Home Brewed Cosmetics

Robyn experiments with home brewed cosmetics despite knowing she might end up with egg on her face…

Here goes, my thinking is – when it comes to food we all know that fresher is better, nothing beats organic and removing traces of pesticides and chemicals guarantees better health.

But when it comes to body washes and cosmetics no one seems too concerned about the chemicals and preservatives hidden in jars of cream. But, skin is highly absorbent and whatever is applied to the body will be absorbed into the blood stream. What’s more, it can do just as much damage as the chemicals ingested through eating. So my new dictum is: if it’s not safe to eat it’s not safe to put on my body.

Exchanging chemical options for home brewed fresh cosmetics isn’t that difficult. All it requires is a shopping list of natural ingredients, a few mixing bowls and time to test the results. That means a few different oils and then edibles like yoghurt, paw paw, oats, almonds, apple juice, honey, avocado and then some. My favourite tip is using the grains from your filter coffee as a scrub for areas with cellulite. Apparently the diuretic effect of coffee works really well to smooth these areas.

To get the highest potency from your chosen ingredient mix up your portions as you need them. Try some of these recipes for starters and let me know if you have any great recipes to add.

Night cream and body lotion (from NewYork based skin care specialist Lia Schorr)

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 1 tablespoon corn oil

- 1 teaspoons almond oil

- 2 teaspoons distilled water

Warm the oils in a double boiler. Add water. Use a mixer to blend until creamy. Decant into a suitable hygienic jar and store in the fridge. This will last for about a month.

Body Exfoliating Cream (from Zia Wesley-Hesford of Zia Cosmetics)

- ¼ cup plain yoghurt

- ¼ cup honey

- ½ cup fresh pineapple or paw paw

- 1/8 cup almonds

- 1/8 cup cornmeal

- ¼ cup oats

Blend the almonds finely. Add oats and cornmeal, blend for 5 seconds. Add all remaining ingredients and blend for 5 more seconds. Store in a glass jar and use liberally

Add any of the following ingredients for extra benefits.

Almond Oil:

Used as an emollient, emulsifier or fragrance in soap, creams, lotions, lip balm and massage oil. Crushed almond meal can be used as a scrub and eliminates blackheads and enlarged pores.

Aloe:

Effective as an anti-irritant, treatment for minor burns, skin irritations and as a hair conditioner. Use in shampoo, hand and body lotion, facial moisturizer and suntan lotion.

Apple Juice:

Use as a basis for facials, hand creams, hair rinses, tonics and masks.

Apricot:

Contains vitamin A, the oil helps erase stretch marks and wrinkles.

Avocado:

Containing vitamin A and B, protein and lecithin, avocado adds nourishment to creams and masks.

Balsam:

Oil extracted from resin, bark, roots and needles of evergreen trees can be used as fragrance, conditioner, emollient in shampoo, soap, body lotion and bath oil.

Banana:

Rich in vitamin A and potassium and great for hair treatments and masks.

Chamomile:

Flowers and oil can be used to highlight blond hair and in shampoo and bath oil.

Bran:

For deep penetration in face and body scrubs to remove dead skin cells and dirt.

Coconut:

Oil is used as a base for fragrance and derivatives of coconut are used as a foaming agent in soap, shampoo, cleansing cream, moisturizer and shaving cream.

Cucumber:

Use as an astringent, emollient, skin freshener and toner in shampoo, masks and soap. Good for minimizing pores and soothing sunburn.

Egg:

Yolks are rich in protein and can be used to moisturize dry skin. Whole eggs feed hair follicles and add shine to hair.

Henna:

Use as a hair rinse, dye and shampoo.

Honey:

Anti-bacterial, soothing, softening and nourishing, can be used as a basis for all body treatments.

Jojoba Oil:

Moisturizing and conditioning in shampoo, conditioner or facial cleanser

Lavender:

Calming and balancing, an all purpose bathing additive.

Milk:

Absorbed quickly by the skin and filled with protein and vitamins, add neat to baths or skin.

Oats:

Ground oats absorb oil and work as an exfoliating agent in soap, masks and facial scrubs.

Peppermint:

A fragrant oil for shampoo, bath bags, facial scrub and mask.

Seaweed:

Can be used as a thickener and emulsifier in body and face lotion, cream, shampoo and mask.

Witch Hazel:

Leaves, twigs, bark and trees are used as an astringent, in aftershave preparations, face lotion, friction lotion.

Yoghurt:

Kills harmful bacteria and works well with blemishes. Use in face masks and as a hair conditioner to treat dry scalp.