Give yourself an easy, inexpensive & blissful mini-makeover – because you deserve it!
Tropical fruit mask
Paw paw is a rich source of skin-nourishing vitamins A and C, plus the enzyme papain which softens skin.
- Peel and seed rip raw paw paw and mash to make half a cup of pulp.
- Mix with 2 tablespoons of wheatgerm to form a thick paste.
- Apply to damp skin and leave for 5-10 minutes. Rinse off and pat dry.
Get steamy
Steaming your face will open the pores, releasing deep imbedded dirt and toxins that cause muddy-looking skin.
- Deep cleanse your face.
- Boil 3 cups of water, adding two tablespoons of a herb of your choice – try chamomile, thyme, parsley, lavender or rosemary. Or, use a few drops of essential oil.
- Tent your head over the pan with a towel and steam your face for 8-10 minutes. Rinse with cool water.
Wrinkle remedy
Brewer’s yeast has been credited with boosting collagen production to help smooth out crow’s feet. I personally add yeast to all my mask concoctions – my face literally glows afterwards. Try it.
- Make a paste by mixing together 1 teaspoon each of brewer’s yeast and avocado oil (you can also add yoghurt and honey)
- Smooth mixture onto the skin and allow it to fully dry before rinsing off
Rich avocado cleanser
A light, yet nourishing blend which leaves dry or mature skin feeling satiny smooth.
- Combine the flesh of half an avocado with 2 tablespoons of avocado oil.
- Mash together with a fork, adding a little water if necessary.
- Massage gently into skin; rinse.
Simple Salt Scrub
The salt eases away dead skin cells, the vitamin E-rich wheatgerm oil brings a glow to lacklustre skin.
- Blend 1 cup of salt with enough wheatgerm oil to form a paste.
- Gently massage mixture over rough areas, paying particular attention to knees and elbows.
- Rinse and pat dry.
Help brittle nails
Castor oil is rich in vitamin E and helps nourish cuticles and nails. Fill a large bowl with warm water and a shallow bowl with 5 tablespoons of castor oil mixed with 10 drops of sandalwood essential oil. Begin by soaking your hands in warm water for 5 minutes. Pat hands dry and immediately soak the fingertips in the castor oil mixture for 10 minutes. After removing fingertips from the oil, gently push back the cuticles and buff nails.
Take an oil bath
An oil bath is the ultimate moisturiser. This practice of reversing the bath-and-moisturiser routine is borrowed from the Indian culture. Smooth an oil – choose from sesame, almond, apricot kernel, or olive – all over your body and relax on a towel for half an hour. Then, using a loofah, gently scrub the oil away in a bath or shower.
Rosemary hair gloss
This recipe leaves hair smooth and shiny.
- Combine two tabelspoons each of henna powder, honey and almond oil in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Stir through 1/2 teaspoon rosemary essential oil.
- Massage mixture into hair and comb through. Sit in the sun for 15 minutes. Shampoo and rinse.
Vinegar bath
Soap, which is alkaline, strips the skin’s natural acid mantle. Adding vinegar to a bath helps restore the correct acid-alkaline balance and relieves dryness.
- Add 1 cup of apple cider vinegar to bathwater or pat straight vinegar on dry areas with cottonwool.
- Pat skin dry; do not rinse.
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