Category: Health and Beauty Recipes

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Wrinkle reducing serum with Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C and D

Hyaluronic acid is something our bodies make naturally, but the amounts drastically diminish as we age.  It holds 100x it’s weight in water, so hydrates our skin so much so as to diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles over time.  The addition of Vitamin C only goes to increase the effectiveness although does decrease the shelf life of your serum.

• 2 tablespoons distilled water
• 1 teaspoon Vitamin C powder (optional, spoils faster)
• 1/4 teaspoon hyaluronic acid powder
• 1/4 teaspoon vegetable glycerine

Put the glycerine in a small dark airtight container and mix with a little distilled, add the Hyaluronic acid powder, mix and shake well.  Add the rest of the distilled water and shake vigorously.  Refrigerate for about 4 hours (during which time you can shake the mixture a few more times) you will see it has formed a gel.  Kept in the refrigerator this will not last much longer than a week.  If it goes yellow throw it away.  To avoid it going off, omit the Vitamin C powder.  In this case your serum should last about a month.

For more recipes containing Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C go to:

http://stores.resurrectionbeauty.com/recipes/

I purchased my hyaluronic acid and vitamin C powder from Resurrection Beauty, who send along recipes to anyone who purchases from them.  You can get some of those recipes from their website (above).

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Anti-Aging Night cream

This recipe goes on a little greasy but is soon absorbed by your skin.  I don’t recommend it for day use only because even under your make up it might cause make up to run.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup almond oil
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons beeswax
•   ½ teaspoon vitamin E oil
• ▪1 tablespoon shea butter
• ▪Essential oils of choice (optional)  I used lavender and it gives a lovely smell.
• Directions

Place all ingredients in a glass jar. Bring a pot filled about 3-4 inches with water to a simmer. Put the jar, without its lid, in the pot, and let it sit there until the ingredients have melted. Stir occasionally. Once the mixture has melted and all is evenly combined, pour it into a small glass jar. Let it sit at room temperature until the cream hardens, close the jar’s lid, and store in a cool place. Apply at night after washing.

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All Natural Body Spray

• 1/4 cup distilled or filtered water
• 1 ½ teaspoons pure vegetable glycerine
• 1 teaspoon grapeseed, sweet almond, or hazelnut oil
• 4-5 drops Vitamin E oil
• 8-10 drops essential oils of your choice

 

Combine all ingredients and put into a dark spray bottle.  Shake well before use.

 

 

 

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All Natural Sunscreen

The sun is a double edged sword.  On the one hand it gives us Vitamin D which our body needs in order to stay healthy and cancer free.  On the other hand too much sun and skin cancer can occur.  The key is really to stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day, and if you are going to be out in it wear protective clothing/hats.

Most sunscreens sold commercial contain harmful cancer causing chemicals, and so do not necessarily protect you in the way you imagine.  We need regular sun to get adequate Vitamin D, and so even wearing natural sunscreen should not be done constantly.  However, it is a much safer way to prevent burning if you are going to be out and exposed for a long period.

Ingredients:

• ½-3/4 cup almond or olive oil
• ¼ cup coconut oil (natural SPF 4)
• ¼ cup beeswax – this makes it waterproof
• 2 Tablespoons Zinc Oxide  Be careful not to inhale the powder.
• Optional: up to 1 teaspoon Red Raspberry Seed Oil
• Optional: up to 1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
• Optional: 2 tablespoons Shea Butter (natural SPF 4-5)
• Optional: Essential Oils,  do not use lemon or orange though.

Put all ingredients except for the Zinc Oxide and the Raspberry seed oil and essential oils into a small glass jar.  Put the jar in a saucepan filled with a few inches of water.  Bring the water to a boil and simmer allowing the contents of the jar to melt and mix together.

Remove from the heat and add in Zinc Oxide (note, for a higher SPF you can add more), raspberry seed oil and essential oils.  Pour into glass or plastic containers and allow to cool.

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All Natural Bug Spray

It’s hard to get a bug spray that REALLY works that does not contain harmful chemicals like ‘Deet”.  But this one is relatively effective and feeling more able to apply it liberally since it is not harming my skin helps.

I use a spray  bottle like the one in the picture, and add equal quantities of witch hazel and distilled water.  Add a teaspoon or two of vegetable glycerine which helps keep your skin moist, then add 40-50 drops of ‘Insect Shield’ essential oil by Plant Therapy.  This contains a mix of the essential oils that repel mosquitos such as Citronella, Eucalyptus,  Cedarwood, Lemongrass, Lavendar, Litsea, Tea Tree, Patchouli, and Catnip.  Alternately you can add some of these oils individually.

Shake well and you have your home made, non toxic, sweet smelling bug spray.

 

 

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All Natural Hairspray

Hairspray has the worst chemical content.  My Mum used to use it repeatedly and I remember choking on it overtime she sprayed.  It is so nasty, and this natural alternative is so simple and really does work.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups filtered water (boil if you can’t filter)
• 2 Tablespoons white sugar (darker ones don’t really work here)
• 1 tablespoon of high proof alcohol  – I used Rum
• 10-15 drops of essential oil of choice

1. Boil water and dissolve sugar in it.
2. Allow to cool to room temp and add alcohol and essential oils if using.
3. Store in spray bottle and use as regular hair spray.

Notes: This will last a long time in an airtight container.  You can add more sugar for stronger hold, but don’t add too much or your hair will be sticky.

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SPF Lip Balm

This is the best lip balm.  Adding a little more beeswax will keep it from melting in the heat.  The peppermint oil gives your lips a nice tingle when you apply to balm.  You get get empty lip balm tubes from Amazon.  The Red Raspberry Seed oil has an SPF of 25-30, and the coconut oil has a small amount of SPF as well.

• 2 T Coconut Oil
  
• 1 T Olive Oil
• 5 wafers (or roughly 2 t shredded) Cocoa Butter
  
• 1 ½ T Beeswax pastilles (shredded would work too)
• 1 – 1 ½ t Red Raspberry Seed oil
• 40-50 drops of essential oils*
• 20 lip balm tubes  (.15oz)

    

Note:  To make this lip balm into lipstick, simply add some rose or red colored mica powder, this can be combined with beet or hibiscus powder depending on your color preference.