eat it or wear it

I am always running across fun articles on how to make facial masks, exfoliators, hair conditioners .. out of items in my cupboard and refrigerator. If I happen to have the ingredients on hand, I will usually try it.

A few months back, I tried a recipe for a mask that used oatmeal and lemon juice. You were supposed to put the oatmeal in a food processor or blender until it turned into a fine powder. I skipped that step; it saved time and effort and I figured it wasn't really important. I put the very lumpy (it looked like a thick porridge) mask on in my bathroom and waited. Well .. it wouldn't stay on my face! After a few seconds, it all fell off into the sink and the mixture was so thick that it clogged my sink drain. Instead of relaxing with a cleansing mask, I wound up unclogging my drain. However, it was a good recipe - my face did feel softer. I wish I could remember where I saw it.

A few weeks later, I was cleaning out my cupboards and found a half-empty bottle of sesame oil that had expired. I was about to throw it out when I remembered a magazine article that suggested giving yourself a massage with warm sesame oil in winter. Instead of throwing it out, I moved the bottle up to my bathroom. I've been using it before the occasional shower. It really does work as a moisturizer. The only problem .. the smell of the oil reminds me of stir-fry. Whenever I use it, a hint of the smell lingers in my nose all day. I'm afraid to ask if it's just me, or if it's actually me.

How about you? Have you tried any good "recipes"?

Comments

[Toni]

Raw sugar and almond oil - makes a really good scrub to exfoliate and soften. I put in some peppermint oil/essence (I can't remember which or even if it makes a difference), but there are other "flavors" you could use. You could do the same with your almond oil moisturizer, E.

[Elizabeth]

oooooooh .. thank you! I love, love, love the smell of almond. I will try that for sure! I suppose I could use the sesame oil but it just wouldn't be the same. ;)

[Toni]

Oops, sorry! You did say sesame oil! My bad.

[Julie M]

Honey, yogurt, eggs, bananas- they've all gone in blenders and been put on my skin! My mom owns a natural bath and body business so we have lots of fun trying new things. One of the most intense natural recipes, but it WORKS(!), is a pumpkin facial. Pumpkin is full of enzymes which, when used as a mask, will get rid of any dead skin on your face. It will also possibly turn it the color of a fire truck but when the redness fades your face will glow. :) The other thing I've been trying is that I read that detergents based shampoos are harsh on the hair, stripping them and the scalp of natural oils which in turn somehow makes it greasier faster... (?) Anyway, so they recommended using a soap based shampoo (Dr. Bronners) and alternating doing that one day and the next following one or two days using a baking soda/water mixture to wash followed by an apple cider vinegar/water rinse. I've been doing that for a few weeks now and my fine hair has been able to go longer between shampoo washing! Although I still like to every other day at least, just out of habit. It's been interesting!

That was rambling...

[Elizabeth]

I will try the pumpkin facial! Maybe on the weekend though - just in case it hasn't stopped glowing by the time I need to go to work. ;)

I read an article last year about using apple cider vinegar on the hair - and eventually you could go without shampooing altogether, just the apple cider vinegar (it wasn't a rinse, more of a wiping the ACV from the scalp downwards). I have really fine hair that collects oil easily so maybe I should try your method. I'm just worried about the smell; ACV is so strong. Do you notice the smell much? Or does it rinse out easily?

[Julie M]

I don't notice the smell but some people recommended using essential oils in the final rinse. The site did warn that if you just do the ACV/baking soda thing and never use soap that eventually your hair will get a "wet dog" sort of smell to it. No offense, Atlas. :)