Skin Care Home Remedies

by Elizabeth Kiely

Natural homemade recipes for your skin are simple to make and cost-effective. What you put on your skin is just as important as what you eat. Commercial products often contain chemicals that are absorbed by your skin finding their way into the bloodstream which can be harmful to your overall health.

Virgin coconut oil/butter makes for a good moisturizer by providing a protective layer that locks in natural moisture. Coconut oil solidifies at temperatures below 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the coconut butter in small lip balm or eye cream jars or any small sterilized jar. For a lip balm, use coconut butter on its own or add peppermint or spearmint oil. As an acne treatment, add a couple of drops of tea tree, lavender, or patchouli oil. For wrinkles, add rose, orange or patchouli oil. To treat eczema, add chamomile, geranium, or orange oil. To treat broken capillaries, add rose, palmarosa, or parsley oil. To treat cellulite, add grapefruit, tangerine, or orange oil. For stretch marks, add palmarosa or neroli oil. To treat burns, add geranium, patchouli or lavender oil.

For sunburned skin, break open a leaf of an Aloe Vera plant and smooth onto the skin. The gel is also good for other types of burns and has soothing, cooling, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. Strawberry juice, cucumbers and avocados are also soothing to sunburned skin.

For tired eyes, place cucumber slices over your eyes. For dark circles around your eyes, place cooled tea bags over your eyes.

For a homemade facial toner, mix green tea, chamomile or ginseng tea (made with mineral water or distilled water) with lavender or lemon oil. Green tea is rich in antioxidants which fight free radicals that damage and age the skin. Green tea is said to diminish fine lines. Lavender oil is a good toner and lemon oil is a good rejuvenator and toner. Add Vitamin C crystals as a preservative and antioxidant. MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane) is a natural source of organic sulfur good for the skin. Add MSM crystals to your toner or eat high sulfur foods such as kale or watercress.

Prick a capsule of Vitamin A, E, or wheat germ oil and smooth directly onto your skin, add to coconut, almond or apricot oil, or to your toner. Vitamin A is a potent antioxidant and Vitamin E is said to slow down the aging process. Almond oil soothes and lubricates the skin. Apricot oil protects and softens the skin. Wheat germ oil promotes skin elasticity.

For a moisturizing and refreshing mask, mix avocado with shredded cucumber. Avocados are rich in protein and Vitamin A. Cucumbers are cooling and cleansing. Use a mashed banana for a skin firming mask.

To lighten age spots, rub lemon directly onto your skin.

For a body powder, mix cornstarch and baking soda with your favorite essential oil. For a foot powder, mix cornstarch, baking soda and tea tree or peppermint oil. Baking soda acts as a deodorizer and soothes the skin. Tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic, germicide, antibacterial, and fungicide. Peppermint oil is soothing to the feet and swollen ankles.

Drinking plenty of water, eating raw fruits and vegetables, and getting plenty of rest are one of the best ways to achieving healthy and radiant skin. What goes into your body is reflective on your skin.