Natlifestyle.com

While it’s not feeling like fall here in Southern California (it hit 90 degrees today!) I love the sights and smells of autumn. Here’s a recipe for a great pumpkin mask I found in Self Magazine that will give your skin a healthy dose of antioxidants like vitamins A and C…perfect for recovering your skin from all the sun it was exposed to over the Summer (in my case, every day!) and to help keep your skin looking young.

Mix together:

• ½ cup canned pumpkin
• ¼ cup bentonite clay (available at health food stores)
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp almond oil
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Apply evenly to your face or anywhere else you’d like to smooth. Leave on 10 minutes before rinsing with cool water.  Why does it work? Almond oil moisturizes, clay draws out impurities, honey replaces collagen and cinnamon improves circulation. Enjoy this mask while saving some $ on a store bought one!

Whenever I’m out shopping, I avoid the makeup counters. I get sucked in too easily, especially when it comes to skin care. With all that’s promised (antioxidants! reduce lines!  lighten up undereye circles!), it’s hard not to sink $50+ into a tiny jar that lasts about a month. The worst part is that you get hooked on that tiny jar, and you’re addicted.

I’m not saying to stop buying stuff completely, by any means. There are, however, some really great ideas for natural skin care that you can create with stuff around the house. I also love the idea that these are real ingredients that you’re putting together on your own, rather than stuff on the back of a jar that’s hard to even pronounce.

Natural face masks:

Honey:  Mix one cup honey with 1/2 cup olive oil. Apply enough to cover your face but (like all of these ideas) keep mixture away from delicate eye areas. Spend a few minutes massaging the mix into your face. Wash off with warm water and pat your face dry with a towel.

Pineapple: After mashing up a pineapple slice well, mix it with the juice of an orange or a lemon and add all these ingredients with wheat flour. Apply this mixture on the face and neck. Scrub it off after 15 minutes.

Guava: Mash one guava; stir it well with the mixture of oatmeal and lemon juice. Apply this onto face for about 20 minutes and wash it off with cold water. The oatmeal exfoliates for glowing skin.

 Carrot: take a carrot, grate and mix well with one spoon of honey. Apply this all over the face and leave it for 15 minutes. Wash if off with cold water.

Cucumber: Slice a large cucumber, reserve two slices to place over eyes. Peel and puree the remaining cucumber. This can be applied as a pack onto your face. Remove after fifteen minutes.  Apply moisterizer thickly to seal in water.

Body scrub:

This is my personal favorite. Mix 1/2 cup brown sugar with 1/3 cup of olive oil. When you are in the shower, scrub your skin with this great smelling exfoliant. Rinse well. Your skin will feel so soft.

Facial Mist:

Mix 2 cups of cool water with 4 drops of lavendar essentail oil. Spray all over your face for instant relaxation.

Foot scrub:

Mash 8 strawberries with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 teaspoons of sea salt into a paste. Massage scrub into your feet then rinse well.

I get pricey highlights, and I need a shampoo/conditioner that won’t ruin them…or my wallet. I checked out Organix products, and I love them. I use the coconut products: shampoo/conditioner/oil. All organic, and super reasonable (each product was $6.99). Left my hair soft, shiny and stronger (there’s protein in the products). I switched over from Redken (which was at least double the price). And they smell amazing. I checked out the company’s website, and all Organix products are safe for color-treated hair.

I do a lot of damage to my hair: washing a lot, drying a lot, the California sunshine, highlighting, etc. I’ll be going on vacation in a week which means I’ll be exposing my hair to chlorine and salt water, too.

I found this simple recipe for dry hair:

• 1/2 Avocado
• 3 tablespoons Olive Oil

Blend together, apply to hair, rinse off after 20 minutes.

Voila! Soft, healthy hair on a dime.