By: Michelle
I love feeling the confidence of have glowing, healthy, blemish-free skin, but many of the beauty products that I love are REALLY expensive, or have long-term damaging effects. I have been slowly evolving my skincare routine to incorporate more natural products, and on today's Sunday Six, I will show some of my favorites:
1. Honey and Sugar or Brown Sugar- I use both once a week; brown sugar is finer, so I use it on my face, neck and upper-chest. Make sure you always treat these three areas as one because the skin on the neck and upper-chest is just as sensitive as the skin on your face. For the rest of my body, I use the honey and sugar mixture. You can make it as thick or as thin as you prefer by changing the ratio of honey to sugar. You get the exfoliation of the sugar as well as the antibacterial agent in honey. Now that's what I call a win-win!
2. Oatmeal- Oatmeal has anti-inflammatory properties, and it also helps retain the moisture in your skin. Place a half a cup of dry old-fashioned oats, or quick oats (which ever you have on hand), into the center of a dry washcloth, then fill a large bowl with about a half a gallon of warm water. Dip the washcloth with enclosed oatmeal into the water and squeeze it out. Repeat until the water is cloudy (I normally do it about six to seven times). Splash the cloudy water over your face, neck and upper-chest over the sink until the mixture it gone. Let your skin air-dry or dab lightly with a soft towel.
3. Coffee, Olive Oil, and Brown Sugar- Ladies, you know what I am talking about here! I use this mixture all summer long to get rid of any cellulite patches on my upper thighs and butt. Even Victoria's Secret models have talked openly about problems with cellulite, so there is no reason for the rest of us to be ashamed! Make a mixture of about 1/2 a cup of used coffee grounds and 1/4 a cup of brown sugar. Before your shower, spread a thin layer of olive oil over your target areas, and then rub the grounds mixture over the olive oil using a circular motion with your hands. I spend about ten minutes doing this, up to twice a week during the summer. Some people will need it more frequently, others less, depending on individual results. After you are finished, take a cool shower to rinse off the grounds mixture.
4. Apple-Cider Vinegar and Parsley- This is one of my favorites! Parsley is a natural skin-clearing herb, and apple-cider vinegar is very acidic, so it takes care of any bacteria you may have on your face. Steep a handful of parsley leaves in a cup of hot water for 5-10 minutes, then reserve the water and discard the leaves. Let the mixture cool completely before transferring it to a spray bottle (BPA-free please!), add 2 teaspoons of apple-cider vinegar, and shake to combine. After washing your face a night, spritz some of this mixture over your face (be careful to close your eyes). Store this mixture in your fridge for up to three weeks.
5. Dark Beer- I do not do this too often, because Cole thinks it is a waist of perfectly good beer, but a couple times a year I use beer as a natural volumizer for my limp hair. After shampooing, pour a bottle or glass of beer that has a high yeast content over your hair and work into the scalp, then rinse briefly (just to get rid of the scent). Do not use conditioner after this, as you will lose the effect!
6. Cocoa Powder and Cinnamon- This is a perfect natural bronzer! Just mix the two ingredients until you have the desired color, then brush it onto your cheeks, forehead, and nose with a large soft brush. If I am not going to use any foundation, I will mix this bronzer with a little bit of lotion to make it a cream version (P.S. it smells awesome!). Store in a jar.
Are you going to try any of these? Do you have any good natural beauty tricks that you use?
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