end of summer hair mask

by the end of summer after months of salt water, fresh water, chlorine-rich pool swimming and soaking up the sun's rays, our hair needs a bit of soothing and pampering. i grabbed gabi with her beautiful, bountiful locks and had her try this nutrient-rich hair mask recipe filled with natural ingredients to give her tresses some lovin'. 

she's never one to pass up on some coddling.

"supah nice, supah good!"

end of summer hair mask

2 tablespoons coconut oil   (filled with vitamins and essential fatty acids, nourishes scalp)

2 teaspoons plain yogurt    (adds extra shine, replaces lost moisture, detangler)

4 tablespoons raw honey    (high content of vitamins, nutrients, anti-oxidants, smooth shine)

one egg yolk                      (adds extra protein, vitamins and healthy fats)

mix ingredients together in a small bowl and apply to damp, clean hair. 

wrap hair in a damp towel and

let condition for 20 minutes

thoroughly rinse with warm water and

show off your happy hair!

have a lovely weekend.

natural makeup remover recipe

i finally got around to doing some research and testing for another beauty product i was interested in concocting using natural ingredients......makeup remover.

i like this recipe not only because it quickly dissolves makeup, including mascara, but soothes the skin at the same time. it is also quick to make with only three ingredients: jojoba oil, vitamin e oil and carrot seed essential oil. 

the main ingredient in the recipe is jojoba oil, also known as nature's multi-tasker.

some facts about jojoba oil:

- ideal for healthily hydrating skin

- not actually an oil but a liquid wax ester 

- nearly identical in chemical structure to the natural oils in skin and hair

- extracted from the seeds of the jojoba plant indigenous to the southern united states
- is quickly absorbed without leaving a greasy residue

vitamin e oil is a powerful antioxidant, helping to protect the skin against damage and carrot seed essential oil soothes the skin and may even help reduce wrinkles. winner.

Natural Makeup Remover

2 ounces jojoba oil

1 capsule vitamin e oil

3 drops carrot seed essential oil (optional)

Fill a dark glass dropper bottle with the jojoba oil (i used the clear glass jar above to show the color of the recipe, dark glass helps prevent light from oxidizing the oils). Using a needle, prick the vitamin e capsule and squeeze the oil into the bottle. Add the carrot seed essential oil, tightly close the lid of the jar and shake well.

To use, gently massage makeup remover onto face, including the eye area, and then wipe off oil and makeup with a cotton pad. Wash face as usual and pat dry. 

i hope you like it too!

Homemade Natural Body Wash

i've got a new homemade beauty product recipe to try for

natural body wash. it's gentle and pure and smells....oh so good.

one of the main ingredients in this recipe is liquid castile soap. i love this magical stuff. i could create a whole post about dr. bronner's organic castile soap.  in fact, i just might. it is the base for a myriad of simple, natural cleansing products i make for myself, my family and our home. you can too! the company is all about making socially and environmentally responsible products and has been for 150 years - way before it was chic and au courant. go dr. bronner!

the other simple ingredients include: raw honey, olive oil, castor oil and essential oil.

raw honey? yes, honey has natural anti-bacterial qualities, nourishes the skin without drying and is gentler than soap. honey is also loaded with enzymes and probiotics, both skin goodies. 

homemade natural body wash

6 tablespoons liquid castile soap 

6 tablespoons raw honey

2 tablespoons virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons castor oil

20 drops essential oil, of choice

     

in a medium-sized glass bowl, combine all ingredients and gently hand mix with a spoon so as not to create bubbles. pour mixture into a glass container. (essential oils react to plastic) use in the bath or shower as a body wash. apply with a natural sea sponge for an extra touch of pampering.

*aromatherapy notes: i used peppermint liquid castile soap and 15 drops of orange essential oil plus a few more drops of peppermint essential oil.  it is a refreshing, almost to the point of exhilarating, morning wake up combination.

enjoy!

all natural deodorant

in my ongoing efforts to keep things naturally simple and beautiful around my home and family,

the products we use come into effect. for more than a year now, i have been making and using this simple recipe for all natural deodorant. it is not an anti-perspirant so does not inhibit the body's need to perspire or sweat, keeping the body cool and releasing toxins, but works as a natural and effective deodorant.

there are fairly nasty metals, chemicals, even carcinogens in deodorants and antiperspirants that shouldn't be absorbed by the body so i decided to go this way.....

All Natural Deodorant

6 grams (1/5 ounce) beeswax, grated

40 grams (1 1/3 ounce) coconut oil

35 grams (1 1/4 ounce) baking soda

15 grams (1/2 ounce) arrowroot (or other starch, such as potato starch, corn starch, etc.)

*5 - 10 drops of essential oil

Put grated beeswax in a heat-resistant bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Let it melt gently (don't overheat). Add the coconut oil and let melt. Use a small whisk to combine. Remove from heat. Use a pastry cutter to blend in the baking soda and arrowroot powder until you get a creamy consistency. Add the essential oil and mix. Scrape and press mixture into empty deodorant containers (found online). Let set at room temperature, or in the fridge to speed things up. 

This recipe makes 100 grams or about 1/4 cup, enough to fill one deodorant tube. Recipe may be doubled, tripled etc.

*i have used tea tree essential oil in previous batches of deodorant because the scent reminds me of
tea tree oil lovin' australia but i switched it up to lemon this time. whatever essential oil you use, i recommend choosing one with anti-bacterial qualities such as:

bergamot

eucalyptus

lavender

lemon 

lemongrass

peppermint

pine 

tea tree

go ahead, give it a healthy try!

sleepy lotion

a new snowstorm has arrived adding to the 12" leftovers of last weekend's storm so i'm opting for a stay indoors kind of day.

with moisturizing lotion on demand in our house this winter, our supply is almost gone.  

so, today i am making another batch of my favorite, gentle, calming to the point of drowsy body lotion.  

there are only three ingredients to this pure lotion, each contributing their subtle, childlike scents.  sweet almond oil is a lightweight oil and helpful for dry and/or itchy skin, beeswax, as well as gifting its honey-like fragrance, adds thickness and lavender essential oil imparts its gentle, calming qualities to the potion lotion.

you'll sleep like a baby lotion

1 cup sweet almond oil

3 tablespoons beeswax pastilles (if using a beeswax block, grate finely)

30 drops lavender essential oil

Over low heat, combine almond oil and beeswax in a small saucepan, stirring until melted. Remove from heat and cool in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally.  Once the mixture has cooled completely, whip until it forms a smooth lotion.  Stir in lavender essential oil and transfer to a pump container.

 (recipe from Heather at postroadvintage.com)

my suggestion: 

at the end of a long, cold winter's day, run a warm, luxurious bath, soak contentedly, apply lotion liberally,  

sleep like a baby.

lotion bars

i needed a hostess gift for a very special friend this weekend and i wanted to take the time to make her something nurturing for this busy, holiday time of year.  i chose to make Christmas scented lotion bars.

would you like to learn how?  i'd love to share the process with you.

 peppermint cocoa lotion bars

beeswax, coconut oil, cocoa butter - 1 part each by weight (3 ounces of each ingredient makes 3 good-sized lotion bars)

10 drops peppermint essential oil

melt beeswax (pastilles or grated from a block), coconut oil and cocoa butter in double boiler.  let cool slightly and add essential oil.  stir.  pour into mold (muffin tin, chocolate mold....) and let sit for 6 - 12 hours.  release the bars from the mold.  

they turned out just as i'd hoped they would!  

i've made lotion bars before, substituting shea butter for the cocoa butter and using lavender essential oil.  that is the beauty of making your own products as you can get creative and experiment with what works for you.

for gifts, slip lotion bars into glassine paper bags taped with festive washi tape and adorn with these charming animal holiday gift tags.  

i will keep one bar on a dish for us in the kitchen, handy for anyone needing a quick, minty, moisturizing treat.  gotta love our dry, dry colorado.

have a lovely weekend. 

 ours is busy with holiday concerts and festivities.  is it all beginning for you too?

Rose Water

instead of saying goodbye until next year,

 i have a way to happily use the last of summer roses so even through the winter, 

their scent and beauty lingers on....

rose water.

i used the old-fashioned method for making rose water. 

it is as simple as can be with only two ingredients:

rose petals - it is best to pick roses from your garden so you know they are pesticide free

and

rain water - you may also use distilled water

when you feel like the weather is turning and your roses are slowing down,

 head out to your garden a few hours after dawn, so the dew has time to dry, and

pick your roses. 

this morning, i woke to gusty, gusty winds and fearing a rose petaled bridal path 

for a front lawn, skipped the dew drying step, threw my robe on and picked my 

roses before dawn.   

pluck off just the petals.  you will not be using the stems nor leaves.

gently rinse the petals under cool, running water to wash away any hidden bugs.

if roses are store bought, this step will help get rid of chemicals.

put petals in a saucepan and pour in rain water, just up to the petals.  

too much water will dilute the rose water.  cover and let simmer on low until the rose petals lose their color and the water takes on the color of the rose petals.

 the water should be steaming hot, not boiling hot.  

next, drain your rose water into a sterilized jar and let cool.  it smells beautiful.

store the rose water in the refrigerator.

rose water has many beautiful qualities and uses.... 

adds flavor and scent to tea, lemonade and frostings

 as a light fragrance - it doesn't last long but smells like fresh petals
as a hair rinse - your hair will love it and your locks will smell dreamy

poured into your bath - aromatherapy!

as a natural astringent - is so good for your skin, packed with anti-oxidants

and other healthy bonuses....

my plans are to fill a glass bottle with a spritzer top and keep it in the

refrigerator for a quick, naturally hydrating and nourishing treat for my face, 

all throughout the winter.

have a lovely weekend.

green tea toner

i'd like to share another natural beauty recipe i've been

using for a few months and feel good about.

green tea skin toner

it's not beautiful to look at so there's a little adjustment when comparing it to the store bought

usuals we see.  but just like a dear friend, i don't even notice her little flaws or if i do, 

i know and appreciate that her virtues far outweigh her foibles.  

Green Tea Toner

4 green tea bags or 1 tablespoon loose leaf green tea

2 teaspoons dried lavender buds

1/2 cup alcohol-free witch hazel (liquid)

Place the green tea and lavender buds in a glass jar and pour the witch hazel over to completely cover the dry ingredients.  Cover and put on a cool, dark shelf for 2 weeks, shaking a few times a week.  

After the two week steeping period, remove the tea bags and strain out the lavender.  If the liquid has reduced to less than 1/2 cup, you can add additional witch hazel.  Store in a covered container.  

Refrigeration feels nice and soothing but isn't necessary.

(recipe from Heather and postroadvintage.com)

since the toner is alcohol free, this recipe is gentle enough for those of us with normal skin.

if you have oily skin, you will particularly enjoy incorporating it into the middle of your 

daily facial cleansing, toning, moisturizing routine.

the witch hazel cleanses and removes excess oil while the green tea and lavender buds soothe and nourish your skin.  gorgeous.

the jar on the right is the freshly made batch of green tea toner i put together this morning.

the jar on the left had steeped for two weeks in the cupboard, so i strained it and is now all ready to use.

during this process, i glanced out the window and just had to share the 

peaceful scene that greeted me............a fresh, calm, nurturing morning. 

all natural gentle face scrub

i've been making my own beauty concoctions for a while now:

bath soap, deodorant, lotion, body butter, toner, hair conditioner, masks.... 

there's something that bothers me about not being

able to pronounce, let alone spell bewildering ingredients i put on 

my skin or eat, for that matter.  our brains and bodies have so, so much to cope with 

out there that when i can, i like to keep things naturally simple and beautiful. 

here is a recipe full of all natural and most probably already-in-the-cupboard

ingredients for a

gentle face scrub

1/2 cup finely ground oatmeal 

       (use a small blender, food processor, or coffee grinder)

1/4 cup finely ground raw almonds

2 tablespoons fine sea salt 

(omit if you have sensitive skin)

2 tablespoons bentonite clay

1 teaspoon baking soda

20 drops lavender essential oil

(or 2 tablespoons finely ground dried lavender buds)

In a bowl, whisk together the oatmeal, almonds, sea salt, clay, baking soda, and lavender oil until well combined.  Place 1 teaspoon in a small bowl and store the rest in a clean, glass jar.  Add a small amount of water to the bowl and stir to wet the dry ingredients.  Let sit for 1 minute to absorb water.   Using fingertips, apply the medium thick paste to the face in gentle, circular motions, avoiding eye area.  Rinse clean or leave paste on for 15 - 20 minutes as a mask.  Rinse off and pat dry, follow with a moisturizer.  

(this recipe came from Heather at postroadvintage.com)

ok, this is my first attempt at selfies for the blog.  you'd think after the 50+ photos i took, i'd be able to find more than these two borderline acceptables (i was no where to be found in most of them).  where is my 14 year old selfie master when i need her?  i need lessons.

anyway, back to the facial scrub..........so, don't expect any catcalls during this slightly messy process but i promise your original fan base will still be there when you're finished and who knows, with this fresh, bright and smiling face you may be surprised with a couple new members!

have a lovely weekend.

lotion bars

i made the most delightful thing today,

lotion bars.  

i find that by creating something beautiful, it is a certain pick-me-up to the day.

i've been into making my own natural products lately.

remember these? 

the bars of lotion are so easy to make.  they are simply made with three ingredients:

shea butter, beeswax and coconut oil all melted together and then 

poured into a mold to set.  you can add essential oil as well, if you'd like.

i added lavender to this recipe.  they feel and smell so relaxing.  i'll just keep a bowl 

of the bars handy for a quick moisurizing pamper during this cold, dry season.

if you're interested, i found this handmade natural beauty products e-course 

here and here at post road vintage.