But all this healthy eating has gotten me thinking about how this diet will affect my skin. So I did a bit of research about which nutrients are needed for health and beautiful skin and hair. Here are some of the most important ones.

1. Water Yeah, I know I’m a bore, but this need to be repeated; you need to drink water. Not coffee, not tea, not juice. Plain ol’ H20, nothing else. Water keeps the cells hydrated, and helps get the good stuff in and the bad stuff out. Result? Clear, radiant, smooth skin. Now there’s a miracle cure for you, and can you believe – it’s free!
Green tea is also a good choice due to it’s high amount of antioxidants (we’ll get to those) and other great nutrients. But remember that green tea, just like coffee and black tea, contains caffeine/teine, meaning it leaves your body dehydrated. So even though a cup of tea contains lots of water, you’ll need to drink another glass of water for each cup of tea, to keep you body from dehydrating.

2. Vitamin A aids the collagen production, which leads to smooth, clear and young-looking skin. It can also help against sun damaged skin.
Good sources of vitamin A include dairy products, egg, carrot, sweet potato, spinach, tomato and broccoli.   

3. Vitamin C also stimulates collagen production, which improves the skin’s elasticity.  Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which prevents damage from free radicals. It also protects the skin against UVA/UVB rays.
Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, bell peppers, sweet potato, spinach, tomato and strawberries. 

4. Vitamin E moisturizes the skin, leaving it clear and smooth and helps scars healing. Vitamin E is an antioxidant just as vitamin C.
Vitamin E can be found in nuts, whole grains and avocado. 

5. Zinc is a very important mineral for skin and hair. In fact, many cases of acne is actually caused by zinc deficiency! Zinc heals scars and prevents wrinkles.
Zinc can be found in oysters and red meat, especially lamb, beef and liver. Vegetarian zinc sources include seeds (especially sesame, pumpkin and sunflower), nuts, beans and blackcurrant. 

6. Omega–3 I’m sure you’ve heard by now of the importance of getting enough omega 3 in you diet, and have seen all the zillions of supplements you can take. There’s another fatty acid called omega 6 which is just as important as omega 3 (actually literally, as the two need to balance each other out for a healthy body), but most people get enough omega 6 in their diet already (and mostly too much), so no need to worry about not getting enough of that. Omega 3 are essential fatty acids that will reduce inflammation in the body, meaning fewer breakouts. Also, omega 3 provides a bit of sun protection. Good sources of omega 3 include fat fish such as salmon or anchovies, flax seed, walnuts and soybeans.

So, what did we learn from this? Well, mostly all vitamins are good for your skin. I know we all want to hear about the miraculous little exotic fruit that grows deep in the rainforest that will cure all your skin problems in one… But the extremely boring truth is, the best way to get beautiful skin and hair is to keep a well-balanced diet with many fruits and vegetables and drink lots of water.  Eat some fish a couple of times a week, and if you’re a vegetarian or other wise afraid you won’t get enough nutrients, you could consider taking some omega 3, zinc and iron supplement. It’s kind of a win-win situation – you will feel better, and look better at the same time!

Sources: Face value by Gregory Landsman, www.myhomemadebeauty.com

Do you know why babies have such clear, smooth skin? It’s because all of their porridge goes in their face and not in their mouths!

Okay, maybe not, but I can assure you that getting a bit of oatmeal porridge in your face does not do any harm – au contraire, mon frére! I’m sure you’ve heard of how healthy it is to eat your oats. But did you know this about oats and skin care?

• Oatmeal has anti-inflammatory properties and is perfect for most skin types, even the most sensitive skin
• Oatmeal contains saponins, a cleansing agent, and can therefore be used as a mild soap
• Oatmeal is moisturizing and helps remove dead skin cells.
• Oatmeal can help treat acne, eczema, rosacea and rashes
• Oatmeal can helps relieve symptoms of aging skin

Not bad, huh? And to think all this time we have wasted our oats for eating! Using oatmeal in skin and hair care is just as easy as cooking porridge…. Come to think of it, it’s easier.

The only thing you need to do to get started is to make some oat flour (or buy some straight from the shop). To make oat flour, just take some oat groats or rolled oats and run them in a blender or food processor or even mortar. And there you have it – a fine powder that can be used on you skin and in your hair! Now you can get started on all these different ways of using oats in skin and hair care.

 1. Face wash

Being very mild, but yet cleansing, oatmeal is a great ingredient in a face wash. Here’s a few suggestions. These work for any skin type, especially dry, irritated or sensitive skin.

The super-easy
Mix 1 tbs of oat flour with 2 tbs of hot water. Apply to face and rinse with warm water

The good morning face wash
2 tbs oat flour
2 tsp honey
1 tbs milk
Combine all ingredients. Apply to  face and neck, leave on for a few minutes if you like and then rinse.

3 tbs oat flour
2 tbs warm water
2 tbs rice flour
1 tsp glycerin (optional)
1 tbs aloe vera (optional)

2. Oat milk

Many vegans choose to substitute cows milk with oat milk, which you can nowadays find in any larger grocery store.  However, oat milk is basically just oats soaked in water, and it’s really easy to make yourself. Here’s a recipe to enjoy as a milk substitute – or better yet, use it as a face toner! Keep a small bottle in your fridge and apply with a cotton pad after a face wash. You can also use this as a cleanser and wash it off with water. Very refreshing, and your face will be smooth, soft and healthy looking!

2.5 dl (1 cup) organic ground oats
1 liter (1 quart) water (if using only as a toner, you can use distilled water to increase the shelf life)
3 tbs carrier oil

Mix the ingredients well in a blender. Using a cheese cloth or sieve, strain mixture to get rid of any large pieces of oat. Store in the fridge for a few days. (You can also freeze these into ice cubes for later use)

If using oat groats, you’ll need to soak the oats overnight first. Here’s a recipe for oat milk using whole oats.

3. Scrubs
Oat flour can be used in face and body scrubs to buff your face for a clean, soft finish. Here’s a few real easy ones:

Mild face scrub
Mix 1 part oatmeal flour with 1 part carrier oil (such as olive), wash off with warm water. Finish with some oat milk toner.

Oatmeal body scrub
Mix equal parts of olive oil and sugar with a bit of a carrier oil. Use as a body scrub instead of soap, wash with warm water. You’ll probably not need to moisturize after using this scrub.

4. Dry shampoo
If you have blonde hair, ground oats is a fantastic dry shampoo. Just rub some over your scalp, and brush excess oats out with a boar bristle brush.

5. Oat bran bath
Put about 1 dl (0.5 cup) of oat groans or rolled oats in some cloth and tie it up to make a small bag. Put this in your bath tub or in your foot bath. Press the bag a bit until the oatmeal “milk” comes out. You can also use this bag instead of soap on your body or face. It will give a light scrubbing and cleanse your skin and pores.

Click here to see all posts about making your own makeup

If you could have an eyeshadow in any color you liked, what would it be? Take a moment to think about that, right now. Because here’s your chance to win your very own customized makeup. In this giveaway, I am going to make one eyeshadow and one blush according to the winner’s wish!

In addition, one of the two lucky winner will also receive a 6-piece set of Eco Tools cosmetic brushes. These brushes have soft bristles made from synthetic taklon and gorgeous bamboo handles. I personally use EcoTools brushes for almost all of my makeup applications and I’ve been very happy with them, as am I sure you will be too.
The set includes a blush brush, eye shading brush, angled eyeliner brush, concealer brush and a lash and brow groomer. In addition, the set also includes a makeup case made out of hemp and cotton, where you can store the brushes and a whole bunch of makeup. You can read more about the set here.

1st prize: One mineral eyeshadow in the color of your choosing, approximately 10 ml. Plus a set of EcoTools cosmetic brushes.
2nd prize:  One mineral blush/bronzer, approx. 10 ml.

Before you enter, please keep a couple of things in mind.

• The products that you can win in this giveaway are homemade and even though the ingredients I use are cosmetic grade ingredients, they do not have any kind of cosmetic certification.
• I will do my best to make colors as close to your wishes as possible, but I do not guarantee that they are exactly what  you wish for.
• The second prize of a customized blush does not include any kind of application brush.

To enter the giveaway, you only need to do one thing. Imagine the shade of color that you would like to have on your eyes and cheeks, and explain them. Should the eyeshadow be bright pink or deep forest green? Sparkly or matte, light or strong color? Would you like a bright red blush that goes perfectly with your 50′s style red dotted dress or something closer to a bronzer for that sun kissed look? Be as specific as possible, and if you have a picture of the color or of somebody wearing your dream eyeshadow, you’re more than welcome to post links.

That’s all you need to do for one entry in the giveaway. For additional entries, do one or more of the following:

• Like Hildablue on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Hildablue by rss feed  or email subscription (follow the link at the bottom of the right sidebar)
• Subscribe to the Hildablue recipes by rss feed  or email subscription (you’ll find the link on Hildablue recipes in the right side bar)
• Follow @hilda_blue on twitter
• Tweet about the giveaway using this tweet or your own:
  Enter #giveaway to #win homemade mineral eyeshadow or blush customized in shade of your choosing! http://bit.ly/sluotI via @hilda_blue

You can have as many entries as you like (up to the six possible), but make sure that you post each action as a separate comment. Simply post a comment saying that you’re like facebook page, follow the tweets or subscribe to the posts. If you already follow/like, you’re also welcome to count that as an entry,

This giveaway is open to participants worldwide and closes on December 4th, 2011. The winners will be selected using random.org and notified by email. Good luck!

Click here to see all posts in the homemade makeup post series

Playing around with micas and shimmering eyeshadows is fun enough, but here comes the true challenge: making mineral foundation. By making your own homemade mineral foundation you’ll save big bucks, as store-bought mineral foundations can be rather expensive. Plus, you have the opportunity to get the exact shade that suits your skin color! Once you get the formula right, you can make a huge batch that you can keep forever (and when I say forever, I mean forever. This will never go off)

First, we need to make a white base. Here’s one recipe that I’ve been very happy with.

1 tbs titanium dioxide
1 tsp zink oxide
2 ml (1/2 tsp) magnesium stearate
4 ml (3/4 tsp) sericite mica

Combine all ingredients using a wooden grill skewer or chop stick. Using a fine sieve such as a tea strainer, sift the mixture once or twice.

After that we’ll make a color base. If you have fair skin, start with this color blend.

1 tsp yellow iron oxide
0.5 ml red iron oxide
0.5 ml blue ultramarine

Take a small ziplock bag, mortar or coffee grinder (you should use this grinder only for the makeup however), add all ingredients and start grinding away until the colors are completely mixed. If using a ziplock back, just rub the closed bag between your fingers or palms, crushing the powder and making sure it’s all mixed and ground up. I personally like the ziplock bag even though some people don’t think it grinds the color well enough.

And this is where it gets exciting! You’ll want this to be as close to your natural skin color as possible and therefore you might need to add more of one ingredient or another until you find something that goes with your own skin tone.  First, mix the base with the color and see how it looks on your skin.

1 tbs white base
1/2 tsp color base

If the color looks nice, good for you! If you find it’s too light, just add a pinch of the color blend, if the color is too strong for you, add some of the white base.

If the color is off, you’ll need to grind in more color. Add more of one or the other of the above, or try adding a pinch of brown if you have that at hand and feel the foundation needs more red.
Use very small amounts at a time, and write down what you do so that you can do it again next time. A cosmetics scale that can measure very small weights is quite handy at this point. Remember to always grind in the added color very well before trying it on your skin, other wise it will not give a true picture of what the makeup looks like.

To apply the makeup, I suggest using a large kabuki brush. Pour a small amount of the powder into the lid, and swirl around in it a bit with the brush. Tap the brush to remove excess powder, and then apply to your face using small circular motions.

This might take a while to master fully, but I assure you it will be very rewarding. If you need a break, try some of these other (easier) recipes for your skin:

Primer / Veil

A mineral veil is a powder that is applied on top of your foundation, to make the color longer lasting and keep your face matte all day. These veils can be rather expensive but they are really easy to make yourself. If you look at Bare Escentuals mineral veil for instance, only contains cornstarch, zinc stearate and magnesium stearate. So here’s my recipe for a really simple veil, that can also be used as a primer before applying the foundation.

1/2 tsp each of cornstarch, rice flour and magnesium stearate
(1/4 tsp of mineral foundation)

Run all the ingredients through a fine sieve a couple of times. You can add some foundation if you want to give the veil a light tint.

Concealers

When those nasty zits show up, sometimes a light foundation just isn’t enough. When making your foundation, save some to make a separate concealer that you can apply with a small brush or a cotton swab.

Green concealer for zits or red skin

2-3 tsp white base
1 tsp yellow iron oxide
1 ml blue ultramarine
0.5 ml red iron oxide

Good luck experimenting! And remember to check back in a few days time for the giveaway where you can enter to win your very own customized mineral makeup plus a lovely set of EcoTools brushes!

Exfoliation is the process of clearing away dead skin cells from your skin, leaving your skin smooth and clear and fresh. This can be done in two different ways; chemically or physically. A chemical exfoliation means that the exfoliation takes places due to the chemical properties of the product, unlike physical exfoliation where the exfoliation is thanks to the rough surface that is applied to face or body. Let’s take a closer look at the two kinds.

PHYSICAL EXFOLIATION

A physical (or manual) exfoliation can be achieved with a exfoliating gloves, towels or by dry brushing.  Another way of doing a physical exfoliation is through a scrub. This is done with grains that scrub away the dead skin cells. Basically anything coarse can be used as a scrub – sugar, salt, ground nuts or seeds, coffee… Or even sand! (I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed how feet look real nice after walking barefoot on the beach). For some scrub recipes, see the recipe page. Physical exfoliations can be rather hard on the skin, so try doing it only once a week. But listen to your skin, if you don’t get very red, irritated or itching skin there’s no reason not to exfoliate more than once a week.

Peeling is a physical process of removing dead skin cells and blackheads. This can easily be done at home with the help of some gelatine – see the recipe here. There are few things as satisfying as stripping off some gelatine off your face and actually seeing all the gunk that came out with it.

CHEMICAL EXFOLIATION

There are two different kinds of chemical exfoliating agents – AHA and BHA. AHA stands for Alpha Hydroxy Acid, which can be found in many forms including glycolic acid, malic acid, lactic acid and citric acid. If you want to pay loads of bucks, you can buy fancy AHA or BHA peels, creams and serums at the pharmacy or  perfume shop. But the truth is that AH acids are found naturally in loads of ingredients that you already have in your kitchen cabinet! Check this out: sugar, pineapple, grapes, yogurt, strawberry, apple, blueberry, raspberry, lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange, honey, wine… That’s just an example of all the natural ingredients that contain AHA in one or more forms. BHA stands for Beta Hydroxy Acid and is another form of acid but essentially does the same thing. In skin care, the BHA used is salicylic acid, which basically is the same as aspirin.

So are you sure you need to go to the drugstore to buy something like this for hundreds of dollars? I don’t know about you, but I think I’ll whip something up at home. Maybe a…

Sugar scrub with 2 parts sugar with 1 part olive oil. If you’ve paid attention here, you’ll have realized that a sugar scrub actually is a combined chemical and physical exfoliation, as sugar contains glucolic acid and will also give a physical scrub beause of the coarse grains. Nifty, huh?
Strawberry exfoliating face mask. Mix a few fresh or frozen strawberries, or another berry such as blueberry or raspberry, with a tablespoon of thick yogurt, buttermilk or some other sour milk product. Leave on your face for up to 20 minutes, then rinse with lukewarm water.
Red wine face mask consisting of 1 tablespoon red wine, 2 tablespoons honey and 1 tbs yogurt. Leave on for 10-15 minutes.
Honey face wash.  Wash your face with honey, simple as that. Crunchy betty can tell you more.
Aspirin face mask. Jason already explained this a few weeks back.

Fruit is one of the best things you can do for your skin. But until recently, research focused on the ways fruit (and vegetables) can affect exterior beauty from within, by providing nutrients that enable the body’s cells – including skin cells – to do their jobs efficiently. In fact, early in 2011 researchers discovered that eating a regular diet of fruits and vegetables high in carotenoids (the substance that makes carrots orange and gives many other fruits and vegetables their vibrant colors) gave study participants an even more golden, sun-kissed look than they could have managed if they spent time basking in the sun outdoors. (See “Eating vegetables gives skin a more healthy glow than the sun, study shows“, Science Daily, Jan. 12, 2011)

That’s good news for fruit and vegetable lovers, but bad news if you just can’t stand to eat fruits or vegetables (or if you have finicky bowels that just can’t handle all that fiber). Is there another way to nourish the skin? Many manufacturers are touting the benefits of fruit enzymes applied topically — to the skin’s surface. Fruit enzymes, we are told, are an all-natural miracle wrinkle smoother and acne eliminator.

There is just one problem with this idea. The science isn’t there to back it up – at least not yet. The human digestive tract is perfectly structured to absorb nutrients from fruits and other foods, and the circulatory system of blood and lymph fluid works well for circulating those nutrients to the body’s cells and whisking away cellular waste products. The skin, on the other hand, is well-suited to keeping stuff out of the body and away from its cells. You can and do absorb some substances through your skin, but it’s not the most efficient route. Doctors and scientific researchers typically apply substances topically to the skin only when they have a special reason to do so, such as wound care, or when they want to apply a substance that you are better off absorbing in tiny amounts and very slowly (such as the nicotine used in nicotine patches). But you don’t need tiny amounts of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables should be the foundation for your entire diet – they are not a toxic drug that you want to be certain not to overdo!

Determined to conduct your own experiments with all natural skin care? Don’t try to deliver nutrients deep into the skin. Instead, stick to exfoliating — helping the skin to shed its old dead cells more efficiently and protecting – keeping moisture in and bacteria and ultraviolet radiation out. Here are a few fruits you may want to try:

• Papaya: Though papaya is so rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that you would be better advised to use it to nourish the inside of your body rather than slathering it on your exterior, it also contains the enzyme papain, a natural exfoliator that may help loosen dead skin cells, making it easier to brush dead cells off the surface of the skin. This makes it less likely that dead cells will become trapped in hair follicles and cause clogged pores. Many skin care products, such as facial masks and anti-wrinkle creams, now contain papaya, but you can also make your own using ripe papaya from the grocery store. If you are too tempted to eat the ripe papaya (and who wouldn’t be?), you can buy dried papaya powder to add to homemade creams, masks and lotions.

• Peaches: Some people consider peaches to have an emollient or moisturizing effect, though I haven’t seen clinical research on this. Researchers HAVE found that peaches are chock full of antioxidants and phytochemicals, though, so after you add peach to your homemade mask or lotion, make sure to save some for breakfast.

• Citrus fruits: Citrus fruits, especially lemons, have antibacterial effects. However, lemon and other citrus fruits can have the side effect of making the skin more photosensitive — more sensitive to ultraviolet radiation – so you’ll want to go easy on the citrus or consider using it only at night. Yes, tangerines and grapefruit do help with weight loss, but you have to EAT them to experience that benefit.

So, my best advice is this: listen to your mother and eat your fruits and vegetables. That’s the best way to deliver the antioxidant benefits of berries, pomegranates, oranges, tangerines, grapefruits, peaches, plums, papaya, pineapple, and any other fruit you can think of directly to your skin — and the rest of your body, too.

Niland Mortimer is the Chief Marketing Officer at Isis Biopolymer, a pioneer in skin rejuvenation technology. Isis Biopolymer recently released the Biobliss patch&#153, a noninvasive transdermal patch that reduces wrinkle appearance and fine lines in just one hour. Niland’s background in consumer and technology marketing ranges from overseeing all J&J skin care product global advertising to co-founding a San Francisco based social media marketing firm.

The author is not a medical professional or expert and this blog is not intended to be instructional for medical diagnosis or treatment. It is not intended as medical advice or take the place of a consultation with a physician or competent healthcare professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment of any kind; or serve as an endorsement for any medical practice, prescription, drug, supplement, treatment, physician, pharmaceutical product, or medical device. Every effort has been made by ISIS to provide accurate, complete, and up-to-date information; however, the state of skin care knowledge is constantly changing; thus, the blog may contain errors and/or omissions. Always consult your physician or other qualified healthcare provider promptly with any skin or healthcare-related questions.

In addition to many long evenings of fun-fun experimenting, you get makeup that’s a) cheaper, b) longer lasting and c) more natural than most conventional makeup products. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get down to business!

If you still think this seems all too complicated (and believe me, the most difficult part is buying the ingredients), don’t worry – in a couple of weeks time there will be a giveaway with the chance of winning customized eye shadow or blush made by yours truly! So don’t forget to check back in the beginning of November. But until then, start experimenting and I promise you you’ll be hooked in no time!

THE BASE
First, make an white powder base. Make one of the following ones, you can make a big batch and store for further use. For the super easy version, you can even use 100% rice starch or mica pearl white, but for a longer lasting and better covering makeup, I suggest combining a few ingredients.

In eye makeup, I have no problem using talcum. The main concern with talcum powder is that it clogs up your pores, and well, I have never had a zit on my eyelid so I think that area is pretty safe. I know there are also some concerns about talcum powder is  canceroginous, but all studies don’t agree on that. If you are worried, there are alternatives. But the fact is that talcum powder is one of the best filling agents when combining with micas, as it will enhance the glittering effect very nicely.

Eye make up base 1
8 g talcum powder
6 g magnesium stearate
4 g potato starch
(Recipe from Smink och deo by Finn Andersen)

Eye or cheek makeup base 2
1 part rice starch
1 part mica satin white

Eye or cheek makeup base 3
3 tbs titanium dioxide
2 tsp magnesium stearate
1-2 tsp mica satin white

Combine all ingredients using a wooden grill skewer or chop stick. Using a fine sieve such as a tea strainer, sift the mixture once or twice. This is especially important when using a starch as the food grade starches usually are a bit grainier than the minerals used.

THE COLOR
And now it’s time to add some color!

If you want a sparkle, shimmer and glitter, mica is the way to go. And the best part is, mica doesn’t need to be ground up like the iron oxides do – in fact, the glittering effect will disappear if they are ground. So to make mica makeup, all you need to do is mix up the ingredients, and you’re done!

When it comes to choosing which colors you should use, you can be creative. No, I urge you to be creative. Go preschool and start thinking about which color combinations you like. Yellow plus red equals orange, add a bit of blue and you have brown! Mica colors shimmer, oxides give a matte color. The best is usually to use a mixture of the two.  Many mica colors can be used as such with an equal amount of base, or you can combine any colors until you find something you like.

Here’s a couple of suggestions to get you started:

Deep purple, golden apple and brilliant

Deep purple (eyeshadow matte, strong color)
1 ml red iron oxide
1,5 ml blue ultramarine
4 ml base

Golden apple (eyeshadow, very sparkly green-gold)
2 ml golden mica
1 ml green mica
3 ml base

Brilliant (eyeshadow or blush, sparkly pink)
1,5 ml gold
1 ml mica pearl white
0,5 ml red iron oxide
1 ml base

HOW IT’S DONE

• Put on an apron or an old t-shirt. Also as the powders will be flying around a bit I suggest you wear a protecting mask over your nose as they might irritate.
• If you’re making a mica eye shadow, congratulations! Just mix the mica together with the eye powder base, and you’re done!
• The iron oxides need to be ground up. Take a small ziplock bag, mortar or coffee grinder (you should use this grinder only for the makeup however), add all ingredients except any micas (that is, your base + iton oxides + ultramarines) and start grinding away until the colors are completely mixed. If using a ziplock back, just rub the closed bag between your fingers or palms, crushing the powder and making sure it’s all mixed and ground up. I personally like the ziplock bag even though some people don’t think it grinds the color well enough.
• Try the powder on the back of your hand or on your eyelids to see what the color actually looks like, and adjust according to what you like: more base if the color is too strong, or more color if it’s too light. Add a liiiittle bit of black iron oxide if you think it’s too light.
• Store your makeup in a small jar, it’s going to last for many years (though only a couple of years if you use a starch).
• And that’s it! You just made your very own makeup! Go you!

APPLICATION

Get some good brushes and start brushing away. Pour a small amount of the powder into the lid, and swirl around in it a bit with the brush. Tap the brush to remove excess powder, and then apply the eyeshadow or blush.

Tip! For a more intense color, dip the brush in some water before application. Just a few drops does the trick!
Tip2! You can even use your blush as a lip gloss. Take some vegetable oil on a lip makeup brush, and mix it with some makeup (like I explained under “application”) and paint your lips with it.

Fun, huh? And, as a bonus, I’ll be adding a few recipes over at the recipe site with more makeup to be made, including eyeliner, lipstick and solid eyeshadow! Next makeup post will be about making your own foundation. It’s a bit trickier as the color needs to be more precise, but easier than it sounds. ‘Til then!

I had a little bit of yogurt left in the fridge. Not enough for a breakfast dish, but just perfect for a single face mask. So in with a bit of clay, honey, and to top that off, cacao powder. Pouring straight from the jar, carefully, carefully…. And whomp! There goes half the jar of cocoa powder! I thought my face mask was ruined, but still stirred the mixture a little.

I then realized that the cacao was blended into the yogurt just fine, and not only that – it got a completely different texture than I had expected, something closer to a really dark chocolate mousse. And it felt really nice on my skin!

Try this one out! The clay and honey can probably be skipped in this recipe – the key is loads of cacao!

1 tbs thick yogurt
2 tbs cacao powder
1 tsp clay (optional)
1 tsp honey (optional)

Mix everything well until you have a thick paste. Apply to face and neck and leave on for 15 minutes or until the mask is starting to dry. Rinse off with warm water.

Check out these three easy ways to turn your store bought, cheap plain products into fancy customized products in no time.

SCRUB
To make a face or body scrub, just take your regular liquid face or body wash. Take a bit of the cleanser in the palm of your hand, add a scrubbing agent – and you have a luxurious face or body scrub! Keep a sugar dispenser filled with a scrubbing agent in the shower (just beware that it can get humid in there so it might go rancid after a few weeks if it doesn’t have a proper lid) and mix yourself a fancy scrub each time.
Scrubbing agents for face scrub: cornstarch, riceflour, ground oatmeal, ground herbs such as lavender or rose.
Scrubbing agents for body scrub: any of the above or coffee, sugar, salt, ground nuts or kernels.

HERBAL SHAMPOO
Many agree that most shampoos contain some potentially harmful ingredients. But actually going completely no-shampoo is a big step for most people. But don’t fret, there’s a solution. You can mix your shampoo with a herbal infusion to  dilute the sulfates in the shampoo and get all the great benefits of herbs in your hair! This way you don’t need to buy expensive shampoos for specific hair types – just buy a cheap basic shampoo and add the herbs you like and need! This recipe is inspired by a post on Perfect Skincare for You.

Instructions on how to make an infusion can be found here, but basically – make a strong tea. Mix 1 part shampoo with about 2 parts strained infusion in a bottle, and shake will. Store in fridge or use within one week.

Good allround hair herbs: Rosemary, birch leaves, nettles, chamomile.
Herbs for normal hair and children: Chamomile, rose, rosemary, thyme.
Herbs for normal hair and children: Chamomile, rose, rosemary, thyme.
Herbs for oily hair: Nettles, melissa, peppermint, elderflower, thyme, sage, rosemary.
Herbs for dry hair and damaged hair: Chamomile, calendula.
Herbs for added shine: Birch, nettles, chamomile, calendula, rosemary, sage.
Herbs for added volume: Calendula, sage.
Herbs against dandruff: Nettles, elderberries, chamomile, rosemary, sage, thyme, witch hazel.
For toning herbs please see this post.
Creds: shenet.se

ESSENTIAL OILS
With a bunch of essential oils at hand, the sky is the limit!

• Get some unscented body lotion, add a few drops of essential oils and you have a perfumed body lotion. Pick any smells that you like, you can take some inspiration from Crunchy Betty’s solid perfume post. If you want the benefits of the essential oils for your skin type, google around a bit to find which essential oils are good for your skin type. Here’s one place to start. My own favorites (I have oily skin) are tea tree, rosemary and ylang ylang.
• Add some essential oils to your regular shampoo and you have your very own unique shampoo for your hair type. Combine this with the herbal shampoo and you’ll never go back!
• Be creative! Essential oils can be added to more or less anything that you can stir it in to… Face creams, cleansers, hand/foot cream, (leave-in) conditioners, face toners…