Home-made beauty products

Did you know you can make some of your most-used beauty products at home? 

Note: Home-made is not the same thing as healthy. Always perform research specific to you (your hair type, skin type, etc) before using any of these products. 

Moisturizer

In the Mediterranean, women have been using olive oil on skin and hair for centuries, and, if used correctly, oil can be used both to cleanse and to moisturize. 

All you need to do is find out the formula that works for your skin. This will take a certain amount of research and experimentation, but usually the basic formula is:

* 75% a "base" oil such as olive oil or sunflower oil (Don't assume olive oil is better - sunflower oil is lighter and your skin absorbs it faster).

* 25% an extra-nourishing oil such as flaxseed oil (helps with rosacea) or evening primrose oil (great anti-aging qualities).

* A few drops of an essential oil such as tea tree (for acne-prone skin) or jasmine (for dry skin).

Mix together and use a few drops (be careful not to use too much) to moisturize your face after washing. If you want to try using oil as a face-wash, make sure to visit The Oil Cleansing Method.

Cleanser

Fine sugar, ground almonds (rich in Vitamin E and extremely moisturizing), cooked oats (anti-inflammatory and excellent for treating skin redness) or coffee grounds (contains antioxidants) can all be used to exfoliate. 

Honey is antibacterial, moisturizing and fulled with antioxidants. Yogurt also contains antioxidants and is anti-flammatory. Milk is moisturizing.

Rosewater, which can help remove excess oil, soothes the skin, and smells delicious, is the perfect toner. 

A great recipe for a daily face-wash is yougurt, liquefied cucumber (cucumber is excellent for skin - there is a reason why we often see images of women with cucumber slices over their eyes) and a small amount of honey.

Mix coffee grounds, brown sugar and olive oil for a a luxurious exfoliating scrub that some even claim helps combat cellulite.

For a taste of Cleopatra's beauty routine, add 1-3 cups of milk, half a cup of honey and a handful of rose petals to your bath.

Shampoo 

A massive trend at the moment is the "no-poo method" - cleansing your hair without shampoo.

Like most trends, there are those who swear by it as the best possible way to wash your hair, and those who claim it is actively damaging and should be stamped out immediately. 

The method varies, but usually it involves washing your hair with a mixture of a baking soda and water, before "conditioning" it with diluted apple cider vinegar.

Those who argue against the method point out the fact that baking soda does not have the right PH balance for hair. 

Those who argue for it point out that first, neither does a lot of shampoos, second, you're really not supposed to use a lot of baking soda in the baking soda water mix at all, and third, that that's why apple cider vinegar is part of the routine. 

Diluted in water, apple cider vinegar helps to maintain the PH balance of your hair.

All in all, I wouldn't recommend the baking soda (though the apple cider part is fine), but you might want to try a honey and herbs shampoo instead. 

Mix 1 part honey (which is far more friendly to your PH balance) with 3 parts a strong herbal tea. Rosemary is great for dandruff and dark hair, chamomile for blond hair, parsley for dry hair, lavender for normal hair, and basil helps with hair growth.

For a home-made dry shampoo that works better than most store-bought dry shampoos, just sprinkle cornstarch over your hair and brush it thoroughly. 

Face Powder

Cornstarch again. Applied very lightly before make-up, some even claim it's better than store-bought face powder.

Have you ever used home-made beauty products? Let us know in the comments.

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