Using ingredients from your kitchen to make your own beauty products is a great idea and they are just as effective as some commercially available products. Here’s a few ideas. If you have trouble finding some of the ingredients, try pharmacies or health food/natural product stores
HAIR CONDITIONING TREATMENTS
For great shine, condition and strength:
Choose your base oil:
Jojoba – for dry hair and scalp or to balance oily secretions.
Neem oil – to help dandruff and itching.
Evening Primrose oil – conditions and feeds all dry hair types.
Olive oil – great conditioner and strengthener.
Castor oil – renowned for its hair strengthening benefits.
Warm your chosen oil in a container over a bowl of hot water. Add two or three drops maximum of either: rosemary (to stimulate scalp and hair growth), avoid this one if you have high blood pressure; bergamot (oily scalp); rose (sensitive scalp); chamomile (fair hair/sensitive scalp) or tea tree (dandruff/flakey/oily).
Apply oil all over dry hair and scalp and massage for five minutes. Wrap hair in plastic or a warm towel and leave for 30mins to two hours. Shampoo thoroughly and condition as normal.
For dull or dry hair:
Mix a desert spoonful of lanolin, a teaspoon of olive oil and a desert spoon of warmed grape juice and mix well. Apply to hair, massage well and leave for 15 minutes. Shampoo and condition as normal.
Fresh lemon juice in a cup of water and poured over fair or highlighted hair after final rinse will lighten hair when exposed to sunshine.
BODY SMOOTHING SCRUB
Mix oatmeal and/or granulated sugar and/or coarse salt into olive oil for normal or dry skins, or aloe vera juice for any skin type, to make a workable paste. Rub briskly all over on damp skin. Rinse off.
BODY SKIN CONDITIONERS
Yoghurt is a great soother for sensitised or sunburnt skin.
Runny honey can be applied alone or mixed with a squeeze of lemon or orange, applied to body skin and left on for half an hour or more to feed and condition dry, dull skin, then showered off.
FACE TREATS
Face scrub
Mix oatmeal with a little milk or a few drops of fruit juice or olive oil if you are dry and gently scrub over damp skin to stimulate and remove dead cells. Rinse off or leave on for ten minutes and you have a mask treatment too!
Or, use fine sea salt or sugar on damp skin and gently scrub using small circular movements. Rinse off immediately.
Face masks
Mash strawberries or peach and mix with natural yoghurt for a gentle cleansing mask suitable for most skins.
Avocado contains a lot of natural oil and is good for dry and mature skins. Mash and apply for 15 to 20 minutes. Honey or olive oil can be added for extra dry skins.
Beaten egg white has a tightening and toning effect on skin, and is good before a special occasion. Add a few drops of fresh lemon for oilier skins. Apply a thin layer and let dry before rinsing with cool water.
Egg yolk is nourishing and is good for dry skins. Mix with honey and olive or almond oil.
Warm Oil Mask
Great for all dry or dehydrated skins. Warm a little olive, almond or jojoba oil over a bowl of hot water. If desired, add one drop only of either lavender, jasmine or neroli essential oil. Apply all over face and neck, not too close to eyes, or soak a gauze cloth in the oil and place over face while reclining for 15 or more minutes. The oil can then be massaged in and left on skin or the excess tissued off or removed with toner.
Avocado Mask
Good for dry or mature skins. Mash half a ripe avocado and mix well with a teaspoon of honey and a tiny squeeze of lemon or orange juice. Then add a spoonful of fresh cream. Apply to face and leave on for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.
Melon mask
Great for dull, devitalised skins in need of waking up! Pulp or mash a large slice of melon and mix with four or five teaspoons of rice flour to achieve a paste. Apply for 20 minutes then rinse off.
Chocolate Mask
This one will suit most skins, from normal to dry or dull and dehydrated skin – any that needs a warm satisfied glow! Simply melt some quality chocolate (over 70 per cent cocoa solids) over a bowl of hot water, then add one drop only of neroli, rose, jasmine or sweet orange essential oil. Do not eat essential oil chocolate mixture! Apply to face and relax for 10 minutes. Remove with warm water.
Deep cleanser for normal and sensitive skins
Mix olive oil and enough white china clay to form a paste. Add one teaspoon orange juice. Apply as above.
Deep Cleansing, De-greasing mask
Mix two teaspoons Fullers Earth clay and one teaspoon of kaolin powder with just enough warm water or witch hazel to make a spreadable paste. Apply to face, avoid eye area and let dry. Remove with warm water (and loads of patience).
