Homemade Beauty: Facial Toner

This is the fourth post in my series about homemade beauty products that are simple, affordable, and easy alternatives to the beauty products we all buy at the store.This recipe for facial toner is one of my favorite. Toner is an astringent and is used to exfoliate, or remove dead skin cells making skin look radiant! Yeah for that! It also feels nice and cool on the skin and that is especially nice in the hot days of summer... if only we could get some of those hot days here soon in the Pacific Northwest. One thing that is abundant in the Pacific Northwest, however, are pine needles. They are everywhere! Pine needles steeped in water, like tea, are naturally astringent. Add witch hazel, which anyone can buy rather cheaply at a drug store, and you have a perfect toner that smells really fresh and nice. You can pretend it's Christmas all year!

Pine Needle Toner
2 cups fresh pine needles
1 cup distilled water
1/2 cup witch hazel

Place pine needles in a small saucepan with distilled water. Bring water to a boil. Turn off heat and allow water to cool completely then strain and discard pine needles. Add witch hazel and stir. Pour into a clean bottle or decorative capped container. Apply to skin with a cotton ball after you use your facial cleanser. Store in a cool, dark place.

Homemade Beauty: Makeup Remover

This is the third post in my series about homemade beauty products that are simple, affordable, and easy alternatives to the beauty products we all buy at the store. Today, I want to focus on makeup remover. I don't wear a lot of makeup, but the makeup I do wear I want to wash off each night before I go to bed. Unless you buy a makeup remover product, washing your face with just soap and water won't do the trick. I still notice mascara below my eyes for example. What a pain! I use to buy a Clinique product, which was quite expensive. I bought it after a woman at the makeup counter suggested it should be a part of my skin care routine. It was $18! At the time, I didn't really think much of spending this much on a product I would likely have to buy every few months. Now I think differently and would rather save my money.

My Sister gave me the idea to try using something we all have at home, olive oil! At first, I thought she was pulling my leg. So I went into the kitchen grabbed my bottle of olive oil and put a couple drops on a clean cotton ball and gave it a try. The olive oil lifted away all the make up that was still on my face after a gentle cleansing. In fact, I'm pretty sure this natural product outperformed the store bought brand by far. Extra virgin olive oil is pure and non-irritating so it is safe to use around your eyes. In addition to removing your makeup, olive oil is also an excellent moisturizer. I found a small glass bottle to fill up and I keep in my bathroom so it's always handy in the evenings when I'm getting ready for bed. Use a small amount to remove your make up. Sometimes my skin can feel a little oily if I use too much. If that is the case, I just run my hands under some warm water and gently rub the remaining olive oil into my skin. Pat dry with a towel and enjoy your makeup free, moisturized new face. Give it a try, you'll be surprised!

photo: Simple Organic

Homemade Beauty: Facial Cleanser

This is the second post in my series about homemade beauty products that are simple, affordable, and easy alternatives to the beauty products we all buy at the store. Most skin care lines recommend a daily cleanser, toner, and moisturizer. Facial cleanser washes away impurities on your skin like make up and dirt. A toner gently exfoliates dead skin cells away and a moisturizer replenishes your skin.

Today, I am going to talk about the first step in the process. Using a few simple ingredients, it is easy to make your own facial cleanser. I recommend purchasing a castile soap which is gentle on the skin and doesn't contain petroleum derived products or foaming agents. Any brand will do. The one that is most common is Dr. Bronner's liquid soap made of organic oils. It can be found at natural foods stores and big box stores like Target. If you get a big container of it, it will last you a long time. You can also use it in cleaning products, in the shower, and washing your floors. It is an all purpose soap. I highly recommend it. Mixed with a small amount of water, you can use Dr. Bronner's in your facial cleanser too. Your facial cleanser can be as simple as two ingredients, soap and water. I also like to add a few drops of essential oils as well as chamomile tea. Below you will find my simple recipe for a gentle facial cleanser you can make at home, which is an affordable alternative to store bought cleansers that can be irritating on the skin. It works great, smells lovely, and is very affordable.

Rose Petal Facial Cleanser

1/2 cup castille soap (Rose)
1/2 cup chamomile tea
Up to five drops rose essential oil (optional)

Combine the ingredients in a bottle. Use a small amount each day to wash your face. Essential oils are optional in this cleanser. They can be purchased from natural food stores. Essential oils are completely natural and safe but potent so be sure to read the safety labels. If you decide to use essential oils, store the cleanser in a dark glass bottle. This helps protect them because they have a tendency to break down when exposed to light.

photo: botanical.com

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Homemade Beauty: Facial Scrub

Have you ever noticed how beauty products these days are ridiculously expensive? And most of us are not just buying one or two things. If you're like me, you've got a drawer in your bathroom full of random hair products, lotions, face wash, shampoos, conditioners, shaving cream, deodorant, hairspray, gel, perfumes, soaps, and make up. Whew... could the list get any longer!?

I decided a couple months ago to look into reducing the amount of beauty products I buy. That means, as I run out of something, I'll ask myself, is this a necessary product for me to keep using? I'll also ask myself, can I make a similar beauty product myself with ingredients I already have in my house? The answer is yes! It isn't always easy giving up or finding alternatives to some of the beauty products companies expect us all to buy each month, but once you do it feels great! Want to know what else feels great? Knowing beauty isn't something you buy! Over the next several weeks, I am going to write several posts about homemade beauty products. All will be simple and easy to make and are quite effective. And it's fun!

Want to know a good step towards getting radiant skin? Most facial skin care lines suggest a light exfoliation every few days to rid off dead skin cells. I use to buy a facial scrub from Burt's Bees that ran $8 a small jar. I haven't purchased facial scrub for months because making my own is so darn easy. I honestly can't tell a difference between the two. Here is a simple and easy recipe for homemade facial scrub with brown sugar.

Homemade Brown Sugar Facial Scrub
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp Cinnamon

Mix the ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. Store in a small jar (I even made a travel size version). Keep near your sink or shower. Use a small amount and rub gently on your face and neck with a couple drops of warm water. Rinse and enjoy!