Recipe of the Week: Gingerbread Body Scrub

It's been a few weeks, but I've finally returned with another Recipe of the Week! This time, in celebration of the first day of autumn, I've decided on a fantastic recipe for a Gingerbread Body Scrub. Enjoy, and happy autumn! As always, let me know how you like this great do-it-yourself scrub.

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"This is a great body scrub to use! Not only does it smell delicous, but it gently takes off dead skin!"

Yield: 1 application
Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Price Category: 1
Difficulty Level: 1
Shelf Life: 1-2 weeks, keep refrigerated

Ingredients:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon olive oil (or other oil on hand)

Blending Procedure:

1. Measure all of the ingredients into a bowl. Mix well to combine completely.
   
   
2. Use this body scrub in the shower. Scoop up some of the scrub and rub it in circular motions all over your body. Rinse well with warm water and pat skin dry with a towel.

Jenn's Review: Coming Soon!

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Always remember to seal your mixtures tightly and keep them away from moisture to prevent unwanted bacterial growth! Some recipes can last a very long time if you prevent contamination and use clean hands when handling.

See you back here next week!

Recipe(s) reprinted with the permission of www.MakeYourCosmetics.com. For hundreds more recipes in several categories (like scrubs, powders, baby products, creams, balms and soaps), plus suppliers for the ingredients to make them, visit www.MakeYourCosmetics.com today!

Image: fromnaturewithlove.com

Recipe of the Week: Grapefruit Honey Wash

Monday again already? Where does the time go? I've been a busy bee with school starting again, but I'm still working to find the best recipes you can try out at home. What's on the menu this week? A scrumptious Grapefruit Honey Wash - perfect for dry skin!

Enjoy!
"I made this little treat during the winter of 2000 when my skin was especially dry. I used this product night and day from Monday to Saturday the week I created it, and it made a big difference in the way my skin felt. The grapefruit aroma will make you smile and the feel of soothing, natural ingredients will cleanse and pamper your skin. It also whips up in a snap so there's no excuse for not treating your skin the way it should be treated."

Yield: 1-2 applications
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Ingredients:
3 tablespoons whipping cream
1 tablespoon honey
4 tablespoons ground oats (not too finely ground)
2 drops pink grapefruit essential oil (optional)

Blending Procedure:

1. Warm cream in microwave for 20 seconds.
   
   
2. Remove cream from microwave and add honey. Stir well to dissolve all honey.
   
   
3. Add oats and stir to make a creamy paste. To use, apply to face and neck in gentle sweeping strokes. (You can rest with a light layer on your skin for about 5 minutes if you have time, but if you do this, you may wish to substitute lavender oil for the grapefruit if you plan to go outside soon after washing. Citrus oils can cause burning if used prior to exposure to sunlight.) For light, twice daily facial applications, this recipe should last 3 or 4 days. But if you love the way it feels as much as I do, you will use it quite generously and not just on your face. In that case, you will want to make a bigger batch and store it in the fridge between uses. You can use it from the fridge for a pick-me-up cleanser or let it cool to room temperature.
   
   
4. The shelf life of this product is necessarily limited by the fresh cream. It should be used within a few days, and kept refrigerated between uses.

Jenn's Review: Coming Soon!

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Always remember to seal your mixtures tightly and keep them away from moisture to prevent unwanted bacterial growth! Some recipes can last a very long time if you prevent contamination and use clean hands when handling.

See you back here next week!

Recipe(s) reprinted with the permission of www.MakeYourCosmetics.com. For hundreds more recipes in several categories (like scrubs, powders, baby products, creams, balms and soaps), plus suppliers for the ingredients to make them, visit www.MakeYourCosmetics.com today!

Recipe of the Week: Pink Sunset Multi-Purpose Powder

Hello beauties, and welcome to another great recipe of the week! What's on the menu today? It's an exciting way to make your own makeup product using simple ingredients - colored mica powder. Enjoy the recipe for the Pink Sunset Multi-Purpose Powder! It's fantastic and I know you'll love it!

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This is a lovely shimmering mineral powder that can be applied as a sheer eyeshadow or blush, mixed into a clear gloss, or nail polish, or used to color bath and body products.

The recipe is presented in ratios or "parts". You can use any measuring utensil to represent the ratio of "1", such as a 1/4 teaspoon for personal batches, or a tablespoon for a larger formula. For example, in this recipe if 1 part is a teaspoon, then 1/2 part is 1/2 teaspoon.

Yield: varies
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Price Category: 1
Difficulty Level: 1
Shelf Life: Indefinite

Ingredients:
1 part Splendid Red Mica
1 part Bordeaux Mica
1/2 part Gold Fine Mica

Blending Procedure:

1. Use a clean coffee grinder for medium batches, or a mini-grinder for personal batches. Measure the mica pigments into the grinder and blend for about one minute.
   
   
2. Open up the grinder and check to see if the pigments are completely blended together. If not, shake the grinder to dislodge any pigments that may have gotten under the blades, and grind again for at least a minute.
   
   
3. Once the product is completely blended, place a large batch into a small plastic storage container and label it with the date and name.
   
   
4. When choosing a cosmetic container, use one that includes a sifter. This prevents the product from spilling if dropped. You can seal the product by placing a clear sticker over the holes of the sifter.
   
   
5. If the product is for sale or a gift, label the bottom of the jar with the ingredients in order of predominance, the state and country in which it was manufactured and the weight.
   
   
6. Place a pretty label on the top with your logo, or a design, and voila, you're done!

Jenn's Review: Coming soon!

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Luckily, this recipe has an indefinite shelf life and can be used again and again! Even so, keep it away from moisture and seal it tightly to prevent spills and accidents.

See you back here next week!

Recipe(s) reprinted with the permission of www.MakeYourCosmetics.com. For hundreds more recipes in several categories (like scrubs, powders, baby products, creams, balms and soaps), plus suppliers for the ingredients to make them, visit www.MakeYourCosmetics.com today!

Recipe of the Week: Sunburn Twister

Welcome to another great recipe of the week! This a fantastic and natural way to soothe your sunburn. It works great, and is very easy to make. Most people have all of these products in their kitchens!

Have fun, and remember to use plenty of sunscreen!

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Yield: enough for several mildly sunburnt areas of skin

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Price Category: 1

Difficulty Level: 1

Shelf Life: None, keep refrigerated

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons aloe vera juice
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
3 teaspoons sugar
1.5 teaspoons plain yogurt
small amount corn starch (if needed to thicken)

Blending Procedure:

1. Mix the aloe vera juice and the egg together using a wire whisk or fork. Blend evenly but not until it becomes watery.


2. Mix in the sugar, beating it lightly to dissolve it and incorporate it evenly throughout the mixture. Set aside.


3. In a seperate bowl beat the yogurt until it is very thin, then add it to the rest of the ingredients. If the mixture is too runny to spread on the skin and stay without running, add a bit of corn starch to thicken it. Place the mixture in the refregerator to chill.


4. To use, spread the mixture onto a patch of burned skin. Leave on for as long as you like, then rinse with warm water and a soft cloth. Enjoy the naturally cooling sensation on your sunburn!

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Always remember to seal your mixtures tightly and keep them away from moisture to prevent unwanted bacterial growth! Some recipes can last a very long time if you prevent contamination and use clean hands when handling.

Recipe(s) reprinted with the permission of www.MakeYourCosmetics.com. For hundreds more recipes in several categories (like scrubs, powders, baby products, creams, balms and soaps), plus suppliers for the ingredients to make them, visit www.MakeYourCosmetics.com today!

Recipe of the Week: Lemon Honey Sugar Hand Scrub

Monday always seems to come so fast... it feels like I'm posting recipes every few days! Not that I mind, because I'm having lots of fun with them - aren't you? I'm a little behind in reviewing last week's recipe, but I haven't had the time to shop for canola oil yet. :)

This week's recipe is for a delectable Lemon Honey Sugar Hand Scrub. Exfoliating, conditioning, and nourishing, this recipe aims to do it all for dry, rough hands. I can't wait to try it out for myself!

As usual, check back later for my review... and stay beautiful!

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Apply this mixture to clean hands, and nourish and exfoliate at the same time! It's also a great cuticle softener, and the zesty lemon oil will help freshen your nail bed.

Yield: 1 application
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Price Category: 1
Difficulty Level: 1
Shelf Life: None, keep refrigerated

Ingredients:
1 small egg yolk
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar (or brown sugar if you prefer)
2 drops lemon essential oil

Blending Procedure:

1. Place egg yolk in a small bowl and stir to break up. Add honey and oil and stir well to combine.
   
   
2. Add the sugar, and stir well. Add the essential oil last, and stir to mix.
   
   
3. To use, massage into clean, damp hands. Be sure to massage between your fingers and around the nail bed and cuticle. Allow Honey Sugar Hand Scrub to remain on the skin for about 5 minutes. Rinse well with warm water and follow with soothing moisturizer of your choice. Enjoy!!

Jenn's Review: This hand scrub smells great and is wonderful for dry hands! A little sticky, but it rinses off clean. My hands are now super soft and smooth! I recommend adding about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon more sugar for better exfoliation or very dry, rough hands, but it works great either way. Rinse clean with a mild soap and moisturize after, and you've got beautiful skin!

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Always remember to seal your mixtures tightly and keep them away from moisture to prevent unwanted bacterial growth! Some recipes can last a very long time if you prevent contamination and use clean hands when handling.

Because you're using all-fresh ingredients, try not to make this one until you're ready to use it.

See you next week!

Recipe(s) reprinted with the permission of www.MakeYourCosmetics.com. For hundreds more recipes in several categories (like scrubs, powders, baby products, creams, balms and soaps), plus suppliers for the ingredients to make them, visit www.MakeYourCosmetics.com today!

Recipe of the Week: Sweet Eye Makeup Remover

Happy Monday! Welcome back to Recipe of the Week. This week's fab recipe is for a home-made eye makeup remover! It's a little oily, but cleansing your skin after will help if you dislike the feeling of oil on your skin. It's cheap and works just as well as oil eye makeup removers sold in stores.

Enjoy this easy recipe for a Sweet Eye Makeup Remover!

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This is a great natural eye makeup remover. Easy to make and easy to use.

Yield: about 3/4 ounce
Prep Time: a few minutes
Price Category: 1
Difficulty Level: 1
Shelf Life: 6 months

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon castor oil
1 tablespoon light olive oil
2 teaspoons canola oil

Blending Procedure:

1. Blend the above ingredients together and store in a tightly sealed bottle.
   
   
2. Apply with soft tissue or cottonball to remove makeup around the eyes.

Jenn's Review: This great recipe really works! It's a little thick, but it does the job. One tip I learned for using this is to apply it with a cotton ball, wait, and then wipe away with a damp cotton ball to remove the oil and makeup. This is especially good to do if you don't want an oily residue left behind. Another thing you can do is substitute grape seed oil for the olive and canola oil (2:1 ratio, grapeseed oil to castor oil). Overall another good recipe!

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Always remember to seal your mixtures tightly and keep them away from moisture to prevent unwanted bacterial growth! Some recipes can last a very long time if you prevent contamination and use clean hands when handling. Let me know if you make this and how you like it!

See you back here next week with another great recipe! :) Maybe we'll try something a little harder!

Recipe(s) reprinted with the permission of www.MakeYourCosmetics.com. For hundreds more recipes in several categories (like scrubs, powders, baby products, creams, balms and soaps), plus suppliers for the ingredients to make them, visit www.MakeYourCosmetics.com today!

Recipe of the Week: Honey Egg Facial

Welcome to another Recipe of the Week! This week's great recipe is for a simple, firming facial mask. The best thing about this is that many of the ingredients - honey, egg, and apple cider vinegar - might already be available in your pantry! A few others are easy to find at places like Whole Foods Market and health stores.

And if you haven't checked out my successful review of last week's recipe, be sure to take a look!

Without further ado, here's this week's recipe for the Honey Egg Facial to keep skin firm and looking flawless.

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This easy to make recipe will help tighten pores and keep face and neck skin smooth and supple. If you skin is particularly oily, separate the egg and use only the egg white in this recipe. Likewise, if your skin is dry, use only the yolk. The whole egg is suitable for any skin type.

Yield: 1 application
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Price Category: 1
Difficulty Level: 1
Shelf Life: None, keep refrigerated

Ingredients:
1/2 small egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 drop lemon essential oil (for oily skin)
1 drop geranium OR lavender essential oil (for normal to dry skin)

Blending Procedure:

1. In a small bowl, beat 1/2 whole egg until well broken up. Add the honey and vinegar and stir well to combine. (If you are using 1/2 of the whole egg, discard the other half or scramble it up for a quick bite.)
   
   
2. Add the essential oil last and mix well. You will need to mix this product especially well if you are using the egg white only because the essential oil will not dissolve into the egg white as readily as it will into the egg yolk.
   
   
3. To use, wash face and neck thoroughly and pat excess moisture from skin. Apply Honey Egg Facial to skin and rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat skin gently dry. Follow with toner and moisturizer.
   
   
4. The shelf life of this product is necessarily limited by the fresh ingredients. It should be used immediately after it is made.

Jenn's Review: This great facial mask is a little sticky, but once it's on your face, you'll hardly notice. It quickly hardens, but is very easy to remove! After, my skin felt tighter, but not dry - still very soft with a little moisture. I suggest going easy on the essential oils; they're great for masking scents, but too much can be overwhelming! Have fun with this one!!

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Always remember to seal your mixtures tightly and keep them away from moisture to prevent unwanted bacterial growth! Some recipes can last a very long time if you prevent contamination and use clean hands when handling.

See you again next week for a brand new recipe! Have fun in the kitchen and at the bathroom sink, and let me know how you like this mask! :)

Recipe(s) reprinted with the permission of www.MakeYourCosmetics.com. For hundreds more recipes in several categories (like scrubs, powders, baby products, creams, balms and soaps), plus suppliers for the ingredients to make them, visit www.MakeYourCosmetics.com today!

Recipe of the Week: Shea Shine Lip Butter

It's Monday again, and you know what that means... time for a new recipe of the week! This week's recipe is for a simple and effective lip butter, perfect for the dry summer and winter months. For now, I'm picking some of the easiest recipes for my readers to try; later on, I'll start delving into the more complex ones, once we all get the hang of making things. :)

This week I'm featuring the founder of Make Your Cosmetics' recipe for Shea Shine Lip Butter! Soft lips are one of my favorite things, and shea butter and beeswax are wonderful for dry, chapped skin. (Think Burt's Bees!) Like last week, I'll update this post later with my review of the recipe once I gather all my ingredients.

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This is a fabulous recipe for lip butter. It will help keep your lips soft and supple in the winter season.

Yield: Approx. 1.25 ounces (enough to fill about 5 1/4 ounce lip balm tubes/jars)
Prep Time: about 15 minutes
Price Category: 1
Difficulty Level: 1
Shelf Life: 6 months

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon beeswax
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon castor oil
1 teaspoon shea butter

Blending Procedure:

1. Place all ingredients in a heat proof measuring cup with a pour spout. (I like to use Pyrex.) Put the cup in a pan of boiling water and stir gently with a pop sickle stick or clean spoon until the wax is almost melted.
   
   
2. Remove from pan and stir well until wax is completely melted. Carefully pour into lip balm tubes or pots. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes before using. Enjoy!!

Jenn's Review: This lip balm recipe comes out mostly solid, but is great for moisturizing lips. The castor oil gives it a nice shine, and the shea butter and beeswax are good conditioners. I'm currently experimenting with different ingredient ratios for a whole DIY lip balm post, but this recipe is fine for beginners! My biggest tip is to make sure you have a good container - such as a lip balm pot or tube - to store your mixture in when it's done, so it can be used easily!

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Always remember to seal your mixtures tightly and keep them away from moisture to prevent unwanted bacterial growth! Some recipes can last a very long time if you prevent contamination and use clean hands when handling. Let me know if you make this lip butter and how you like it! I can't wait to try it for myself.

See you back here next Monday with another amazing recipe! :)

Recipe(s) reprinted with the permission of www.MakeYourCosmetics.com. For hundreds more recipes in several categories (like scrubs, powders, baby products, creams, balms and soaps), plus suppliers for the ingredients to make them, visit www.MakeYourCosmetics.com today!

Image: fromnaturewithlove.com

Recipe of the Week: Brown Sugar Body Scrub

Welcome to a brand-new feature, Recipe of the Week! In my efforts to incorporate even more budget-friendly articles, I've decided this would be a great idea for those of you who love do-it-yourself beauty products and those who prefer natural ingredients. Most of these recipes can be made with common household cooking items - little to no shopping required!

The credit for these recipes goes to the wonderful people at MakeYourCosmetics.com! A huge thanks to them for allowing me to post a favorite recipe of mine each and every week. This week's feature is one of the simplest to start with - the Brown Sugar Body Scrub. Enjoy, and be beautiful!

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A great way to make your body look, smell and feel gorgeous!

Yield: Approx. one full body application
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Price Category: 1
Difficulty Level: 1
Shelf Life: None, keep refrigerated

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup olive oil (canola oil can be substituted)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blending Procedure:

1. Pour the brown sugar into a bowl and pack it tightly using the back of a spoon. Add the olive oil and mix together to form a paste.
   
   
2. Add the vanilla extract last for a hint of scent. To use, scoop some into the palm of your hand and massage gently from limbs to torso, avoiding broken skin and face. Enjoy!

Jenn's Review: This scrub can be messy, so be sure to do it during a shower or bath, and be careful because things can get slippery. I'd recommend starting with a little less olive oil at first, and if you prefer more, you can add it later. I also suggest using it right away, while it's fresh, instead of refrigerating it. The scrub is very moisturizing and great at exfoliating, but if you don't like a lot of oil, wash off a bit after using it to get rid of the feeling on your skin. It really helps!

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Always remember to seal your mixtures tightly and keep them away from moisture to prevent unwanted bacterial growth! If you make the scrub, let me know how much you like it! Why buy it when you can make something wonderful right at your bathroom sink?

See you back here next Monday with another amazing recipe! :)

Recipe(s) reprinted with the permission of www.MakeYourCosmetics.com. For hundreds more recipes in several categories (like scrubs, powders, baby products, creams, balms and soaps), plus suppliers for the ingredients to make them, visit www.MakeYourCosmetics.com today!