I must confess that in my search for Paraben Free products and alternatives to chemical rich beauty products, I have found few products that are, in fact, Paraben Free. It’s been a disheartening process and
I must confess that in my search for Paraben Free products and alternatives to chemical rich beauty products, I have found few products that are, in fact, Paraben Free. It’s been a disheartening process and I have had to look for alternative beauty products, or home remedies, and look at the more expensive makeup ranges to find what I am prepared to, not only, use on my own skin, but on my girls’ during dance festivals and competition times.
Below are a some of the home remedy recipes I have found online.
PLEASE NOTE: BEFORE USING ANY OF THESE HOME REMEDIES, PLEASE MAKE A PATCH TEST FIRST!
Face Masks
The fact is that papaya pulp, mashed avocados, cucumbers, mangoes or bananas are fantastic skin cleansers. Fresh fruit contains enzymes which will remove dead skin cells, clear pores and resolve excess oil. Most recipes below are too complicated to become an every day solution, but you can still consider them as a mask or treatment every once in a while! Be careful though, not every skin type can deal with fruit acid. Make a patch test first!
Oily skin / Combination skin:
Cucumber juice works extremely well as a skin cleanser. Due to its cooling effect it helps to soothe and soften the skin. Apply some cucumber juice mixed with raw organic milk onto your face. Use a cotton pad!
Papaya fruit is a rich source of nutrients such as carotenoids, vitamin C, B vitamins, enzymes and minerals. Papaya pulp also contains a variety of phytochemicals, including polyphenols: Massage your face very gently with a papaya slice or mix papaya pulp with raw organic honey or rose water and apply it as a face mask for 15-20 minutes.
Lemon juice is a natural exfoliant, skin brightener and anti-infective, whereas the starch from (sweet) potatoes will absorb excess oil: Boil some sweet (or white) potatoes, mash them, let them cool down and add a few drops of lemon into the mixture. Squeeze a real lemon! Do not use any ready-bought lemon juice gunk! Apply, leave on for 20 minutes, then rinse off with water.
Mix some lemon juice (from a real lemon) with raw organic (or manuka) honey and cinnamon. For some, it works extremely well to fade hyper-pigmentation marks. Leave on for half an hour, then rinse.
Bananas are rich in vitamin A, B and E and a good source of iron, magnesium and potassium. A fresh mashed banana facial can be great for your skin!
Mangoes can have a nice effect on your skin as well. Mangoes are rich in vitamin-A and rich in antioxidants. Use in the same way as papaya!
Dry skin:
Packed with healthy fats and phytonutrients, avocados and olives offer remarkable benefits for dry skin: Mix avocado pulp with olive oil to make a paste. Rinse off after 20 minutes.
Cleanser
Honey and lemon together are a natural moisturizer and antiseptic, a perfect soothing and cleaning combination. The citric acid from the lemon kills acne-causing bacteria, and the enzymes in the citrus help clear away dead skin, according to howstuffworks.com. Honey is naturally antibacterial and full of antioxidants, which are shown to prevent acne and slow down your skin’s aging process. Honey is also great if you’re looking for a complexion boost!
Honey and Lemon Face Cleanser
Combine 2 teaspoons honey and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice.
Warm it between your fingers, then smooth a thin layer onto your face and neck.
Leave the mixture on until it’s dry, then rinse with warm water.
Makeup Remover
Using almost any type of cleanser will inevitably strip the skin of its natural oils, causing one of two things: The skin will either become very dry and will have to be treated with topical moisturizer, or it will start over-producing oils, making your skin extra oily. A lot of the products on the market today pride themselves on being “oil-free,” but this can actually harm your skin and lead to premature aging. Oils in the skin is what keeps it youthful-looking, supple, and vibrant.
Natural Oil Cleanser
If you use natural oils such as olive oil and coconut oil, you will be able to cleanse your skin without over-drying it. It’s also great at removing basically all types of makeup, from the darkest mascara to the most pigmented lipstick.
Moisturizer
Olive Oil
Olive oil can be used to achieve a smooth complexion and maintain skin elasticity. It contains antioxidants, such as vitamin A and E, which repair cells that have been damaged by environmental hazards. Rubbing olive oil on your skin every night will help protect your skin and keep moisture locked under the surface. You can also create an exfoliant by mixing it with sea salt and rubbing it over your face to remove dead skin cells.
Toner
This simple concoction can help improve your overall complexion by balancing and restoring your skin’s natural pH. Our skin is naturally acidic but when our levels are in balance our skin will live at the perfect level between oily and dry. When you pH levels are out of balance, that is when you break out, when your pores get clogged, you are too oily or too dry, your skin can be itchy or irritated, and the list goes on and on.
ACV has a pH of 3 and when diluted, the acidity from the toner helps bring your skin’s pH back to its normal levels. By restoring your skin’s balance, this apple cider vinegar toner helps your skin function optimally, warding off bacteria and shedding dead skin cells at the proper rate so your pores do not get clogged and your skin remains healthy.
Apple Cider Vinegar Facial Toner
Pour 1 part Apple Cider Vinegar into a glass jar, bottle or container.
Add 2 parts distilled or filtered water.
Shake the bottle to combine the mixture.
Apply the toner to your freshly cleansed skin using a cotton ball or pad, avoiding the eye area.
Apply your usual, daily moisturizer after the apple cider vinegar toner has dried.
Shake well before each use. Store in a cool, dry, dark place (No need to refrigerate).
Body Lotion
Ingredients:
4 oz oil
Many different oils are possible. Olive, grapeseed, sesame.
You must make sure to use organic oil, or else you will absorb the pesticides in the oil through your skin.
(This applies to store bought lotions as well).
2 oz lanolin
One of the ingredients in some lip balms, lanolin has a deep moisturizing effect on skin and hair.
It seals the skin to prevent moisture from escaping and even absorbs moisture from the air.
It helps rejuvenate dry skin and relieves the pain of skin cracking.
2 oz aloe vera gel
Use this in place of water.
Although aloe is 99 percent water, aloe gel also contains substances known as glycoproteins and polysaccharides.
Glycoproteins speed the healing process by stopping pain and inflammation, while polysaccharides stimulate skin growth and repair.
These substances may also stimulate the immune system.
Essential Oil
You can add any that you want, but be certain first that it will not irritate the skin. For example, lemon grass oil will irritate, but lemon oil is fine.
You may want to add a particular oil for its medicinal value.
You will absorb it right through your skin.
Popular oils are vanilla, lavender, rose, and lemon.
Optional ingredients:
Bees’ wax
is used to harden the lotion for hands and face. Not needed for body lotion.
But you need to warm and soften it before blending it in – a bit more complicated.
Distilled water:
A few teaspoons makes it thinner and more lotion-y, but so does adding more aloe vera.
Use aloe instead.
Blending:
Use a blender.
Mix the oil and lanolin, then slowly add the aloe as you blend.
Don’t go wild with the blending.
Just bring it to a nice even texture, fully blended.
Essential oils can be added anytime, and you can be liberal with them, since they loose their scent over time.
Storing:
Pour into a glass food jar with a tight fitting lid, a mason jar, or similiar.
Color of the jar is not important.
Make sure to scrape down the sides of the blender to get the lotion that sticks there.
If you have a recipe you’d like to share with me and my readers, please feel free to contact me on by clicking on the email icon on the top right hand side of the screen.
This is really useful Jo. And a lot less expensive.