Natural Beauty on a budget

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Natural beauty on a budget: whip up these 15 simple products to get great skin, hair, and nails. The recipes will only cost you pocket change - Consumer guide: how to be an educated consumer

Natural Health, July, 2002 by Janice Cox

 

MY PASSION FOR NATURAL beauty started back in junior high when I first experimented in my bathroom with egg facials and oatmeal scrubs. I was trying to create homemade alternatives to cosmetic products I saw in my mother's magazines. I studied chemistry in college and eventually made natural beauty my career and wrote three books on the subject.

My own recipes work just as well as, if not better than, commercial brands because the recipes are pure, fresh, and undiluted. When you try them, you'll also be amazed and delighted at the low expense of the ingredients. Most of the recipes cost around $1. (Price calculations, which follow recipe names, are for one entire batch. They are based on the cost of ingredients in Boston-area supermarkets and natural food stores.)

Not only are the ingredients affordable, but you can find them in a supermarket or a natural food store. None of the recipes requires any more skill than boiling water and being able to follow directions.

Naturally Glowing Skin

If you want beautiful and healthy skin, keep it clean and moisturized. The following simple, natural recipes will help you do just that.Strawberry Cleanser

$1.31

YIELD: 3 OUNCES

Strawberries make an excellent mild

cleanser for all skin types. They have a

neutral pH close to that of your skin's pH

level (you want to keep your pH neutral

to avoid dryness). Strawberries also provide

high doses of vitamins A and C, antioxidants

that help ward off cell-damaging free

radicals. If you can't find fresh strawberries,

substitute thawed frozen whole ones. (Make

sure there's no added sugar.)

6 whole strawberries, rinsed

2 tablespoons almond oil

3 tablespoons witch hazel

Place all ingredients in a blender or food

processor and blend until smooth. Store

in a jar with a lid in the refrigerator.

Place a small amount in your hand

and massage gently into your skin. Rinse

well with tepid water and pat dry.

Note: If you have oily skin, you may

want to reduce the amount of oil in this

recipe by half.

Cleansing Milk

39 cents

YIELD: 5 OUNCES

In this gentle dry-skin formula, the yogurt

and oil help cleanse and moisturize and

the lemon juice maintains your skin's

neutral pH level (a disrupted pH balance

makes your skin dry and taut).

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon sunflower oil or

any light vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Mix together all

ingredients. Store

in a bottle in the

refrigerator.

To wash your

face, pour a small

amount into your

hand and massage

gently into

your skin. Rinse well

with tepid water and

pat dry.

Grapefruit Cleanser

$1.74

YIELD: 4 OUNCES

This recipe suits oily skin best because the

grapefruit juice makes it mildly astringent

(astringency removes excess oil). You may

use any citrus fruit in place of the grapefruit.

Borax powder is a natural cleanser

available in the laundry section of natural

food stores and some drug stores.

Peel from one grapefruit,

torn into pieces

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh

grapefruit juice

1/2 teaspoon borax powder

Mix all the ingredients together in a

microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the

microwave on high for 2 minutes or

until very hot but not boiling.

Let the mixture cool completely. Pour

it through a strainer to remove the grapefruit

peel. Store in an airtight container.

Place a small amount in your hand

and massage gently into your skin.

Rinse well with tepid water and pat your

face dry.

Green Tea Skin Toner

32 cents

YIELD: 4 OUNCES

Toners lift dirt, oils, or dead skin cells that

cleansers leave behind. The green tea in

this recipe tightens pores and calms skin,

and it contains strong antioxidant

substances that may fight signs of aging.

This product works for all skin types and

especially soothes aggravated or sunburned

skin. Apply it before a moisturizer.

1/2 cup pure spring water or

distilled water

2 teaspoons green tea leaves

or 1 bag green tea

Bring the water to a boil. Place the tea

leaves or tea bag in a clean glass or

ceramic bowl. Pour the boiling water

over the leaves or bag and allow to steep

for 2 to 3 minutes.

Strain the green

tea into a bottle

and allow it to

cool.

Apply it to

cleansed skin

with cotton or gauze. Do not rinse.

Original Greek Cold Cream

$2.54

YIELD: 8 OUNCES

The Greek physician Galen developed

cold cream during the second century. The

combination of oil, wax, and borax (a mild

cleanser) means that cold cream both

cleanses and, if you leave it on, moisturizes.

Most cold creams contain mineral

oil; I prefer this recipe because the olive

oil seems to penetrate my skin better.

Borax powder is available in the laundry

section of natural food stores and some

drug stores. This recipe is for all skin types.

1/8 teaspoon borax powder

1/4 cup distilled water

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons grated beeswax

1 teaspoon rose water

Dissolve the borax in the water in a glass

measuring cup and set aside.

Mix together the oil and beeswax in

another glass measuring cup. Place the

glass cup in a saucepan filled with 1 to

2 inches of water. Heat saucepan over

medium heat until the beeswax is

melted (8 to 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat.

When the beeswax is melted, place

the borax-water mixture in the microwave

and heat on high for 1 minute, or until boiling.

Remove the measuring cup containing

the wax mixture from the water bath, and

slowly add the borax-water mixture to it, stirring

briskly. (You can also put both mixtures

in a blender and whip to get a lighter texture.)

As the mixture cools, add the rose

water and stir well. Pour the cream into a

container with a lid. It will thicken as it cools.

Massage a small amount into your skin

and wipe off with a tissue or rinse off with

warm water. Or leave it on to relieve dry skin.

Sublime Sunflower Scrub

33 cents

YIELD: 8 FACIAL TREATMENTS OR

1 FULL-BODY TREATMENT

Sunflower seeds are rich in vitamin E oil,

which may protect skin tissues from breaking

down. Because the seeds can slough off dead

skin cells, they also make an excellent facial

scrub for all skin types. (You can also use this

scrub on your body.) Use once or twice

weekly for incredibly smooth skin.

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

with no shells

Distilled water for mixing

In a food processor or clean coffee grinder,

process the raw seeds until you have a

powder that resembles coarse sugar. Store

in a container with a lid.

When you want to use the scrub, mix 1

tablespoon of the ground sunflower seeds

with a few teaspoons of distilled water to

create a paste. You can do this in the palm

of your hand or in a small ceramic bowl.

Massage this mixture onto your face and

neck and rinse well with warm water followed

by cool water. Pat your skin dry with

a soft towel.

Pina Colada Mask

$1.06

YIELD: 1 MASK

This tropical mask will give your complexion

a healthy glow. Bromelain, an enzyme in fresh

pineapple, removes dead skin cells and other

surface impurities. All skin types can use this

mask. Use once or twice weekly.

1/4 cup chopped

fresh pineapple

tablespoon coconut milk

Place ingredients in a blender or food

processor and blend until smooth.

Spread the mixture in a thin layer over

clean skin. Leave on for 5 or 10 minutes

and then rinse well with warm water. Pat

your skin dry with a soft towel.