Pure Pleasure Pumpkin Facial Peel Mask-Delicious Enzyme Power!

Well, I finally did it. I was able to find some canned pumpkin at the grocery store last night. Imagine my delight! Not only did thoughts of baked goods dance through my head, but the thought of a dreamy pumpkin enzyme facial mask thrilled me! This morning, my dreams became a reality.

Pumpkin is a powerhouse food. It contains a plethora of vitamins and nutrients that do wonders for a body when eaten. The deep orange color alone, lets you know that pumpkin is very high in beta carotene, and alpha carotene. Add to the, the alpha hydroxy acid/enzymes, a high vitamin C and vitamin E content, as well as lutein and you can quickly see why this Fall squash is good for your skin, too–even when smeared onto it, and not eaten.

Pumpkin is very hydrating to the skin when applied topically, and a pumpkin peel facial mask with produce and instant radiance, as well as softening any fine lines you might have. You can buy a pumpkin peel facial mask. June Jacobs makes one, and it only costs $78 for a 4 ounce jar-ouch! Or you can make your own, as I did this morning. Here is the recipe that I came up with…

I used three tablespoons of canned pumpkin puree, and to that I added some brown sugar, which is also an alpha hydroxy acid–those great chemical exfoliants. I then added a teaspoon of honey, a natural humectant, to lock in moisture, and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to increase the vitamin C content. A teaspoon of cream, with it’s lactic acid, and a goodly sprinkling of cinnamon completed the mask.

I applied a fairly thick layer to my face and left it on for twenty minutes–this is a sticky mask, ladies. I then put on another layer and went and made the beds. Once that chore was done, I rinses the mask off using a wash cloth and warm water. Oh, my, does my face glow! It is soft as a baby’s bottom, and the fine lines around my eyes are visibly softened. They are still there, but much less apparent. This is what I have been waiting for, and why I have been so upset about the pumpkin shortage. This year I stock up!

To seal the deal, the scent of this facial mask is purely heavenly. It smells just like pumpkin pie, and it is warm, and homey, and deliciously relaxing. A decidedly good treat on a cold, rainy morning. After I rinsed the mask off, I moisturized as usual, then marveled at my skins appearance again. In fact, it’s been 30 minutes or so since I removed the mask, and after another trip to the bathroom, my skin is still glowing, and my fine lines remarkably less noticible.

So, run, don’t walk, to the supermarket and grab as many cans of pumpkins as you can, in all good conscious. Then whip up your own pumpkin enzyme facial mask and create your own little piece of Autumn heaven. This mask is mild, so go ahead and use it two or three times a week!

 

Addition:  If you like this pumpkin facial peel mask, you will love this most current favorite of mine, the Pumpkin Apple Facial Peel Mask!   Take a look at it, as it is a beauty!

Cuckoo For Cocoa–Chocolate Cocoa Facial Mask! Yummy!

I have returned to living the life of a vagabond, sooner than I had expected.  This has left me toting various food staples that I have no use for, such as unsweetened cocoa.  Now, you know me.  I am always looking for something to smear onto my face, so imagine my surprise when a little researched told me that cocoa skin care may just be the next craze in skin care products.

I already knew that dark chocolate is full of beneficial anti-oxidants and flavonoids that google up those nasty free radicals that result from the sun, smoking, pollution, and stress.  And all women know that a bit of chocolate can relieve a whole world of problems.  That ingredient in chocolate that helps us feel good and relax has also been shown to relax skin, in a botox-like way, when applied to the skin regularly.  One study done recently had women apply a cocoa based cream around their eyes for 28 days, and 95% of the study participants saw a relaxation it the wrinkles around their eyes!  Wow!

So, now we now know that eating dark chocolate is good for us, and that it is also good to smear it on our faces!  A double delight for your skin!  I do not have access to this magic cocoa based cream, but I do have access to cocoa, so here comes a recipe for a yummy, chocolatey cocoa facial mask that will leave your skin soft, and smells delicious!  This mask is so gentle that you could use it daily, even as a spot mask around your eyes, and do your own little wrinkle relaxation experiment.

You will need some unsweetened cocoa, found in the baking aisle, honey, and cream.  If you want to get really decadent and fancy, add some mashed raspberries, or strawberries and then you will get those exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids.  Anyway, back to the basic cocoa mask recipe.  Mix together the unsweetened cocoa with enough homey, and cream, to make a smooth paste.  I suggest 3 tablespoons of cocoa with 1 teaspoon each of honey and cream, but you can make it as thick or thin as you’d like.  Apply it to your face, and relax, inhaling deeply so that the scent takes you away.  Leave it on for 20 minutes or so, then rinse with warm water.  Or, have someone lick it off…  It’s up to you!  Either way, enjoy this cocoa mask as often as you need a little lift!

Cool as a Cucumber Skin Tightening Natural Beauty-Perfect for Summer

One of the hyaluronic acid serums that I am trying out contains cucumber extract, to help tighten the skin.  However, you do not need to buy a beauty or skin care product with cucumber extract to reap the benefits of cucumber.  Why not go right to the source?  Use and actual, live cucumber.  If you can, choose an organic cucumber, as most grocery store cukes are coated with a waxy to keep them fresh and looking pretty.  

The simplest way to use a cucumber as an easy skin care treatment is to slice a fresh, cold cucumber, and rub the slices over your face.  The cucumber juice, which is mostly water, will hydrate, and cucumber juice has plenty of vitamin C, the anti-oxidant.  There is no need to rinse the cucumber juice off of your face, and you can rub a cucumber slice over your face throughout the day.  This feel great on a hot day, when you are going makeup free!

The old trick of the slices of cucumbers over your eyes is still fresh.  Laying down and resting with a cool cucumber slice over each eye is a wonderful way to reduce under eye circles, and puffiness.  A cucumber eye treatment also works wonders after you’ve had a good cry!  Put on the face mask of your choice, or use a mask of pureed cucumber mixed with honey and an egg white, and you will be treating your entire face.  

In the sweltering heat of mid-summer, a cool cucumber face and eye treatment can have you feeling fresh and a daisy in no time flat.  The face tightening is just a nice little extra!  Go slice a cucumber right now!

Wild Blueberry And Honey Face Mask With Lemon

I cannot believe that I haven’t had to time make to make a post since Thursday!  And this in the wake of the little “blog tsunami” that I had Thursday, which was kind of exciting.  As I have said before, my weekends are my work days, so my busiest, especially from the middle to the end of the month.

Naturally, when I get busy the first thing to go downhill is my skin care routine, as I have no time.  This is a bad habit, and I spend the rest of the week playing catch up, which just isn’t the same.  Any, as I was on my way to yet another commitment today, I passed a stand selling wild, Maine blueberries!  This first of the season, and a little early to my thinking, bit I we turned around and I bought a pint.

It is the time of the year that I look forward to, the wild Maine blueberry harvest.  Roadside stands selling these little blue gems dot the landscape.  I am lucky enough to have my own patch of wild Maine blueberries in my back pasture, so I do grow my own, or nature does.  Mine are not ready.

Blueberries are a super food, and they are extremely high in anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals.  Blueberries are said to be one of the top 5 food that you can eat for beautiful skin, and I do eat them year ’round–frozen in the winter.  Blueberries gobble up free radicals especially well, and they have become favorite ingredient in skin care products.

Tonight I am going to make a blueberry and honey face mask, as I deserve a little pampering, as does my skin.  I bet that you deserve some pampering, too.  If you cannot get your hands on wild blueberries, then the regular ones will work just fine, too.  They are on sale at my supermarket this week, too!

Blueberry Honey Face Mask–Customize it for yourself.

Toss a small handful of blueberries into your food processor, along with 1/4 plain yogurt.  Add 3 tablespoons of honey, then process until smooth.  At this point, you can customize the mask, if you like.  You can add a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice, or 1/4 cup of oatmeal.  Toss in an egg white as a binder if you like.   Then apply the mask to your face and let it sit for 20 minutes, or so.  Rinse with warm water and enjoy your summer sweet face.

Tomorrow, we can compare notes on how we enjoyed out fruity facial.  Oh, and my hyaluronic acid serums arrived from Garden of Wisdom, as well summer serum and the dmae serum.  I am excited to review them, and am having a ball trying then out.  So far, I love them all!  I hope that you are having a great weekend!

More Fun With Oatmeal Skin Care-Oatmeal Cranberry Morning Face Mask

Do you ever have mornings when you wake up and look are yourself in the mirror and just thing…ugh!  Well, this morning I woke up and took a look in the mirror, and my skin looked like it was simply screaming for some nourishment.  I suppose that this is no surprise,as the last several days have been anything but slow and easy.  What with 12 articles to write in 4 days, a sick kid, and life, my diet and skin care regemine has been less than exemplary.

But, the articles were all put to bed that night, as they say in the journalism business, my child is well, and the sun it out for now.  It is time to relax, and to get back on track, diet and skin care wise.

So, this morning I gave my battle weary face what it wanted, some nourishment.  I tossed a handful of organic oatmeal into my food processor, then I added a couple of tablespoons of honey, a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, an organic egg white, and a handful of dried cranberries.  As I began to process all of these ingredients, I added milk through the feed tube, slowly, until I had a consistency that I liked.  I then processed it some more, using the pulse, to get it as mixed up as possible, sort of like me most days 😉

I spread this onto my face, or more patted and packed in on, making certain that the area beneath my eyes, over the orbital bone, was well covered.  It was a bit messy, and I did it over the kitchen sink.  Within a minute of two, bits stopped dropping off so I then went about my business for about 30 minutes, while the oatmeal cranberry face mask worked it’s wonders.

I rinsed it off with warm water, again, over the kitchen skin, then I headed to the bathroom to take a peak, patting my skin dry on the way.  Wow!  The fine lines and crows feet around my under eyes were softened to the point of being barely noticeable, my skin looked radiant, and is soft as can be.  I feel, and look, like a different woman compared to the one that I saw in the mirror this morning.  I am extremely happy with the results.

This mask is very gentle, so it can be used as often as you like during the week.  The oatmeal soothes the skin, and the oat beta glucans help stimulate collagen production.  The honey helps the skin retain moisture, and the olive oil softens, while providing vitamin E and those essential fatty acids.  The dried cranberries kicked in some vitamin C, and the milk added some lactic acid, and alpha hydroxy acid.  The egg white provided protein, and acted as a binder for all of the ingredients.

Of course, you can use this mask in the evening, too.  You will get the same benefits, but for a fresh faced start to your day, or to perk up your skin on a blah day, this oatmeal and cranberry mask is super morning skin nourishment.

I am off for a walk now–trying to beat the rain.  I will be back later with more fun newsy news!  Adios!

Sunday Brunch For Your Hair–Egg and Olive Oil Hair Mask

Even if you are not planning on a Sunday Brunch for yourself today, you can easily and quickly whip up a Sunday Brunch mask for your hair that will leave it shiny, soft, and well conditioned.  If you are a brunette or a redhead, you can follow the main course with coffee.  If you are a blond, a little chamomile tea, or lemon juice, is more in order.  Don’t worry, you won’t be heating up the kitchen at all!

To begin, milk two whole eggs with 5 or 6 tablespoons of olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of honey.  I also like to add a couple of drops of  rosemary essential oil, as it is an excellent essential oil for most hair types.  Once you have the ingredients mixed well, apply to your washed and towel dried hair, then pile your hair onto you head, and wrap it all up in plastic wrap.  Leave this one your hair for 15 to 20 minutes.

While this egg and olive oil hair mask is working it’s magic, if you do not already have some make brew up some coffee if you are a brunette or a redhead.  If you are a blond, then make a nice cup of chamomile tea.  After your Sunday Brunch egg and olive oil hair mask is done sitting on your head, remove the plastic wrap and rinse your hair with warm water.  Brunettes and redheads, you can end with a rinse with coffee, which enhance the color of your hair, and bring out the highlights.  Blonds, you can use a final rinse of the chamomile tea, which will do the same for you.

As an alternative to the coffee/tea rinse, brunettes and redheads can add two or three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to the rinse water, and blonds can add two to three tablespoons of lemon juice to their rinse water.

Hair is made up of protein, and so are eggs.  The olive oil acts much in the same way as a hot oil hair treatments.  Do rinse well, using one of the special, color specific rinses outlined above, or you can use plain old warm water, too.

No matter what you use, you can have a hearty Sunday Brunch, for your hair with this egg and olive oil hair mask, and none of it will go to you hips!

Kiwi Fruit Enzyme Face Mask-Vitamin C Powerhouse!

As I have said, when it comes to my kitchen cupboard skin care, a lot of what I choose to use in any given week–from the produce section, anyway, has to do with what is one sale that week. You may have noticed by now that I am a tad frugal. It is a frugality born out of circumstances, but it has become second nature, and when I think of all of the money that I have wasted on OTC skin care and beauty products, I am quite comfortable being cheap 😉

This week kiwi fruit are 3 for 99 cents and I cannot pass that up! Some for a salad, some for my face. If you look online, you will find a bunch of kiwi fruit skin care products, all hailing from New Zealand, the home of the fuzzy kiwi fruit. Well, there is no need to send to another continent for kiwi fruit natural skin care products, when you can reap the benefits of the modest kiwi fruit after a trip to the grocery store.

Today, we are going to whip up a little kiwi fruit enzyme face mask that is simply packed with vitamin C and alpha hydroxy fruit acids. First the simply recipe, then the science behind it. For this natural enzyme face mask, I suggest that you use a blender or food processor for the mixing, as crushing up those little black seeds is something that you want to do. So, toss a peeled kiwi fruit into the blender, or food processor, and add 2 tablespoons of honey, and an egg white to hold the mask together.

Process the ingredients until you have a smooth consistency, then apply it to your face and let it work it’s wonders for about 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water, and then stand in front of the mirror and admire your fresh faced, glowing skin. If you want a thicker mask, and the benefits of anti-aging beta glucans, you can add a couple of teaspoons of finely ground rolled oats to the mix. You can also toss in a strawberry or two if your skin is oily or acne prone, or some pineapple if you are feeling especially tropical.

Kiwi fruit are loaded with vitamin C–the highest vitamin C containing fruit. As we know, vitamin C is a superior antioxidant, and it plays a big role in supporting healthy collagen production-that all important element in the skin that decreases as we age. Kiwi fruit is also a great source of potassium, and those little black seeds contain the omega 3 acid, alpha lipoic acid, which is a big name, and much used ingredient, in the skin care world. Now you see why you want to crush those little black seeds!

At the same time, kiwi fruit is chock full of the protein dissolving enzyme, actinidin, which like the enzyme papain in papaya, acts as a chemical exfoliant to remove those pore clogging dead skin cells, which are protein, of course. Actinidin is an alpha hydroxy fruit acid, as well as an enzyme. Add to all of that great stuff, high concentrations of vitamin A, and vitamin E and kiwi fruit is an absolute antioxidant super power!

Use this multi-functional kiwi fruit vitamin C enzyme mask and your friends will be green with envy over radiant skin, all done for less than a dollar!

I am off now, I have some samples to try 😉 I also will have some information regarding the amazing coffeeberry coming soon! Goody, goody!

For Acne Prone Skin–Strawberries and Cream!

When deciding what I will mush up to use on my face in any given week, I always try to use seasonal ingredients, especially of they are on sale at the grocery store that week 😉  This week it is strawberries and peaches, and right now the local strawberries are at their peak.  I am planning to make a small batch of jam, and you can be sure that my cereal will be berried, but I think that I can abscond with a few berries for my face.

I am not particularly acne prone, but as I have mentioned, my skin gets oily in the summer, and I have had a small spot or two in the last few weeks.  A strawberries and cream face mask might be just what I need, and it’s easy to make.  Again, this recipe is customizable to suit your needs.

Start with 1/2 to 1 cup of ripe strawberries and mash them up well with a fork, you you can use a food processor or a blender.  To this, you can add 2-3 tablespoons of milk, plain yogurt, or cream, and enough corn starch to make a paste.  If you’re skin is quite acne prone, you can also put a drop or two of tea tree, or lavender essential oil at this point.  Smear this goo all over your face, then leave it on for about 20 minutes or so.

Be sure and relax while letting this sit, as any excuse to relax is a good one, and if you truly want to send he message that you are “closed for business” for a bit, put a slice of cold cucumber over each eye.  When you are ready to “open up” again, go rinse the mask off with warm water, and you will feel refreshed, and your skin will look the part, too.

Other variations of this recipe could include 2 tablespoons honey in place of the cream, and finely ground oatmeal in place of the corn starch.  You can also add a beaten egg white, and if you want to use cream in the variations, do so, adding enough oats to thicken to the desired consistency.

So, how does this work?  To begin with, as mentioned in the aspirin mask post, strawberries contain salicylic acid, this main ingredient in aspirin, and most acne creams.  At the same time, the strawberries are packed with skin loving vitamin C, and those exfoliating alpha hydroxy fruit acids.  With the addition of cream, milk, or yogurt, you are adding lactic acid, another natural exfoliating acid.

Should you choose to add honey, you will treat your acne and oily skin without drying it, as honey is a humectant-helps retain moisture, and the oats contain beta glucans used in many OTC skin care produces for their anti-inflammatory action, as well as their collagen promoting and wrinkle reducing properties.  All of that good anti-aging stuff.

If you look at the ingredients in each mask, it would seem that the first mask is more suited to young, acne prone skin, while the variation is just made for pampering more mature skin, which is why I will be using strawberry mask number two.  If you have some carrot seed oil, put a few drops of that into the mature skin mask, too for extra anti-aging benefits.

What a fresh and yummy way to make your face look fresh, and you feel yummy!  Go forth and glow!  Summer’s here!

Popeye And Olive Oil…Good Food, Soft Face

Popeye and Olive Oyl.  That’s what I have been reminded of today.  You will find out why 😉

I got quite ambitious with my skin care regimen this morning.  I have to admit that I have been quite lax in the last week, as we have no running water due to a dead well pump ;-(  This adds a whole other element to everyday tasks, like washing the dishes, and of course, personal hygiene practices, so I have been lazy with my poor face.

I decided that it was time to rectify that today, so I have gave my face a good scrub with the lemon juice, sugar exfoliating scrub that I have outlined in an earlier post.  Today, I mixed brown sugar with lemon juice then I added a tablespoon of olive oil and a few drops of clary sage essential oil.  I did the two minute scrub, then the two minute sit, then rinsed with warm.

I followed that with the coffee grounds mask that I have written about. I need the caffeine!  I mixed about 1/2 cup of coffee grounds with a fresh, organic egg white and 2 tablespoons of honey and then mixed well, and applied it all over my face.  I left this mixture on my face for 15 minutes, much to the distress and dismay of my four year old son, who wanted it off of me NOW!  While I let the mask dry, I brewed up a small amount of very strong green tea–all of those anti-oxidants!  Then I rinsed the mask off of my now glowing, rosy face.

I then patted the strong green tea all over my face, and while it soaked in, I used the leftover brown sugar/lemon juice glop to exfoliate my hands.  Soft, soft hands, thanks to the olive oil in the mix!  Next step included the witch hazel toner–my current mix included orange essential oil, thyme essential oil–good for my oily summer skin, and 1/4 cup strong green tea.

The final step in this mini facial was a light application of extra virgin olive oil all over my face, including around my eye area.  I then indulged myself in a glorious spinach salad that included dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and almonds!  I put this in my face, rather than on it 😉 Delicious!  What a good girl I have been today!  Are you seeing the Popeye connection?  The spinach and olive oil–there is a cartoon that was visionary in it’s healthful message–including Bluto–the scorned junk food junkie.  Anyway, my skeptical four year old son told me that my skin looked “fabulous”  so it was time well spent.

I love using pure olive oil as a moisturizer.  I am buying it to cook with, anyway, so there is no added expense, and the benefits of extra virgin olive oil are many.  Dr. Perricone, and many others include olive oil in their skin care products, but the most beneficial way to use it is straight up!  If you’re afraid of using the pure stuff on your face, try mixing in a few drops to your face cream, or body lotion.

Why is olive oil so good for your skin?  Well Paula Begoun tells us that, “Olive oil contains essential fatty acids dry skin needs, including oleic, palmitic, and linoleic acids. It also contains phenolic compounds that provide antioxidant benefit. Also worth mentioning is olive oil’s anti-inflammatory property.”  Her site, http://www.cosmeticscop.com has a lot of interesting information regarding skin care and the cosmetic industry, even if her focus isn’t natural skin care.

If you have the time and need the pampering, head to the kitchen and mix up some foody potions for your own home facial.  Then relax and wait for the compliments.  Hours later, my skin feels smooth as a baby’s butt, and the lines around my eyes are much less noticeable.  If I ever get around to putting my my natural, mineral make-up, I will probably just do my eyes, and my skin looks so great!

Don’t forget, today is the last day to get 20% off of anything at Aromaleigh Mineral Make-up, with Kristen’s hot20 summer sale.  Check it out at http://www.aromaleigh.com!  Charge it!

Take Two Aspirin…Aspirin Mask For The Acne Prone

The other day I wrote about the need to exfoliate regularly–at least twice a week.  I gave you a tasty little recipe for a lemon juice and sugar exfoilating mini peel that works like a dream.

However, if you are prone to acne, then you’ve likely sworn off of scrubs.  I know my oldest daughter won’t consider the thought, now matter how clear her skin looks.  But acne  prone skin needs exfoilating even more than normal and dry skin because of all of the drying products that are used to treat acne.  These drying products cause a huge build up of dry and dead skin that clog pores, which in turn, can make your acne worse.  But, what to do if you don’t dig scrubs?

The age old recommendation of taking two aspirin and calling back in the morning comes in handy here, as the perfect way to exfoliate that senstive acne prone skin is with an aspirin mask.  This is truly an old fashioned treatment that works modern miracles.

The science behind this wonder mask is simple.  Aspirin is made from salicylic acid, which is a potent beta hydroxy acid.  We’ve talked about alpha hydroxy acids as exfoilants, but beta hydroxy acids work much better for acne suffers.  Beta hydroxy acids are excellent at dissolving the build up of sebum-dried oil-and dry, dead skin that blocks pores.  It simple, cheap, and safe.

There are many ways to make a great aspirin mask, and you’re really only limited by your imagination.  The base ingredient is the same, roughly 10 uncoated aspirins.  That means the plain, old fashioned white ones–no orange coating.  Crush the aspirin up very well and dump them into a small container.  Add a few drops of water to the aspirin until you have a spreadable paste.  Apply the paste to your face and then let it dry for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it begins to flake off.  Rinse with warm water, and you should be greeted by soft, radiant skin.

Variations on the very basic mask are adding a drop of lavender essential oil to the mix along with the water.  Lavender essential oil is a natural antibacterial and promotes skin health.  You can also mix the aspirin with plain yogurt, which, like milk, contains lactic acid, and alpha hydroxy acid.  Again, the goal is a spreadable paste.  Honey can be used as the carrier for the mask, meaning the aspirin is mixed with honey and the gooey mess is then spread on your face.

Aloe vera contains small amounts of salicylic acid, as do strawberries, and they are in season right now, so a strawberry aspirin mask will smell terrific, and add a touch of luxury to your spa experience.  Mixing the mask with aloe vera will soothe and quiet your skin while exfoliating. As you can see, the sky the limit, and after using any one of these aspirin masks you can be guaranteed that you will be glowing!

But be careful that you don’t overdose!  Twice a week is plenty when using an aspirin mask.  Have fun!