How to Make Your Own Chemical-Free Moisturizer

Essential oils of many types are very good 100% natural moisturizers. However, it is important to note that you need to choose the right kind of oils for your own skin if you want to use them as a moisturizer.

For example, dry skin is best treated with richer, heavier oils such as olive oil or sesame whereas combination or sensitive skin would be better treated with lighter oils such as jojoba, avocado or grapeseed.

As an example of how you would use oils in this situation and assuming that your skin is dry, you could apply a mixture of olive and vitamin E oil directly to your skin. Alternatively, a combination of olive oil, eggs and lemon juice (better known as mayonnaise) is also extremely good for dry facial skin.

All-round natural moisturizer: For an excellent all-round natural moisturizer that will work with almost any skin type, mix together half a tablespoon of cocoa butter, two tablespoons of beeswax, 2 teaspoons of boiled water, three tablespoons of sesame oil and two tablespoons of both coconut and olive oil.

Start by mixing the grated beeswax with the water so that the wax can be melted over a low heat. Mix the cocoa butter with the wax before gradually stirring in the three oils.

Once the ingredients are well mixed together, remove it from the heat so that it can cool and thicken. Before it does so however, make sure that the mixture is transferred into airtight glass containers that can be kept in the refrigerator so that the paste stays usable for a long as possible.

Each of the individual ingredients serves a different purpose. For example, coconut oil is rich in vitamins as well as fat to soften your skin, whereas cocoa butter protects the skin against the worst ravages of the elements, particularly the wind and the rain.

Glycerin for dry skin: If your problem is dry skin, then glycerin is a natural emollient, a substance that moisturizes, softens and limits the harshness of your skin condition.

For this treatment, you are going to drop 5 teaspoons of gelatin into 2 cups of hot water. Once the water has cooled, add three tablespoons of glycerin plus any essential oil that you want to add to give the mixture a lovely fragrance. You could for example use an oil such as rosemary to give a mixture a relaxing aroma before applying it to your skin.

Dry skin moisturizing solution: For this dry facial skin treatment, you need 2 ounces of olive oil, 4 ounces of shea butter, 2 teaspoons of vitamin E oil, six drops of essential lavender oil and 1 teaspoon of active royal jelly which you should find in the refrigerated section in your local health food store.

Once you have all the ingredients, mix them together over a high heat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Once it has cooled, keep it in airtight container in the fridge to prevent the mixture spoiling. This is a fantastic treatment for dry skin, but unfortunately, it is one that you can only make in small batches because the royal jelly is active.

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Nevertheless, it's very well worth doing if your problem is dry skin.

Natural Face Masks to Make At Home

If you need to clear up your complexion or help your teen get over acne or blackheads here are some simple natural homemade masks that can be applied that do not contain the harmful chemicals that commercial cosmetics do.

Rose, honey and oatmeal face mask: There are many different ways that you can make superbly effective face masks using entirely natural materials. These face masks help you to cleanse your skin far more effectively than you could ever do with just soap and water and of course, every one of them is 100% natural.

In this case, take one third of a cup of well ground oatmeal and combine it with 1/8 of a cup of rose petals. The fresher the petals are, they better it is so they should ideally be fresh off the plant. Crush them before adding to the mix.

Add to four tablespoons of runny honey (if you are using more solid honey, warm it so that it becomes liquefied) before applying the mixture to your face. Leave it on for half an hour or so (why not relax in a nice hot bath infused with rose petals as well?) before washing the mixture off with warm water.

Apple crush facial mask: As the name probably suggests, you need an apple for this face mask recipe. You also need one tablespoon of lemon juice and a tablespoon of dried herbs of your choice (for example, lavender, spinning, chamomile, sage or anything else you have available).

Drop the apple in how water and cook it until it can be mashed easily. Mash the apple and add the lemon juice and herbs, getting rid of the pulpy apple remains. Once the temperature of the mixture is cool enough to do so comfortably, apply the mix to your face as a mask.

Leave for five minutes before washing off with warm water and a washcloth or mitt…

Lemon and egg surprise: Lemon juice is another substance that you find in many natural skincare recipes. In this case, whip up an egg white until it peaks and then pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes or so.

After this, add the juice of a lemon and one puréed or grated tomato. Apply to the skin, leave for 10 to 15 minutes and then wash off with water. Do this every day for months and you will notice a marked improvement in skin quality.

Banana, cream and honey: Take one tablespoon of honey and mix it together with half a mashed banana plus 2 tablespoons of sour cream. Apply as a face mask for 10 minutes and then wipe clean with a warm, damp cloth.

Apple and tomato mask: For this one, you need two tablespoons of plain yoghurt, ½ a tomato, 1 egg white, 2 or 3 tablespoons of whole wheat flour and 2 slices of chopped apple.

Mix all of the ingredients together, spread on dry skin and allow the mixture to dry as well, which should take around 15 minutes. Wash off with warm water.