7 delightful DIY skincare recipes, with stuff you have at home
Soooooo, the novelty has probably well and truly worn off of this isolation bit. But we’re all going to stick with it and #stayathome because we care. We care about our elderly relatives; we care about our front line health professionals (and their families); we care about the grocery store workers and their families; we care about the planet and this short respite she’s getting. But somewhere in there, we need to also keep caring about ourselves. If we’re in the position to stay at home and self-isolate, we’re in a privileged position, no doubt about it. But that’s not to say it’s not wearing us down. So here are some super easy, helpful, and all-natural DIY skincare recipes that you can pamper yourself with. And you probably don’t need to leave home for most of the ingredients.
FACE
Brightening Honey and Lemon Cleanser
1 Tbs Honey
1Tbs Yoghurt
Juice of 1/2 a Lemon
Mix all ingredients together and apply to the face and neck using circular motions for about 2 minutes. Wash off with warm (not hot) water. When you’re using lemon do be aware to leave it on the skin for a short period of time – the acidity will dry your skin quickly. And ensure you apply sunscreen, as you may be sensitive to sunlight and much more prone to burn.
Green Tea and Basil Toner
3 Tbs Dried Basil Leaves
3 Tbs of Green Tea Leaves
1 cup Boiling Water
Crush the basil and green tea leaves together and mix them well with the water. Once it cools completely strain out the leaves and transfer to a spray bottle. Spritz your skin after cleansing, or anytime throughout the day for refreshed skin. If you don’t have a spray bottle, application with reusable makeup wipes is also effective!
Avocado, Egg and Honey Mask
6 Tbs Fresh Cream
1/2 Avocado
1 Egg Yolk
2 Tbs Honey
Blend all ingredients until smooth and then apply to face for 5-10 mins. Rinse away with warm water. Pop the leftover in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days to enjoy a further application!
Brightening Mask
1 tsp Ground Turmeric
2 tsp Oats
3 Tbs Plain Yoghurt
Mix it all together and then apply to your face for a maximum of 7 mins. Remove with cool water. Please note that the turmeric can (and will!) stain your skin yellow if left in place for too long. So now is a great time to experiment with this mask for your unique skin response!
Honey Avocado Face Pack
1/2 Very Ripe avocado
2 Tbs Honey
1 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1/4 cup Uncooked Oats
Mash all ingredients with a fork until well combined. Apply to your face for 15-20 mins. Use warm water to remove. The unused portion can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge.
Banana Face
1 Very Ripe Banana
1/4 Cup Plain Yoghurt
2 Tbs Honey
Mash the banana with a fork and then mix the yoghurt and honey through. Apply to your face and leave for 15 mins. Remove with warm water, and reveal a super soft face!
ONE FOR THE BODY
Coffee Sugar Scrub
1 cup Used Coffee Grounds
3 Tbs Brown or Raw Sugar
1/3 cup Coconut Oil (or sub in any other oil you have to hand)
Dry the grounds thoroughly first and then combine in a bowl with the sugar and oil. Use once or twice per week to leave your skin feeling silky smooth. You might recall this one also featured in our Super Simple Food Waste Fixes because it’s worth repeating – it’s ticking lots of sustainable living boxes (and we drink lots of coffee).
What’s the story behind putting food on your skin?
Avocado: loaded with Vitamin E, good fats and antioxidants. It will provide heaps of moisture to your skin and leave it feeling smooth.
Honey: this is an antibacterial which will help control breakouts; antioxidant and anti inflammatory, to reduce redness and irritation… plus it’s an exfoliator!
Lemon: Hugely rich in Vitamin C, this is an effective antioxidant which can even help reduce premature aging. It’s an antifungal so can help with Candida on the skin. The acidity means it has astringent properties reducing oil and inflammation, and that high pH also means it can lighten darm age spots or acne scars. But , you could be sensitive to it, which could cause flakiness, redness and even peeling skin, so use sparingly to begin and cease immediately if those symptoms appear.
Green Tea: An antioxidant and anti inflammatory, this will help reduce the appearance of pores, reduce redness and increase skin elasticity. Extra tip: If you use green tea in a bag, once you’ve steeped the bag, remove and allow it to cool completely. Then once you’ve finished enjoying your healthy beverage, apply the cold bag to your eye area for a super quick and easy puffy eye fix!
Basil: It’s an antioxidant and will help protect your skin from environmental damage. It’s also an anti inflammatory and antimicrobial to help keep breakouts at bay.
Eggs: The two components of eggs offer different skincare outcomes. The white will tighten your skin – but its use is quite controversial. I would recommend sticking to the yolk, which conversely is deeply moisturizing for your skin. It will also add Vitamins A (anti aging) and a couple of B’s (antioxidants and anti inflammatory), plus zinc (to help manage acne). Note that you must ensure no egg comes into contact with eyes, mouth, ears or nostrils (even when rinsing off), as there is then a risk of salmonella.
Oats: Very moisturizing and will also act to exfoliate. Bonus: add 1 cup of oats to warm bath water and luxuriate as though you were making human porridge! Your skin will feel lovely afterwards.
Yoghurt: It contains lactic acid, so absorbs oil and exfoliates. It’s also anti-aging. Bonus: Slather Greek yoghurt onto sunburnt skin to help reduce pain and redness. (But the better option is to avoid sunburn and always apply sunscreen).
Papaya and Pineapple: Both these sweet fruits are enzymatic exfoliators. Cut up pieces of the fruit can literally be applied directly to your face – but pineapple can cause irritation so if that occurs, just eat it instead.
Cucumber: It’s age old, and it works. These little guys are deeply moisturizing, so using cucumber slices over your peepers truly does reduce puffiness and fine lines, and donates moisture. It’s the skin of the vegetable which provides the firmness, on account of containing silica – so don’t peel it!
Bananas: These are secretly super moisturizing! They are also rich in antioxidants for fighting free radicals and protect from environmental damage; as well as Vitamin C, to help maintain a youthful glow; Vitamin E, to help repair damage; silica to provide a collagen boost; plus zinc and antimicrobial properties to fight acne. Superfood anyone?
Coffee Grounds: It’s fairly obvious that it acts as a great exfoliator, but beyond that it also helps promote collagen to reduce the signs of premature aging, and it has anti-microbial properties, which may help to protect the skin against germs (this is not endorsement to coat yourselves in coffee grounds to prevent COVID-19 infection).
Apple Cider Vinegar: It has antimicrobial and antifungal properties, and due to the acetic and malic acids present it’s an astringent, meaning it increases blood flow to the surface of the skin, tightens pores and reduces oil. So this is great for breakout prone skin. It also contains AHA, an exfoliant, and may brighten your complexion.
So while we can’t promise you anywhere to go with your glowing, ageless, soft, creamy skin, we can promise you’ll feel ever so slightly better for indulging yourself. Whenever we can have actual contact with actual humans again, your skin will be the envy of them all!
