to be beneficial also.

What are some of your favourite beauty ingredients?

xx,

B

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