Natural Treatments

 Natural Beauty Tips

Ever since I can remember, my mom instilled both in my sister and myself the importance of taking care of ourselves and our own beauty.  Everyone has a responsibility to their bodies and minds by providing the best care.

Here are a few of my many beauty tips to help you gain your highest level of tender loving care that will pay off for years to come.

"Every Month, Ill be posting New Beauty Secrets for all to enjoy."

Nov 1

Homemade Vitamin C Face Cream

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Mar 13, 2011 | By Rose Kivi

Rose Kivi has been a writer for more than 10 years. She has a background in the nursing field, wildlife rehabilitation and habitat conservation. Kivi has authored educational textbooks, patient health care pamphlets, animal husbandry guides, outdoor survival manuals and was a contributing writer for two books in the Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Series.

Photo Credit rajeunir - la lutte contre les rides image by iMAGINE from Fotolia.com

Vitamin C skin care products are all the rage. Topical vitamin C smooths the skin and helps prevent skin damage. Patricia K. Farris, MD, conducted a study at Tulane University School of Medicine that concluded topical vitamin C was effective at "promoting collagen synthesis, photoprotection from ultraviolet A and B and lightening hyperpigmentation." The results of the study were published in the journal, "Dermatologic Surgery" in 2005.

The problem with vitamin C creams is that they have a short shelf life. Vitamin C quickly degrades and becomes ineffective once dissolved in liquids. You can make homemade vitamin C cream more cheaply than buying it in a store, and you can make it in small batches so that it is always fresh and effective.

Step 1

Stir in 1/2 teaspoon powdered L-ascorbic acid--a stable form of vitamin C--with 1/4 cup of your favorite store-bought or homemade face cream. You can make a simple homemade face cream by whisking together 3 tablespoons aloe vera gel, 1/2 tablespoon vegetable glycerin, 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil and 1/2 teaspoon powdered vitamin B3. This recipe makes 1/4 cup of face cream. Add a preservative such as potassium sorbate or grapefruit seed extract to your homemade face cream base, if desired. Refer to the preservative manufacturer's instructions to determine the proper amount to add to your face cream.

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Step 2

Pour your vitamin C face cream into a dark glass container to keep light from spoiling the mixture. Store the cream in the refrigerator if you used a homemade cream base that does not contain a preservative.

Step 3

Apply a thin layer of the vitamin C cream on your face after cleansing and before you apply sunscreen and makeup, once or twice a day. If you are new to using vitamin C products, start with once a day and increase to twice a day after two weeks, if desired.

Step 4

Discard the vitamin C cream after two weeks, or earlier if the cream turns yellow. 

Things You'll Need

• 1/2 teaspoon powdered L-ascorbic acid
• 3 tablespoons aloe vera gel
• 1/2 tablespoon vegetable glycerin
• 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered vitamin B3
• Potassium sorbate or grapefruit seed extract (optional)
• Dark glass container

Natural Scrubs For The Body:

To achieve a velvety feel to your skin is not difficult and you do not have to spend a ton of money on various designer brands.  You can achieve this wonderful quality to your skin with items you probably already have in your home.

Take one teaspoon of honey and one teaspoon of fine sea salt.  Mix the two ingredients together and apply liberally to your face and body.  If applying to your body, do small areas at a time, such as your legs and then your arms. 

Use brisk forward and backward movements across the area of skin to exfoliate all dead cells.  Then take a soft cloth and polish the area.

Continue on to all areas you wish to apply this mixture to and repeat the same steps.

Once you are done, take a shower to wash off the mixture.

You will see immediate improvements to your skin and over time you will be absolutely amazed by the results.

Another Alternative:

Take 4 or 5 tablespoons of rice flour

Take 4 or 5 tablespoons of ground coffee and

1 cup of natural yogurt.

Mix all the ingredients together and apply to your body. Again, use a messaging movement (forward and backward), then shower off the mixture.

Cleansing Cream for Oily Skin:

Do you suffer from oily skin? Many women do and it's always been so annoying when that oil appears in the middle of the day.  Reapply makeup to coverup that oil is not only time consuming but not good for your facial cells.  Here is a great way to cut down on your excessive oils and leave a wonderful complexion behind.

Take 1/2 cup of Butter Milk,

2 tablespoons of crushed fennel seeds

Heat the butter milk and fennel seeds for 30 minutes.  Once heated turn off the burner and let the mixture sit for 2 hours to cool.

After 2 hours, strain the mixture and pour into a bottle, then refrigerate.  This mixture will keep for 2 weeks.  Simply apply to your face, as you would any facial cleanser and then rinse.

Sesame Oil Pulling Cleanser for Dry Skin:

For those who suffer from dry skin, your face always feels so tight and you are prone to wrinkles early on in life.  So you constantly apply moisturizers that are short time fixes.  Here is a great alternative that really does work and will leave your face soft and supple.

Apply Sesame Oil to your face and neck.

Take a wash cloth, making sure it has been soaked in hot water.

Wipe across the applied area, pulling and removing the oil from your skin.

Squeeze the wash cloth, removing all water and continue to remove any remaining oil from your face.

Then take Apple Cider Vinegar and rinse your face thoroughly.

You are done!

Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse:

In order to restore the natural Ph balance, or acid mantle, to your skin is also very inexpensive and very easy to do.  Also, if you suffer from acne, here is a wonderful way to  get rid of acne and keep you skin's balance in check.

Take 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar and a basin filled with warm water.

Pour the apple cider vinegar into the basin water and then splash your face and rinse.

Let your face dry "naturally", do not use a towel.

You will see great results in your skin texture and over a short period of time, you will see that acne totally disappear.

Acne Facial Scrub:

2 -  1/4 teaspoon of yogurt

1  - 1/2 teaspoon of fine salt

1 teaspoon of brewer yeast

Mix thoroughly in a class bowl, then gently massage into your skin.

Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

You will be very pleased by the results.

Anti-Aging Facial Mask:

As women, we all want to retain our youthful appearance well beyond youth itself.  What if I were to tell you, I am 50 years old and still get advances from men in their twenties!  Well, it's true and I have spent 50 years learning these secrets from my grandmother, mother and friends.

This is a wonderful secret for prolonging your skin's aging. This mixture will make your face and neck soft and beautiful.

Take 1 Tablespoon of Almond Oil, mix in a small amount of milk or yogurt.  You want a mask texture, so do not add too much of the milk or yogurt.  Just enough to form a mask quality.

Carefully apply to your face and neck -- leave on for 15 to 20 minutes then rinse.

Improve Your Skin Tone:

This is a skin peel and works well to reduce wrinkles.

Take a Spoonful of Rosemary, pour it into a glass of dry red wine.  Mix and then pour into a bottle. 

Shake this mixture every two days.  After 6 weeks, filter the mixture and use it as a skin toner.

Tired Skin:

Do to many outside elements, such as dirt, pollutants and other undesirables, skin can become tired in appearance.  It doesn't have to stay that way.  Try this little secret that has worked for me over and over.

1 Tablespoon of ground or powdered spearmint

1 Tablespoon of good quality cold-pressed oil

1 Tablespoon of honey

Place all the ingredients into a blender until it is fluffy.

Apply to your skin and rinse.

Treatment for Blackheads:

Everyone, at some time or another, suffers from those tiny little blackheads and they just never seem to go away.  Well, this works, so give it a shot!

Apply Lemon Lime Juice directly to your entire face.

Dip a cotton swab into Pure Lemon Juice and apply directly to the affected areas.

Repeat this two to three times daily.  It will take a few weeks to see the results, but you will be clear of blackheads and whiteheads before you know it!

For A Brighter Complexion:

We all want our skin to be radiant without using unnatural body lotions or artificial sparkle effects.  This beauty secret will leave your skin radiant morning, noon and night!

Take 1 Teaspoon of Cucumber Juice

Take 1/2 Teaspoon of Lime Juice and a few drops of rose water.

Mix thoroughly and apply to your face for 15 minutes.

Within  a few days you will experience a wonderful bright and glowing complexion.  Experiment on your body as well, you might become quite delighted.

I hope these facial tips will be of great value to you, as they have for me.  I will be back with many more beauty secrets to improve your hair nails, brighter smiles and even weight loss!