How to Make a Homemade Apricot Facial Homemade skin care recipes are incredibly popular for a variety of reasons They’re certainly more cost-effective than the expensive skin care potions you can purchase at the cosmetic counter or even the discount store However, money is not the only reason women opt to make their own skin care recipes at home In fact, sometimes money isn’t part of the equation at all; many women are well acquainted with the healing powers of natural ingredients, many of which they already have on hand and all of which they can pronounce Many of the so-called natural products found in stores come with confusing labels that leave you wondering just exactly what it is you are purchasing And the price for all natural items is often two or three times than that of products that contain fillers and other mysterious ingredients So for women who truly desire natural skin care products, they often opt to make their own The following recipe is an example of how easy it is to make your own skin care products at home In fact, I got this one from my grandmother, which shows you how long it has been around Nature’s Facial There’s nothing like a homemade Apricot mask to liven up dry, tired skin You will need: ¼ cup dried apricots ¼ cup warm milk ½ tablespoon pure honey Mix all ingredients Puree Use your fingers to apply mask to the face Leave on for approximately 15 minutes and then rinse with warm water Apricots are healthy to keep around for snacking as well as for your skin care routine Of course, Grandma dried her own but I buy them already dried It really doesn’t matter as long as you are getting 100% apricots so read the label if you decide to buy them already dried Rehydrate tired and dry skin with apricots and you’ll feel like a new woman! ***** Make Your Own Luxurious Body Scrub at Home It is truly amazing what only two ingredients will for your skin when you mix them yourself at home Have you ever read the label on the back of your store-bought body wash or body scrub? I personally don’t have any of it in my home but just for kicks I called a friend as I was trying to choose which one of my homemade body scrubs to share with you I asked her to read me the ingredient list of her major brand body wash and we howled at her pronunciation as she stumbled through the list of 20 ingredients Sure, the first one was water, which we all have an ample supply of but the list of endless ingredients that we couldn’t pronounce, let alone know the meaning of, was incredible! I could probably write an entire book just from that one ingredient list alone! That’s why I have included this particular body scrub because it only has two ingredients and you know exactly what they are! Try this one and you’ll never go back to store-bought body washes and scrubs Brown Sugar Body Scrub You will need: ½ Cups Brown Sugar ½ Cup Olive Oil Blend the brown sugar and olive oil together to form a scrub Apply this scrub just before you shower This can be rubbed all over the body but is especially designed for dry, rough areas Rinse thoroughly and shower as usual You’ll pay dearly for similar exfoliators in the beauty aisle but now you can make your own with items you already have in the kitchen! Get rid of dead skin and moisturize at the same time with this luxurious body scrub ***** Pamper Your Feet with Essential Oils So many of us busy women neglect our feet but once you try this dry feet exfoliator, you’ll never neglect your feet again! This is a great exfoliator for rough and dry feet and will leave your feet feeling tingly and smooth Incidentally, all of the ingredients you’ll be using in this luxurious foot scrub are used to make many more skin care remedies so you will be able to use them again and again to give your skin the care it deserves If you don’t already have essential oils around your house, you should have because they may just be your best friend! These all natural oils are soothing balm for a bevy of health and beauty issues So if you don’t already have a collection of essential oils, start yours today Even though you’ll only use a few drops for this foot scrub, you’ll want to keep them around for the next time you indulge yourself Dry feet Exfoliator You will need: ¼ cup apple cider vinegar ¼ cup sea salt ¼ cup almond meal tablespoon applesauce drop rosemary essential oil drop lemon essential oil drop grapefruit seed essential oil Wash and rinse feet If you like, you can this in the shower Without drying feet, rub scrub all over both feet, paying special attention to heels and extra dry areas Rinse thoroughly and dry feet gently Moisturize feet after exfoliation ***** Make Your Own Homemade Creamy Apple Face Wash If you haven’t used homemade, natural skin care products before, you may be surprised at how much food is included in these decadent products! Even the commercial preparations include foodstuffs in their preparations, although in minute amounts and not always wholly natural Instead of having just a few drops of citrus or something that smells like it, why not it yourself and get the genuine product? Besides, it’s a great excuse to snack on your favorite fresh produce since many skin care recipes use just a slice or two at a time You’ll find most of the following ingredients in your kitchen already and it just takes a few moments to mix up this creamy blend of facial goodness This is the one I use when I’ve been out in the wind or even if I’m just feeling tired and gritty It’s a great pick-me-up, for snacking and washing your face You wouldn’t that with a commercial concoction! Soothing Face Renewal Wash You will need: slice apple tablespoons unflavored yogurt teaspoon olive oil teaspoon orange juice Peel apple, set aside one slice Mix remaining ingredients and puree in blender Spoon mixture into small bowl Gently wash face then rinse with warm water Pat dry Now, curl up with a great book or celebrate being a woman by indulging yourself in another relaxing or rejuvenating way Or, just enjoy the way your face feels after you have treated yourself to this yummy indulgence! ***** The Best Homemade (or other) Body Lotion Nothing will make your skin feel or smell better than this recipe for all over body lotion You can use it on your face as well as all over the body for a silky and smooth treat I got this one from my Grandma, too, only she didn’t use Cocoa Butter, probably because it wasn’t readily available but I like it because it makes it feel more like traditional lotion, only without all those ingredients I can’t pronounce and don’t know where they come from It really is better if you use the aloe vera from the actual aloe vera plant but if you don’t have access to one, you can use aloe vera gel, which you can find at drugstores and it is readily available online too Besides, you should already have an aloe vera plant on hand if possible, to sooth sunburn and other minor burns and scrapes By the way, this body lotion is sheer heaven after a day in the heat, whether or not you’re actually sunburned If you like it as much as I do, though, you’ll use it all the time Creamy Aloe Vera Body Lotion You will need: cup olive oil tablespoon pure honey ¼ cup pure aloe vera gel from aloe vera plant Pure Cocoa Butter With a knife, cut into the stem of the aloe vera plant and gently scrape the gel into a measuring cup Once you’ve gotten enough of the gel, spoon into mixing bowl with the honey and olive oil Add cocoa butter if desired Blend until desired consistency Store in a dark area ***** Keep Those Wrinkles in Line with Cool Cucumber Wrinkle Cream You already know you can lie down with a couple of slices of cucumber over your eyes but now you can actually make your own wrinkle cream! As it is one of the most expensive items at the beauty counter, it makes perfect sense to make your own Besides, hemmorrhoidal cream doesn’t smell very nice, although it just goes to show you how far women will go to look and feel beautiful! Instead, indulge yourself with this cool and creamy wrinkle cream that you can make up fresh in minutes Besides, it’s a great chance to snack on crispy cucumber slices, which taste great and are a great source of Vitamin C For a lavish wrinkle cream rich in Vitamin A, it doesn’t get any better than this! Cool Cucumber Wrinkle Cream You will need: ¼ cucumber egg white tablespoon mayonnaise ¼ cup olive oil Wash the cucumber, leaving peeling intact Either slice the whole cucumber and leave ¾ of it for snacking or just cut off ¼ and wrap the rest for later You can either slice or cube the ¼ used for the recipe Add all ingredients to the blender or hand mixer and blend until smooth Spoon into a dish and apply the cream below the eyes, taking care not to get any into the eyes Wipe excess with tissue or cloth You can use the cool cucumber wrinkle cream both in the morning and at night or anytime you’re feeling “wrinkly.” ***** Banish Dry Skin with Honey Because honey is a natural moisturizer, you’ll want to keep it on hand to use for a variety of luscious skin care recipes Just think, by making your own, you can have a wide assortment of fragrances and textures Some will exfoliate; some will soothe and all will leave you feeling like a million bucks! Honey also acts as an astringent in that it tightens the pores and is great in toner recipes as well Wash your face each morning with this honey based facial and your skin will glow and stay moisturized for hours! Moisturizing Honey Mask You will need: egg yolks ¼ cup pure honey ½ teaspoon rose water (100% pure if purchased or make your own!) ½ teaspoon olive oil ½ teaspoon lime juice ½ teaspoon orange juice Mix all ingredients together until well blended Apply to the face and leave on for about 20 minutes Wash off with warm, wet cloth and pat dry If you purchase the rose water, be sure and get 100% pure as there are many varieties on the market with added ingredients If you make your own, be sure and use only roses that have not been sprayed with pesticides Not only will you get the rose fragrance but rose water is an excellent astringent and combined with the other ingredients in this recipe, makes an excellent facial for dry skin ***** ... the actual aloe vera plant but if you don’t have access to one, you can use aloe vera gel, which you can find at drugstores and it is readily available online too Besides, you should already have... Moisturize feet after exfoliation ***** Make Your Own Homemade Creamy Apple Face Wash If you haven’t used homemade, natural skin care products before, you may be surprised at how much food is... tingly and smooth Incidentally, all of the ingredients you’ll be using in this luxurious foot scrub are used to make many more skin care remedies so you will be able to use them again and again to