Make Your Own Hair Perfume
By Beverly Smith
It is pleasant to perfume the hair after washing it when the hair is half dry. The following ingredients are required to make this fragrant perfume.
* 6 tablespoons powdered charcoal
* 5 tablespoons powders myrrh
* 1 tablespoon powdered benzoin
* 1 tablespoon potassium nitrate
* 2-3 drops oil of bergamot
* 2-3 drops of sandalwood
* mucilage of tragacanth
Mix the powders together and sieve, and then add the oils. Add the potassium nitrate, and then sufficient mucilage of tragacanth to make a stiff paste.
Heat the mixture over a water bath and then make into little cones and dry. Just light one of the cones and let the smoke go into the damp hair.
The smell is highly aromatic and exotic.
Natural Treatments For Problem Hair
By M.S. Beltran
Is your hair dry and brittle? Is the color dull and lackluster? Forget expensive commercial products that can do more damage than good to your hair; treat your hair yourself, using all-natural ingredients found in your own kitchen.
DO-IT-YOURSELF CHOLESTEROL TREATMENT
Would you believe that most commercially bought cholesterol hair conditioners contain alcohol? the very thing that dries out hair? Instead, grab a cup full of mayonnaise, some plastic food wrap and throw a couple of towels in the drier on high.
Work the mayonnaise into your hair, starting by massaging it into the scalp and roots. Then draw it through to your ends until your hair is thoroughly coated. Pile the hair on top of your head. Take a couple of feet of saran wrap and wrap it around the top of your head to contain the mayo.
Take a pre-heated towel from the dryer and wrap it around your head over the saran wrap. The heat will aid with deep conditioning. After about 10 minutes, change to another heated towel and leave that on for another 10 minutes.
Remove the towel and plastic wrap and shampoo your hair as usual. Done once a month, this cholesterol treatment will keep your hair soft and shiny.
* Tip: if your hair ends are very damaged from chemical treatment, you can do this once a week. If your scalp is naturally oily, you might want to only add mayo to the hair ends for weekly treatments.
QUICK SOLUTION FOR OILY HAIR
If your scalp is naturally oil, you probably have to shampoo your hair daily to keep it from looking greasy or stringy. If, however, you are running short on time or need a quick lift in the middle of the day, grab a box of cornstarch and a large, clean blush brush.
Pour some cornstarch out onto a dish and dip the brush into it. Then, with a comb, part your hair in the center and brush the cornstarch onto your scalp and roots. Make another part 1/4 to ? inch off-center and repeat. Continue this method down one side of your head, then from the center and down the other side.
Go about your business for about 10 minutes while the cornstarch soaks up the excess oils in your hair. Then, take a brush and brush out your hair, ridding it of the cornstarch flakes.
FOR A COLOR ENHANCER:
If your own natural color, or your color treated hair, begins to look drab, all you need are a few ingredients from your garden or local produce store to brighten it up.
Begin by boiling one quart of water. In a piece of doubled cheesecloth, add the following:
* for brunettes? a handful fresh rosemary sprigs (bruise by crumpling in your hand)
* for blondes? a handful of dried chamomile
* for "orange tone" redheads? a chopped-up carrot
* for "berry tone" redheads? a chopped up beet
Tie up the ingredient in the cheesecloth and toss into the boiling water, removing it from heat. Let steep for 10 minutes.
Remove and discard the cheesecloth bag. Shampoo and rinse your hair as usual. Then, pour the warm (not hot) color-enhancing rinse over your hair. As a final rinse, use a quart of cold water. Once a month treatments will keep your hair color vibrant.
BUILD-UP REMOVER
Often the culprits of drab coloring and lackluster hair are all the styling products that we regularly use. They begin to build up and dull the shine and tone of our hair.
Get rid of the build up by mixing 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar with 1 gallon of distilled water. This can be stored in a cabinet or the refrigerator and used every couple of weeks to keep hair squeaky clean. To use it, wet hair with warm water, or shampoo and rinse as usual. Then pour 2 cups over the scalp and let mixture saturate the hair. Finish up with a cold-water rinse.
Sensitive Skin Gentle Exfoliant
By Beverly Smith
For a gentle sensitive skin exfoliator, mix 1/2 cup cornmeal, 1/4 cup milk, two teaspoons baking soda, one tablespoon olive oil and five drops of tea-tree oil in a bowl, then apply to your skin.
A Beauty Enhancing Element ? Epsom Salt
By Kathryn M. D?Imperio
Affordable, available and easy to use, Epsom Salt provides the beauty-conscious with a wealth of fun and healthy home remedies and beauty treatments.
?In Grandma?s day, Epsom Salt was largely used as a laxative. That?s no longer the case,? says Jim Hill, a member of the Epsom Salt Council. ?Epsom Salt, a pure, time-tested mineral compound, is actually Magnesium Sulfate, which absorbs easily through the skin and boasts a whole host of modern-day uses, from beauty to health.?
Epsom Salt occurs naturally, although most of what we buy in the stores has been manufactured. Even still, the Epsom Salt retains its pure, natural and healing characteristics.
To take advantage of the health and beauty related functions of Epsom Salt, the Epsom Salt Council suggests the following tips:
To exfoliate:
Mix together two cups of Epsom Salt and ? cup of petroleum jelly. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil for a pleasant fragrance. Apply the mixture to gently scrub away old cells and encourage a healthier-looking complexion.
For a facial:
Mix ? teaspoon of Epsom Salt into a deep cleansing cream so you can reap the benefits of this mineral deep inside your skin. Massage the mixture onto your skin and then rinse with cool water. Pat dry.
To accompany a pedicure:
Before you go to the trouble of painting your nails, soften your feet by soaking them in a bathtub or plastic basin with warm water and Epsom Salt for at least 10 to 15 minutes. The salt will help to smoothen your feet, giving them a relaxed and refreshed feel.
Relaxing bath crystals:
Mix two cups of Epsom Salt with a few drops of a delightful fragrance to create a custom bath crystal. To dress up your bath crystals, add a few drops of food coloring or ? teaspoon of glycerin. Store the crystals in an airtight container.
Soothing spa treatment:
After showering, the Epsom Salt Council recommends massaging handfuls of Epsom Salt over wet skin to exfoliate the body. ?It's the same treatment many upscale spas use, without the upscale price!?
For a tranquil soak:
Fill your bathtub with water at a comfortable temperature that you enjoy. As you?re filling the tub, add two cups of Epsom Salt to the water (if it is a standard-sized bathtub ? make adjustments for larger tubs). Soak for at least 12 minutes, three times a week for best results. As an extra treat, the Epsom Salt Council recommends adding a few drops of eucalyptus oil for an invigorating aroma.
Visit www.epsomsaltcouncil.org to learn more about the beneficial uses of Epsom Salt. You?ll learn everything from how to coax out a splinter to a soaking relief for sore and tired muscles.
Make Your Own Shea Butter Soap
By M.S. Beltran
At bath time, nothing is more luxurious or nurturing for your skin than an all-natural bar of Shea butter soap.
The Shea (Mangifolia) tree is a wild tree found in Western Africa that produces a tasty fruit. The fruit contains large seeds with oils that can be extracted to produce shea butter, a white to light yellowish color cream with a similar texture and consistency as butter.
Shea butter has been utilized by native Africans for more than a millennia. Shea butter contains unsaponifiable fats, which do not turn to soap and retain their moisturizing properties. It is completely non-toxic (in fact, unprocessed, it can be used in cooking) and gentle enough for use on the face, for babies or people with skin conditions. Shea butter is a natural moisturize, offers UV protection, and is even thought to help the skin make its own collagen by stimulating the tissue. It has been long used by healers for things like skin cracks and ulcers, small wounds, dry skin, eczema, dermatitis, and to sooth aching muscles. Because of the way shea butter restructures the skin, it has even been used to help with stretch marks, and in anti-aging formulas.
Because of the natural latex found in shea butter, people with latex allergies should do a test patch on the skin before using any shea butter products. Many people with latex allergies are not effected by shea butter, but some are, so it is better to be safe than sorry. But other than that, shea butter is a wonderful product to use on your skin. And the best way to take advantage of all-natural shea butter is to create your own home-made shea butter soap.
Shea butter is available in some craft stores that sell soap-making products, as well as many by soap and cosmetic supply companies. It is relatively inexpensive, as you can obtain an ounce for only a few dollars, and need only a couple of tablespoons in order to create two to four bars of soap. It also keeps well; refrigerated, it can last more than two years. But not all products are created equal. Many companies refine shea butter, or extract it chemically, which essentially takes out many of it's beneficial properties. Other companies bleach it, or add coloring and fragrances. For the best product, try to obtain shea butter that is all-natural and without additives. The more pure the product that you work with is, the better your results will be.
In order to make your own shea butter soap, you will need:
* All-natural Castile (olive oil based) soap
* distilled water
* 2 tbsp all-natural, unprocessed shea butter
* 1 tbsp finely ground almonds (optional, but a nice addition for a gentle exfoliating soap with a nice scent)
* A grater
* A double boiler, or a small pot that can be placed inside of a bigger pot
* Small plastic food containers for molds
* A mixing spoon
* A drying rack
Begin by setting some tap water to boil in the double-broiler or big pot. Grate your castile soap until you have two cups full. Add this to the inner double-boiler, or the small pot, with ? cup of distilled water. Melt it over medium high heat, stirring frequently until the soap is completely melted and stringy when you pull up the spoon.
Remove it from the heat. Add the shea butter and almonds, stirring gently until the mixture is well blended. Pour into small plastic food containers and let dry and harden for several hours. They should pop out when completely hard.
Place on the drying rack and allow soap to set for 3 weeks, turning regularly throughout the day to prevent the bars from warping. Then, simply wrap them in plastic wrap to preserve them, or use them in your next bath.
Treatment for Dark Under Eye Circles
Grated potatoes can lighten under-eye circles. Potatoes contain an enzyme called catecholase, which is used in cosmetics as a human skin lightener.
Run one spud through your food processor and stuff the raw mash into a piece of cheesecloth.
Apply to the area directly beneath your eye ? don't let the potato juice come in contact with the eye itself ? and leave for 15 to 20 minutes.
Wipe away the starchy residue
HAIR COCKTAIL - Hair Recipes
By Lisa Lach
Yes eggs
Lightly beat two eggs mixed with some milk and run throughout your hair. Leave on for 5 minutes, rinse and you'll see a shine instantly. The same can be done for your dog once a month, except just put an egg over their food.
Aspirin for Dandruff
No problem, dissolve 2 aspirins in your dandruff shampoo and watch how it clears up. Use a good moisturizing conditioner afterward.
Hair Cocktail
Splash a little vodka in your shampoo if you have thick or product-build-up hair. Don't use on a regular basis.
Hair Static
This isn't meant to be funny. Use static guard. Use about 7 inches from your hair lightly. Don't over do it.
Greasy Hair
Powder. Most come in hundreds of fragrances, brands, and unscented selections. Put a little at the root of your hair before straying. If it is a serious problem, put the power on heavily for 15 minutes wash completely, condition lightly, and style.
Frizz-Off
Quick fix for curly hair frizz, always the lucky ones. Use a little, did I mention LITTLE bit about the size of a dime and rub in into your hands before applying it to your frizzy ends. Instant results without buying a product at the Salon.
Lemon-Boost
Lemon juice mixed with natural sunlight will lighten any hair. Just make sure you don't go a sour red head.
Sweet Shine
Honey in your tea, snack or applied as a small amount in the hair will give you shine.
Homemade Recipe For Shiny Hair
You can give your hair a great shine and help remove soap build up:
Blondes ? Add a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice to your rinse water.
Brunettes and Redheads ? Add a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to your rinse water.
Stir 1 teaspoon of honey into 4 cups (1 quart) warm water. After shampooing, pour the mixture through you hair. Do not rinse out. Dry as normal.
Wrinkle Removal Recipe
Banana is wonderful as an anti-wrinkle treatment.
Mash 1/4 banana until very creamy. Spread all over face and leave for 15-20 minutes before rinsing off with warm water followed by a dash of cold.
Gently pat dry.
A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT
By Radika Meganathan
All of us want to look young and beautiful. But how many really stay that way? As they say, Rome wasn't built in a day, and if you want to look attractive and fresh, you should follow not just an efficient beauty regime, but also a regular one.
For busy homemakers and corporate executives alike, it is not always possible to maintain a regular beauty regime, unless it is a habitual visit to the nearest beauty salon. Instead of spending money on artificial and expensive treatments, here is a simple schedule to groom yourself naturally. Just before you go to bed, allot a period of ten minutes. Yes, all it takes is just that little time to keep you looking young and glowing.
Foot Care
Feeling terrible after a tiring day? As soon as you return home, soak your feet in a basin of warm water mixed with a handful of fragrant bath salts. After 10 minutes, wash your feet (a simple soap and water wash is sufficient).
If you aren't feeling sleepy by this time, take a foot filer and scrub your heels. Using a toothpick (orange stick) clean the edges and grooves around your toe nails, to remove the dirt that gets accumulated. Apply cold cream or moisturizer before winding up. This will make the skin soft and prevent people from running away at the sight of your feet.
Face Wash/Scrub
Cleansing your face before going to bed is essential to take away the dirt you might have picked up in your day. Walnut scrub is ideal for oily skin. Make sure you scrub your face in circling motions and wash with cold water. For those with dry or sensitive skin can use baby oil or wet cleansing pads, followed by a night cream.
Night Cream/Moisturizing
The right time to apply any treatment, especially moisturizer - be it for whitening the skin, under-eye cream or simple moisturizing. It will revitalize your facial skin and work wonders on skin, which had been exposed to all the dirt and grime in the daytime. It would be a good idea to use it on your arms and neck, too.
Your Hair
While oil is not the elixir of life to hair, it IS essential in keeping it well conditioned and supple. Leave oil overnight and wash in the morning with shampoo to get better results.
Heat a little amount of oil (olive oil, almond oil, or plain old coconut oil) by placing it in a small container and swirling it in hot water. After the oil gets considerably hot, massage the scalp with your fingertips, in rotating motion, for at least 8 - 10 minutes. You can do this while soaking your feet in warm water.
Castor Oil
Applying pure castor oil to your eyebrows and lashes, particularly those who have scanty growth, will make them grow thick and long. For tired or puffed eyes, place a cotton pad soaked in chilled rose water. Keeping thin slices of cucumber ready in the refrigerator beforehand is ideal.
Grated cucumber, by itself or mixed with carrot juice, can be spread under the eye, to reduce black circles and sagging skin.
Lip Guard
And finally, a smear of Vaseline on your lips, and you can sleep like a child and get up like a fairy!
Firmer Breasts
To firm breasts and tighten the skin, mix one teaspoon of vitamin E oil with one tablespoon of yogurt and an egg.
Massage this mixture into breasts and wear an old bra over the mixture for at least twenty minutes.
Rinse off with warm water.
Mood Enhancer Bath
Add 1/4 cup of pure vanilla extract to a warm bath.
Vanilla has the ability to lift spirits and revive.
Take a handful of pine needles and place them in the foot of old panty hose. Knot around the faucet and let the pine hydrate under running bath water.
You'll feel better!
Paraffin Wax Treatment
The most exclusive spas charge top dollar for this foot-loving paraffin wax treatment.
1. Melt 4 bars of parrafin wax (available at grocery and hardware stores) in the microwave oven.
2. Massgae in a rich moisturizer.
3. Dip one foot into warm paraffin 3 times, pausing between layers to allow them to dry.
4. Wrap each foot with plastic wrap tight enough to make an airtight seal. This will help the moisturizer to penetrate.
5. Let set for twenty minutes.
6. Remove wrap and peel off the wax.
HINT: Also use this treatment on hands.
A Natural Way To Exfoliate
Sea salt removes dry, flaky, dead skin.
Wet face (or anywhere on the body), apply a couple of tablespoons of sea salt, then GENTLY massage with a wet washcloth or fingers.
Focus on the T-zone and cheeks, but avoid the eye area. After one or two minutes, rinse with cold water to tighten the pores.
It is important to do this regularly, or face-creams will not penetrate.
You can do this maximum once per week.
Apple Tart Soap Recipe
4 oz. Clear, Unscented Glycerine Soap
1 Tablespoon Liquid Soap
1 teaspoon Liquid Glycerine
1/2 teaspoon Apple Fragrance Oil
2 drops Red Food Color
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Melt soap in small pan over low heat or in a glass cup in the microwave.
Add Liquid Soap and glycerine and stir gently but well. Add fragrance, color and cinnamon. Stir and let stand a couple minutes, just enough to start to thicken so when you stir again the cinnamon will be more evenly distributed.
Pour into molds. Allow to set completely (in or out of freezer). Wrap in plastic wrap or use cellophane candy bags.
Apple Zinger Facial Mask
This is good for Oily or Acne Prone skin.
1 medium size apple, grated fine
5 tbs. honey
Mix the grated apple and honey well. Smooth over skin and let sit for 10 minutes.
Rinse off with cool water.
Carrot Facial Mask
Ingredients Needed:
2-3 large carrots
4 1/2 tablespoons honey
Directions:
Cook carrots, then mash. Mix with honey. Apply gently to the skin, wait 10 minutes. Rinse off with cool water.
Cure For Dandruff
Vinegar is poured into the hair, massaged into the scalp, and left to dry for a few minutes. Then the hair is washed.
The process is repeated daily until the dandruff disappears, usually within a few days.
To lighten dark circles under your eyes, wrap a grated raw potato in cheesecloth and apply to eyelids for 15-20 minutes.
Wipe off the residue and apply an eye cream.
Fruity Lip Gloss
Ingredients:
2 Tbls solid shortening
1 Tbls fruit-flavored powdered drink mix
35 mm film container
Mix shortening & drink mix together in a microwave safe bowl till smooth!
Place in microwave on high for 30 seconds until mix becomes a liquid!
Pour into clean (wash thoroughly before use) film container, or any other small airtight container!
Place mix into fridge for 20-30 minutes or till firm!
Glowing Facial Mask
You will love your radiant skin after using this recipe.
All you need is:
1 tbsp fuller's earth
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp mashed papaya
Mix and put on face for 20 minutes then rinse off.
Honey Facial Mask
Perhaps the best facial mask is honey.
Place a cloth in warm water and apply to your face to open the pores. Smear on honey, and leave on for 15 to 30 minutes. Rinse off with warm water, then use cold water to close the pores.
Use once a week.
Minty Fresh Massage Oil
10 tsp. grapeseed oil
3 drops eucalyptus oil
4 drops rosemary oil
2 drops peppermint oil
This is a green-scented massage oil. Blend ingredients well. Pour into a small bottle and seal well.
Warm up oil before doing any massage.
A Most Potent Natural Herb
Here's one you probably haven't heard before, so keep an open mind. Get ready for garlic. Only the real thing will work for you - not pills. This means, organic and raw.
Put at least 3 cloves in a blender with juice and drink it down. It will make the drink a little spicy, that's all.
Here's what it will do for you and your skin. Garlic is the best, most effective broad spectrum anti-biotic, anti-viral, anti-fungal herb known. It kills all the bad guys without harming any of the good guys. In fact, in laboratory tests, it has been diluted to 1 part in125,000 and still killed bacteria. So, yes, it's great if you get sick or have a virus of any kind. It's great for your heart and blood - whole books have been written about it, but remember, it must be raw.
Your skin will have a real tough time breaking out if you have some raw garlic in your system.
Just brush your teeth, drink some mouthwash, and drink up.
Orange Yogurt Mask
Ingredients Needed:
* 1 tsp plain yogurt (I chose Balkan Style)
* the juice of 1/4 of an orange
Stir to mix and then dip fingers into mixture and smooth onto face. The sensation is both cool and relaxing. Leave on for a five minutes and then rinse. If you are feeling sluggish, this is the perfect mask for you.
* Yogurt will cleanse and nourish your skin
* The orange is full of Vitamin C and AHA's.
Recipe For Beautiful Feet
Everyone wants to have smooth skin and beautiful feet :-)
If you take 1 cup Lemon Juice, Cinnamon (for smell), 2 tablespoons (or less) olive oil, 1/4 cup of milk, and water you can make a wash that leaves skin refreshed and fragrant (the amount of water does not matter).
If you do not like the cinnamon smell you can replace it with another spice, perfume, or flower petals such as roses.
After you make it, you can put it in a tub were you can soak your feet or body.
Next dry your feet or rinse them with water and a MILD soap.
After a few weeks of doing this your skin will be silky smooth.
White Nails
To whiten your nails, try these:
* Use a common whitening toothpaste. Try scrubbing your nails with Pearl Drops, it's just as easy as achieving a pearly white smile and will take away any stains and shine up your nails.
* Soak your nails in water with lemon juice or lemon slices. The lemon acts as an astringent and will strip away stains. Once your hands are dry, you'll only need to put on a couple of coats of a clear topcoat.
Skin Sauna
A good deep cleansing treat is to give your face a sauna. This is especially good for congested skin.
You need to fill a bowl with near boiling water and add four drops of each of the essential oils recomended for your skin type.
NORMAL : Mandarin and Lavender.
OILY : Lemon and Eucalyptus.
DRY : Rose and Camomile.
Place a towel over your head and hold it over the bowl from a distance of about 30cm for a period of around two minutes. This opens the pores and prepares it for a face mask.
You should not use a face sauna if you have sensitive skin, are pregnant or suffer from asthma.
Wrinkle Remover
Green Thompson seedless grapes! It has one of the ingredients in those big time expensive wrinkle creams.
All you do is cut a grape in half and gently crush it on your face and neck. Make sure that you get the "crows-feet" and the lines around your mouth. Leave it on for twenty minutes or so and rinse with tepid water and pat dry.
Repeat every day and before you know it... those nasty old lines will be hard to find!
Don't forget to drink at least 8 glasses of water daily. And... eat veggies rich in Vitamin A, such as carrots, celery and spinach.
If you can, get 8 hours of sleep every night.
Homemade Hair Spray
Chop one lemon (or an orange for dry hair). Place in a pot with 2 cups water. Boil until half of the initial amount remains. Cool, strain, and place in a spray bottle. Store in the refrigerator.
If it is too sticky, add more water. Add one ounce rubbing alcohol as a preservative and then the spray can be stored for up to two weeks unrefrigerated.
