Tag: homemade skin care

Homemade Cucumber and Mint Body Scrub---Spa Days at Home

Homemade Cucumber and Mint Body Scrub—Spa Days at Home

Happy, Happy, Happy Monday, you guys!!! I’m floating on a cloud after the Super Bowl and the Patriots’ amaaaaazing performance. Side Bar: I’m a Giants fan by birth, but a total Patriots fan since high school. Anyway, I’m obvs in a celebratory mood and I don’t know about you, but I like to pamper myself when I’m this happy…also when I’m feeling down…or like pretty much all the time. So yeah. I had to come up with another yummy spa day DIY for you guys.

I’m missing warm weather like crazy, so the other day I made myself a carafe of cucumber water, because it always reminds me of summer in the city. The first time I had cucumber water was back in the day when I used to spend a small fortune going to spas around the city. While you’re in the waiting area, they serve you drinks like mimosas or cucumber water. Fancy fancy. I usually passed on the mimosas and soon discovered that there is no beverage in the world as refreshing as cucumber water, and when you add a sprig or two of mint…Madonn! Anyway, you know how I like to smear food on my skin, right? Well, I was sipping on this cucumber mint water while the Patriots were launching the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, and I had the overwhelming urge to make the mother of all sugar scrubs. Thug life. You guys, cucumbers are the real deal. This Cucumber Mint Sugar Scrub is everything!

Homemade Cucumber and Mint Body Scrub---Spa Days at Home

Homemade Cucumber and Mint Body Scrub

Ingredients

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil (you can use liquid coconut oil, jojoba oil, or any other light oil of your choice)
  • 1/2 of a fresh cucumber
  • 1 fresh mint leaf
  • 8-10 drops peppermint essential oil
  • 4 drops Vitamin E oil

Homemade Cucumber and Mint Body Scrub---Spa Days at Home

Homemade Cucumber and Mint Body Scrub---Spa Days at Home

Homemade Cucumber and Mint Body Scrub---Spa Days at Home

Directions

  • In a blender, puree the cucumber and mint and set aside
  • In a glass bowl, combine the sugar and oil, mixing well
  • add the cucumber puree to your sugar/oil mixture
  • next, add the drops of peppermint essential oil and Vitamin E oil
  • transfer to an airtight glass bottle
  • store it in your fridge for up to a week
  • To use, apply generously and massage your damp skin in circular motions

***you can use a regular mouth mason jar instead of the blender carafe when you puree the cucumber. Your call. The mason jar is just more compact and easier to clean.

Source: Fresh Cucumber and Mint Body Scrub Plus Benefits of Cucumber for the Skin

Arsenic & Old Place Celebrates National Honey Month---Recipes, Homemade Beauty, and More!

Celebrating National Honey Month!!!

September is National Honey Month! An entire month celebrating the wonderfully diverse gift of nature that is honey! No joke, I’m crazy excited about it. I use honey not only for cooking, but also for everything from treating my allergies to homemade beauty products to home decor (seriously, is there anything prettier than honey jars on a shelf?!). Talk about a superfood! Honey is amazing! Throughout the month of September, I’ll be sharing with you some of my absolute fave honey recipes, products, and home remedies.

In the meantime, check out this super informative article detailing all the glorious facts and nutritional properties of honey!

Don’t forget to share your own honey recipes and tips on social media using the hashtag #nationalhoneymonth

Getting to Know Your Skin: Spa Days at Home

Spa Soap

I’ve finally gotten to know my skin. Anyone that’s ever suffered from problem skin knows what I mean. You search for miracle products and slather your skin in chemicals just hoping to see positive results. For years, I was using five or six products on my face at a time as part of my daily skin care routine. Not only was it ridiculously expensive, but it was also hardly effective. I gave all of that up a long time ago, and threw away all of those products that promised clear skin and never came through. By giving up on all those chemicals, I’ve been able to truly get to know my skin. Call it an elimination facial diet. If you struggle with constant breakouts, scarring, or a dull complexion the only way to get your skin in check is to rethink and reset the way you care for it. Following these steps, I was able to really pin down an effective routine that has begun to transform my skin.

1 Stop Using All Other Products and Wash With Honey

Really Raw Honey

Use raw honey to wash your face in the morning and again before you go to bed. Pat your skin dry with a clean towel. Refrain from using any other products (including moisturizers) on your face for at least a few days. The idea is that you want to reintroduce other products gradually to see how your skin reacts. If honey isn’t your thing, or if you absolutely must use some kind of soap, stick to African Black Soap.

2 Exfoliate Daily

Facial Brush

There are conflicting opinions on this one, but for me exfoliating daily has been a game changer. Invest in a facial brush. Exfoliate once a day in the evening. Facial brushes are super gentle and really help in sloughing off the dirt from the day. For an extra exfoliating kick you can gradually add in this mask to your daily routine. Leave the mask on for 5 minutes and then wash it off with your fingertips making small, gentle circles. You’d be surprised how much dirt clings to your skin from just walking around the city. Exfoliating every day really prevents the build up of all of those environmental toxins that washing alone can’t get rid of.

3 Find the Right Moisturizer for Your Skin

Olive Oil

If your skin feels dry and tight after a few days of just using honey, you can add a moisturizer into your routine. Start with a light, oil-free moisturizer, and then experiment with one of these natural oils if your skin still feels dry.

4 Use a Sunscreen

Oils With Natural SPF
Image Credit: livelovefruit.com

Hyper-pigmentation and scarring from different skin ailments only get worse with sun exposure. Some oils act as natural suncreens, which is pretty awesome when you’re trying to go the all natural route with skin care. Check out this DIY recipe for an all natural SPF 40 sunscreen.

 

If’ you’ve been following my blog, you know that I am the self proclaimed, natural skin care guinea pig. I’ll try anything when it comes to skin care so you don’t have to. In the past, my skin has been super oily, completely acne prone, scarred easily, and it tended to look dull. If this sounds even a little bit like you, give your skin a break and reset! Let me know what you think!