ecobites.com

Making your life greener - one bite at a time.

...organic - fruits, vegetables, herbs and oils are gaining attention due to its very nature  - no negligible cost, purity, without side effects, dollops of TLC, simple and no side effects. Tips for preserving for the homecrafter, that do not cost the earth. Plus an assortment of natural home beauty recipes you can make with everyday organic food ingredients. Recipes similar to these have been used for hundreds of years to help stimulate inner energy and outer beauty.  

Preserving for the homecrafter, that do not cost the earth.

For home remedies and homemade beauty products, keep them sealed in air-tight jars. Anything which is perishable should by kept in the refrigerator. All other items should be stored in a cool, dark place. The biggest problem faced in making cosmetic products at home is shelf life. They do have to be made more often as they tend to spoil after a certain amount of time, but the quality of the product and the knowledge you are using only the best ingredients far outweighs the small inconvenience.

For items such as masks, creams, etc. consider making only small amounts on a weekly or bi-weekly basis in order to be sure that they don't spoil. Another simple point to remember is - do not use your fingers! Without the harsh chemical preservatives, you can easily introduce bacteria. Use a small spatula or similar sterile utensil to lift out small amount at a time when using the product.

To ensure freshness, add a teaspoon of sea salt to the mix of body scrubs, as a natural preservative. With your oils, a natural preservative is vitamin E oil. You can puncture a vitamin E capsule and squirt the liquid into your blend. Vitamin E (d-alpha Tocopherol) is a powerful antioxidant used in preserving oils and keeping them from going rancid. Beware that there is a synthetic on the market called Tocopherol, Alpha Tocopherol and/or Tocopherol Acetate.

Just a few drops of grapefruit seed extract is a great preservative, in products that contain water.

The addition of as little as one drop of sweet orange oil to two ounces of cream will kill all bacteria and fungi in the preparation.  Essential oils have also been shown to be effective in killing the virus that causes Herpes and assist in healing the affected skin. Most of the synthetic preservatives used today are carcinogenic and are thought to cause possible reactions. Some of this has been proven by the scientific community and much is still in debate. There are ways to preserve a product without having to add synthetics. Essential oils - neem oil, rosemary extract, vitamin E, honey, bee propolis, lemon, sugar and salt to name a few. Sometimes essential oils which are used as preservatives can evaporate from the preparation when left uncovered.

When a recipe calls for glycerin - it always means food grade vegetable glycerin. One other ingredient is beeswax. It melts at 148F, but the process goes more quickly if you first grate it. A hand held rotary grater with the large holes for grating makes short work of this.

For beauty product formulations and experimentation, try the following websites:

AromaWeb is an indispensable resource if you are using essential oils.While their benefits and intense aromas make them very desirable ingredients, they can be dangerous if they are not used properly.  AromaWeb offers profiles for individual oils which include possible uses and safety information, part of over 250 pages of information on essential oils!
http://www.aromaweb.com/

For many people one of the most confusing aspects of creating new recipes is dealing with percentages and conversions.This online conversion calculator makes the conversion aspect a little bit easier. Once a recipe is converted to metric terms, determining a percentage a cinch!
http://www.onlineconversion.com/

From Nature With Love - Library for help with a wide variety of questions and products to purchase. A wholesale supplier of 1,750+ natural and complementary ingredients used in skin care, hair care, aromatherapy, massage, spa products, herbal preparations, soap making, potpourri and candle making. Also offer a large selection of packaging supplies, bath accessories, natural body scrubs and equipment. The articles here have been compiled over the years in an effort to help FromNatureWithLove.com customers with common questions and challenges. 
http://fromnaturewithlove.com/library/default.asp

The following beauty products are straight from the kitchen and garden and worth discovering...

Storage time is the same as food. Be careful with ingredients such as eggs and milk. Not only can they spoil, they are allergens, and can cause a bad skin reaction. Rule of thumb - if it smells bad, don't use it!

Cucumber is cooling for your skin. Parsley acts as an antiseptic. Avocado is a moisturizer. Tomatoes are acidic and very helpful in your natural beauty recipes.
Lavender calms and soothes your skin. Use the freshest organic ingredients only, experiment and enjoy knowing what ingredients you are feeding your skin!

Masks
 
Two ingredients serve as a base for masks: powdered oatmeal and powdered almond. Both can be produced at home by powdering oatmeal or almonds in a coffee grinder. One other choice that bears mention is plain yogurt. It makes a refreshing mask when combined with oatmeal and a little lemon juice. Brewer's yeast can also be used.
To make a mask, add distilled water, a few drops at a time, to a tablespoon or two of the oatmeal or almond powder until you have a paste. Spread on your face, avoiding the eye area, then sit back and rest until the mask dries. When ready, wet and wring a washcloth in water that is as comfortably warm as you can tolerate and place the cloth over your face for a few minutes to soften the mask. Then rinse your face clean with warm water and follow with a cool splash.
 
You can also purchase floral waters such as Lavender, Rose, or Orange to make the paste, or you could also use honey. Honey and oatmeal masks are often mentioned in very old herbal manuscripts. Whichever choice you make, a mask should be applied once a week to revive the skin by getting rid of the dead skin cells which tend to give one that chalky, just embalmed appearance.
 
A great facial mask is honey. Place a cloth in warm water and apply to face. Smear on honey, and leave for 15 to 30 minutes. Rinse off with warm water, then use cool water. Use once per week.

For a creamy facial mask that leaves your skin soft and refreshed. 1 tablespoon organic plain yogurt 1 tablespoon cucumber 1 tablespoon parsley.

Puree the cucumber and parsley finely and mix with the yogurt until smooth. Clean your face with a gentle Cleanser. Cover your face with this creamy mask.

This will rejuvenate your skin as it moistens. Leave the mask on for approximately 15-20 minutes for best results. Rinse with water. Follow with your favourite Moisturizer.

Mix oats with honey, yogurt and ground almonds. Apply to face, leave for five minutes and wash with lukewarm water.

Mix a slice of pumpkin with egg yolk and milk. Let this mask set on the face for 30 minutes for a glowing complexion.

Mix together 1 tablespoon honey, 1 egg yolk, 1/2 teaspoon almond oil and 1 tablespoon yogurt. Honey stimulates and smoothes, egg and almond oil penetrate and moisturize, and yogurt refines and helps tighten pores. Apply to face, leave  for five minutes and wash with lukewarm water.

Banana is wonderful as an anti-wrinkle treatment. Mash 1/4 banana until very creamy. Spread all over face and leave for 15-20 minutes before rinsing off with warm water, followed by a dash of cool. Gently pat dry. Can use daily.

A chocolate mask to make for normal to dry skin. Take 1/3 cup organic cocoa, 3 teaspoons of  thick organic cream, 1/3 cup ripe papaya, ¼ cup honey and 3 teaspoons of oatmeal powder. Mix together in a blender. Smooth on face. After 10 minutes, wash your face with warm water, for a smooth complexion.

Oily Skin Mask. Mix 1 teaspoon brewer’s yeast with enough natural yogurt to make a thin mixture. Pat this thoroughly into all the oily areas and allow  to dry on the skin. After 15 - 20 minutes, rinse off with warm water, then cool water and blot dry.

Clay is available in powder form at any health food store. Mix 1 tablespoon dry clay with 1 egg yolk, 1/4 of a mashed avocado and enough witch hazel to create a smooth mixture. Mud dries excess sebum while the egg yolk and avocado replenish lost moisture. Witch hazel tones.

Avocado is a naturally rich moisturizer. Mash the meat of the avocado into a creamy texture. Massage into the face and neck . Leave on for 15 minutes and gently rinse off.

For oily skin, apply a mixture of grapes (softens your skin), lemon (natural cleanser) and egg white (tightens the skin). Leave  for 20 minutes and rinse with warm water.

Grape juice makes an excellent cleanser for any skin type. Simply split one or two large grapes, remove pips and rub the flesh over face and neck. Rinse off with cool water.

Facial Exfoliater  2 heaped teaspoons fine oatmeal 1 teaspoon baking soda. Combine ingredients, and add enough water to make a paste. Apply to skin and rub gently. Rinse and gently pat dry.

Sea salt removes dry, flaky, dead skin. Wet face (or anywhere on the body), apply a couple of tablespoons of sea salt, then GENTLY massage with a wet washcloth or fingers. Focus on the T-zone and cheeks, but avoid the eye area.Maximum once per week.

Tone and refresh your skin by rubbing the wedge of a cut lemon all over your face. Leave for about 20 minutes and then rinse off with cool water.

Buttermilk dabbed on for 15 minutes will soak up oil from your skin without drying the skin.

Thin apple slices rubbed onto oily skin will help in controlling the oily shine.

Mix honey, lemon and organic coconut oil for a great home made moisturiser for your dry skin. Apply this concoction for 10 minutes.

Massage your body with a mixture of coconut oil and some of your favourite essential oils like lavender or rosemary. Your skin, besides smelling heavenly, will acquire a silky and supple quality.

Mix ½ cup honey to your bath water for soft and smooth skin.

For silky smooth skin, in the shower pour corn meal on a wet washcloth and after you have taken your shower as a finish, rub the corn meal all over your body.

Organic Coconut  Oil - eat it or put it on your skin. The benefits of this natural ingredient are visible, great for preggie mums - no stretch marks! Coconut oil is great as a moisturizer for face, hair and body.

Simply use chickpea flour mixed with a little coconut or olive oil and use in place of soap on the body. Alternatively, grind 1/2 cup organic short grain brown rice in blender with 1/2 cup of water and use as a body scrub - it is effective at smoothing away dead skin cells, but gentle enough for daily use instead of soap. If you require extra moisturising, add a few drops of almond, coconut or olive oil to the scrub. To preserve, add a few drops of grapefruit seed extract and store in an airtight container in the 'fridge.

Another alternative for soap - 2 tablepsoons vegetable glycerine, 2 tablespoons cornflour,1 teaspoon chamomile infusion, 2 teaspoons each finely ground oats and rice.
 
Heat the glycerine over a bowl of hot water
Slowly add the cornflour, stirring constantly to make a paste.
Remove from heat and slowly add the chamomile infusion, stirring all the time.
Stir in the oats and rice.
Store in a jar and use in the same way as liquid soap.
Stores for 2 months

For thin hair ... Heat coconut oil, give yourself a hot oil head massage every night. When you are done massaging wrap a hot towel on your head. Leave for an hour and wash with gentle shampoo. No need for conditioner. Let your hair air dry and you will be able to tell the difference.

Unwanted Grey hair - Make a strong 'tea' of Sage and a bit of Rosemary, strain it and refrigerate, before washing hair, spray on the base of the grey patches of hair, can also massage in. Leave for 5 - ten minutes and then wash as usual.
To make a strong rosemary & sage tea use equal amounts of rosemary & sage to 1 cup of water, combine ingredients and steep for 10 minutes, strain and use liquid for the colourant. Must be repeated daily for a few weeks before you notice any changes.

A few teaspoonfuls of baking soda added to your shampoo once per week will remove any styling products that have built up in your hair.

Mayonnaise is a great conditioner that will leave your have soft and shiny. Apply the mayonnaise to dry hair and leave on at least 20 minutes or overnight. Shampoo and rinse well.

Use lemon juice to create natural highlights in your hair. Apply lemon juice to select strands of hair and go out and do some gardening. 

Mix raw organic eggs and apply to damp hair as a conditioner. Leave for 5 - 10 minutes and rinse well.

If you have thinning hair, soak your hair each day in burdock tea. Will help slow or completely stop hair loss.

Remove Hair Product Build-up 1/4 cup vinegar + 1 cup water. After conditioning the hair use this as a final rinse. Leaves your hair soft and shiny.

Baking soda removes conditioner build-up from your hair. Rub in and rinse thoroughly, then shampoo with your regular shampoo.
 
Shampoo Recipe - In a blender, combine 1 ounce organic coconut / olive oil, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar. Use as regular shampoo.

Hair Conditioner - Combine mashed avocado with some coconut milk. Comb it through the hair and let sit for 10 -15 minutes, rinse out.

Mix two whole eggs with four tablespoons of  organic coconut / olive oil. Smooth through hair. Wrap head with plastic wrap,or warm towels, and leave on hair for 10 minutes. Rinse well.

Fruit Smoothie Hair Mask. Blend 1/2 a banana, 1/4 avocado, 1/4 cantaloupe, 1 tablespoon wheat germ oil and 1 tablespoon yogurt. For extra conditioning, squeeze in the contents of a vitamin E capsule. Leave on hair for 15 minutes.

Beautiful Feet

Soften your feet by soaking them in a bathtub, bucket or basin with warm water and Epsom Salt for at least 10 to 15 minutes. The salt will help to smooth your feet, giving them a relaxed and refreshed feel.

Cinnamon Foot Bath 1 cup Lemon Juice, Cinnamon (for smell), 2 tablespoons organic coconut or olive oil, 1/4 cup milk, and water you can make a wash that leaves skin refreshed and fragrant (the amount of water does not matter). If you do not like the cinnamon fragrance, replace with another spice, essential oil, or flower petals such as roses.
After you make it, you can put it in a tub were you can soak your feet or body.

Lavender Foot Bath 5 fragrant fresh roses, 10 fresh rosemary sprigs,10 fresh lavender sprigs, 10 drops lavender oil,2 lbs Epsom salt.
Remove petals from fresh roses, rosemary leaves & lavender blossoms from sprigs.
Place epsom salts in nonmetallic bowl, and stir in lavender oil.
Top with rose petals, rosemary, and lavender. Mix gently and pour into a jar.
Add a few teaspoons to warm water for a fragrant foot bath.

Warming Footbath
This slowly increases circulation to cold feet
1 tablespoon rosehips (substitute a rosehip teabag if necessary),
1 tablespoon dried hibiscus (substitute a hibiscus teabag if necessary),
1 teaspoon cloves,1 teaspoon juniper berries, 3 crushed bay leaves, 1 tablespoon orange peel
3 drops ginger essential oil
 
Place all the ingredients into a muslin bag and gently stir into a bowl of boiling water.
When the liquid has cooled to the right temperature, soak your feet for at least ten minutes.
 
Foot Scrub
1/4 cup ground oatmeal, 1/4 cup cornmeal, 1 tablespoon celtic sea salt,
2 drops peppermint or lemon essential oil. Pure water to mix.
 
Combine dry ingredients with enough water to make a creamy gritty consistency.
Stir in the essential oils.
Spend a few minutes massaging the scrub into feet, then rinse and dry thoroughly.
 
Foot powder
Mix 1 Cup Cornstarch, 1 Tablespoon Baking Soda in a jar with a tight fitting lid.
Add 15 drops of your favourite essential oils.
Shake well and use as required
 

Spa Treatment

After showering, the Epsom Salt Council recommends massaging handfuls of Epsom Salt over wet skin to exfoliate the body. “It's the same treatment many upscale spas use, without the upscale price!”

For a tranquil soak:
Honey has a calming effect and combined with pure essential oil of Lavender it's a wonderfully soothing bath treatment. 
2oz. Honey and 5 drops Lavender oil. Combine in a jar. Use 1 -2 Tablespoons per bath.

Fill your bathtub with water at a comfortable temperature that you enjoy. As you’re filling the tub, add two cups of Epsom Salt to the water (if it is a standard-sized bathtub – make adjustments for larger tubs). Soak for at least 12 minutes, three times a week for best results. As an extra treat, the Epsom Salt Council recommends adding a few drops of eucalyptus oil for an invigorating aroma. http://ecobites.com/holistic-beauty/beauty-enhancing-epsom-salt.html
All too often, we neglect our hands as part of our skin care regime. The hands, just like the face, age with lines, wrinkles, and brown spots. Additionally, as we age the skin on the back of your hands looses elasticity and the skin becomes thinner. Furthermore, the hands can be a real distraction when neglected, (dirty fingernails, coarse cuticles, calluses, etc.). Your hands are part of your first impression when meeting new people. Are you ever taken aback by someone’s hand when they shake yours?

As with the face, your hands and nails need exfoliation to remove dead skin cells and promote circulation.

Lemons have been used for hand and nail care for centuries. Lemon Juice and the essential oil of Lemon whitens nails while stimulating healthy growth.
 
8 oz. spring water
1 Tablespoon Aloe Vera Gel
10 drops Lemon essential oil
Mix together and soak the fingertips in it for 10 minutes.

Rapadura is an unrefined sugar prized for its unique caramel flavour and fine grain texture. This deliciously pure sugar retains a beautiful golden colour and offers unmatched nutritional value because-unlike other sugars-it is not separated from the molasses stream during squeeze-dried processing. You can truly taste the difference of Rapadura whole organic sugar.

Rapadura Hand exfoliant

2 tablespoons organic coconut oil

3 tablespoons organic rapadura sugar

Mix into a paste

Rub gently into hands

Rinse well with warm water

Pat dry

Molasses Nail Soak (softens cuticles and strengthens and conditions nails) 1/4 cup warm water 2 tablespoons molasses Mix the water and molasses together, stirring well. Soak your nails for 15 to minutes and then rinse. For extra conditioning, apply the solution to clean nails with a cotton swab at bedtime, and rinse in the morning. Don't worry. This mixture rinses easily and won't leave your hands sticky.

Milk Hand Mask (can be used on face and body as well) 1/4 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup powdered organic milk or powdered buttermilk Mix the buttermilk and powdered milk to form a smooth paste. Using a small paintbrush or pastry brush, spread an even layer of this mixture over your hands. Leave the mask on until it dries, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse off with cool water and pat dry. Because milk is high in protein and vitamins, this mask really nourishes the skin, giving it a healthy glow.

Natural Nail Luster (to promote nail growth) 1 tablespoon pure olive oil / organic coconut oil 1/2 tablespoon powdered white clay (also called kaolin, found in health food stores) Mix the olive / coconut oil and clay into a smooth cream. Massage a small amount into your nails and cuticles. Buff gently with a cotton buffing pad.

Home Remedies

Dandruff  - Soak 1 tablespoon of fenugreek seeds overnight. Grind into a paste. Apply on hair for an hour and wash off using gram flour paste. Or try using a homemade tonic rinse at the end of your shower (apple cider vinegar, rosemary sprig, green tea, lemon juice). Beets have been found useful in dandruff. Both tops and roots should be boiled in water and this water should be massaged into the scalp with the finger tips every night. White beet is better for this purpose.

Even before there was a hole in the ozone layer, going to the seashore could leave you sea-sore, so if you forgot to slip, slop and slap.

Sun Burn ... peel, grate and squeeze the juice of a cucumber. Mix it with ½ teaspoon each of glycerine and rose water.

Boil some lettuce in water, then strain, let the liquid cool for a few hours in the refrigerator before applying to your skin with cotton balls.

Thinly sliced pieces of raw cucumber, potato or apple can be placed on sunburned areas such as the forearm. The coolness from the vegetables is soothing and might help reduce inflammation.

Brew enough tea bags to cover a considerable area of the sunburn and ice down to get the tea really cold. Place the cold, wet tea bags and/or a cloth drenched in the tea over the affected area, keeping the bags and cloths cold. If you can submurge the burned part of the body, do so into the tea. Do this for at least one hour as often as you can (3 or so times per day) until it fades. This works for second and third degree burns as well and will prohibit scarring! The tea works as an antioxidant and pulls the heat out of your body. It stops the pain temporarily also.

Vinegar, apply in spray bottle to sunburnt area and let air dry.

Blemishes - Carrot juice applied daily helps fade blemishes.

A mix of crushed mint leaves and oats applied for 20 minutes and washed off with warm water will reduce pimples.

A facemask of egg white and honey gently removes the tan from your face.

Wrinkles - Apply coconut oil on the portions of skin and face where wrinkles set in and gently massage every night at bedtime.

Green thompson seedless grapes -  cut a grape in half and gently crush on your face and neck. Make sure that you get the "crows-feet" and the lines around your mouth. Leave  for twenty minutes or so and rinse with tepid water and pat dry.

Banana is wonderful as an anti-wrinkle treatment. Mash 1/4 banana until very creamy. Spread all over face and leave for 15-20 minutes before rinsing off with warm water followed by a dash of cool. Gently pat dry.

Squeeze half a lemon and mix the juice with one beaten egg white. Leave on your face overnight or, for a quick pick-me-up, just 15 minutes. Splash warm water on your face to rinse.It helps to removes blotches, because the lemon works as a bleaching agent.

To lighten dark circles under your eyes, wrap a grated raw potato in cheesecloth and apply to eyelids for 15-20 minutes. Wipe off residue.

To delay age spots on your hands, use a piece of lemon and rub all over your hand, before washing. This will delay onset of age-spots.

Sliced cucumber or raw potatoes work wonders on puffy eyes and dark circles, particularly in the morning. Dip cotton wool pads in chilled mixture of cucumber and potato juice. Keep this on your eyelids for 15 to 20 minutes and gently wash it off.

Lavender oil offers gentle relief for tired and strained eyes. Add a drop of organic lavender oil to 500 ml (2 ½ cups) of water and shake the solution well. Dip two cotton wool pads in the liquid, squeeze out the excess water and place one pad over each eye.

Paste of mint leaves and almonds, mixed with warm water and applied all over body. Until it dries and rinsed off with warm water makes a soothing body pack.

For dark underarms and neck - apply lemon juice mixed with cucumber juice and a pinch of turmeric daily. Leave this on for 20 minutes.

To prevent lips from drying you can use a ground mixture or rose petals and milk butter.

Facial Hair - apply a sticky paste of egg white blended with sugar and corn flour. Allow to dry, gently peel off. Repeat three to four times per week.

Whiten nails - Soak your nails in water with lemon juice or lemon slices. The lemon acts as an astringent and will strip away stains.

Baby - Organic Olive oil can be used on baby's dry skin. It's been known to help diaper rash as well.

Disclaimer:
The information contained on Ecobites is of a general nature and is designed for educational purposes only. No claims whatsoever can be made as to the specific benefits accruing from the use of any food, herb or nutrients. Avoid using if you are allergic to any known ingredient. The natural remedies here are submitted by numerous people from around the world, and we have no way to test or verify every remedy. As such these home remedies should be used for academic purposes only. Never use any home remedy or other self treatment without being advised to do so by a physician or health practioner.