Sunburn relief!!!

When a day of this...

...turns into this...

You need this:

Here is my very own sunburn relief concoction! 

2 tbs Organic Virgin Coconut Oil (or any other carrier oil you may prefer)

2 tbs Aloe Vera Gel

10 drops Lavender Essential Oil

5 drops Peppermint Essential Oil

Sunburned skin need to stay moisturized!! Coconut Oil and Aloe Vera Gel will keep your skin hydrated and hold in the moisture for hours on end! (especially if you lather it on like I do!)

Lavender essential oil is highly regarded for healing and soothing skin irritations, cuts, bruises, minor burns, etc.

Peppermint essential oil eases pain and discomfort when applied to the skin while offering a cooling effect (works great for fevers and hot flashes as well)

When using essential oils directly on your skin you need to make sure your oils are pure, therapeutic grade, essential oils, such as Young Living. If you have any questions about Young Living oils or would like information on how to order them, please feel free to contact me!

All Natural Face Primer

By Casey's request, here is an all natural recipe that wont clog pores.

Face Primer Recipe
1 Tablespoon aloe vera gel
1/4 teaspoon kaolin clay
1/4 teaspoon arrowroot powder

Mix the clay and the arrowroot powder together in a small bowl. Next, add the aloe vera and mix thoroughly. Apply a thin layer to your face and allow it to set for a few minutes before applying makeup. You could add a tiny bit of mineral makeup if you want your primer to have a tint.

Keep mixture in a jar in the refrigerator to extend the shelf life of the aloe vera. (Can be used up to 2-3 weeks) If you do not want to have to refrigerate it, then you can use lotion instead of aloe vera gel.

Kaolin clay is used in this recipe for its healing mineral content and its anti inflammatory properties. Both the clay and the arrowroot powder absorb excess oil and therefor produce a matte finish.

Please try it out and let me know what you think!

Cucumber Eye Cream

Didn't get enough sleep last night? Eyes all puffy with dark bags underneath? Tired of using store bought creams that promise fresh looking eyes, yet never deliver results? (I'm not even going to get into the fact that the last one is probably due to chemicals instead of using the beautiful earth God gave us!! Okay, I will step down from my soap box now)

Have I got the recipe for you!!! It works and it feels great, especially first thing in the morning when your eyes are all crusty and hot from sleep!

Cucumber Eye Cream
1 Tablespoon Aloe Vera Gel
1 teaspoon Cucumber juice (best when fresh, if you have a juicer)
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 Tablespoon witch hazel

Directions: 

1. In a double boiler (I do not have a double boiler so I just used a pan on very super low heat... no "very super low" is not a heat setting on my stove, but you get the idea) combine the aloe gel, cucumber juice, and cornstarch and warm carefully. Do not overheat or bring to a boil. 

2. When ingredients are mixed together (it should be a light pastel greenish color) remove from stove, transfer to a bowl and mix in the witch hazel (the recipe in the book called for 1 tablespoon but I found that to be to watery so I cut it back to 1/2 tablespoon). 

3. Allow to cool completely before transferring the mixture to a sterile container, and store in the fridge. This gel will last about a week. 

To Use:

Apply under the eye in an upward, dotting motion, be careful not to pull on the skin.

The Home Apothecary 1

I think this is my favorite recipe so far. It smells great, was fairly simple to make, and the coolness of the refrigerated gel feels great under the eyes!

Don't be intimidated by the use of a stove, this really is easy. Please give it a try and let me know what you think!

Aloe Face Toner

If you tried my recipe for the Aloe Face Cream and found that it was too oily... I have a solution for you:

Aloe Face Toner Recipe
1/2 cup distilled water
1/4 cup witch hazel
1 teaspoon aloe vera gel*
10 drops tea tree essential oil
10 drops frankincense essential oil

 or 

* I have an Aloe Vera plant so sometimes I will choose to use fresh leaves (click here for a how to), however I don't want to kill my plant by taking too much from it at once, so I bought 99% pure Aloe Vera Gel from the a whole food store.

Directions are simple:

1. Mix all the ingredients together. 

2. Pour the mixture into a sterile container.

To Use: 

After cleansing your face, moisten a cotton facial pad with toner. Wipe face gently, avoiding eyes. Follow with moisturizer.

I got this recipe from The Home Apothecary 1 but added my own variations. 

First: The recipe called for 3/4 teaspoon aloe vera gel. I used 1 teaspoon simply because I have a problem with acne and wanted more healing agents in my toner.

Second: the recipe called for 5 drops black willow essential oil and 5 drops thyme essential oil, I used 10 drops Frankincense essential oil because I have had great experience using frankincense as a healing agent, specifically for acne.

Aloe Face Cream

You've probably heard of Aloe Vera gel, most likely while looking for a sunburn remedy, but did you know Aloe Vera can also be used as an acne fighting moisturizer? The gel inside the leaves of the Aloe plant has natural healing properties and regenerates damaged tissues without harming sensitive skin.

Aloe Face Cream Recipe:

3 - 4 medium sized Aloe leaves

1 Tablespoon Base Oil* 

1 Tablespoon of distilled water

1/2 Tablespoon of Witch Hazel

2-4 drops Vitamin E oil

2-4 drops Tea Tree oil

*see list below of which oil to use for your skin type

 

Step 1

Remove the gel from the leaf. If you don't know how to do that, click here for a great (and slightly adorable) tutorial. Of course our leaves are much, much smaller than his, but same technique is applied.

Step 2

Rinse the sticky, yellow, gooey stuff (also known as aloin) from your gel. This goop is not harmful but has a gross smell and can be irritating to the skin. (It actually can be used as a laxative.)

Step 3

Put the Aloe gel in a blender (I used a bullet), add the rest of your ingredients and blend! Pour mixture in a jar and VOILA: face cream. Store jar in refrigerator. In theory this mixture should stay good for 6 - 8 months but you will most likely use it up before that point.

*Base Oils for your skin type
Acne Prone : Hazelnut or Sunflower oil

Oily Skin: Sunflower, Grapeseed, or Almond Oil
Normal Skin: Jojoba, Grapeseed or Apricot Kernel Oil
Dry Skin:  Apricot Kernel or Avocado Oil

If you are planing on using an oil based face cream for the first time, you might find that you have an oily film on your skin. I added the witch hazel for this reason, but you can also let the cream soak into your skin for a few minutes and then wipe off any excess oils with a clean towel. If you find the excess oil is causing you to break out (the very thing we are trying to remedy) then just play around with using different oils, different combinations, and different amounts. If the oils are truly bothering your skin but you still want the healing effects of Aloe Vera, just blend the gel into a paste and use that as an acne fighting agent without adding any moisturizing ingredients.