Week Four: Beauty From Your Kitchen

     Make your feet happy with this foot reviving soak recipe from The Ultimate Natural beauty Book by Josephine Fairley. 

     Rosemary Foot Reviver
          The mint and rosemary in this recipe are naturally cooling and invigorating, while the lactic acid in the milk is soothing.  If you put pebbles or marbles in the bottom of the bowl, you can roll your toes over them while you soak your feet, which is totally relaxing for body, soul – and soles.

     1 cup milk
     1 packed cup fresh mint leaves
     6 large sprigs fresh rosemary
     6 drops peppermint essential oil

     Put the milk and fresh herbs in a small pan over a low heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat, and pour into a bowl large enough to bathe your feet in.  You may also use a foot soak sauna.  Fill as required with warm or cool water, as preferred – or, best of all, some more milk.  Add the peppermint essential oil, drop by drop, and swish.  Soak away!  (Italics mine)

     For support, information, tips and more recipes visit www.bridges2beauty.net  You can also sign up for one of two free e-newsletters.  The first is Maximize Your Natural Beauty offering interesting and useful information for making the most of who and what you are.  I also offer Cancer Answers for those journeying through cancer.  As a cancer survivor  I offer energy saving beauty tips along with encouragment and news in the cancer cure arena.

caring for you,
Carin g Hansen

Advertisement

Week Four: Beauty From Your Kitchen

     On this final week of homemade beauty recipes I thought it would be fun to include recipes that will cover you from head to toe.
     This week’s recipes come out of The Ultimate Natural beauty Book by Josephine Fairley. 

     Let’s start with the head and more specifically…the lips.  If you want a simple, natural looking tint this is a great one.

     think pink lip tint
          Beets are used to produce this great lip tint.  You need to grate cooked beets to extract the juice, or use a bottled pure beet juice, available form natural food stores.

      2 tablespoons sweet almond oil
      2 tablespoons beeswax granules or grated beeswax
      3 teaspoons beet juice (use less if you want a paler balm)
      4 drop peppermint essential oil

      Gently heat the oil and the beeswax in a double boiler.  Remove from the heat and gradually add the beet juice, a teaspoon at a time, until you get the color you like; whisk very well with a fork or small whisk.  Add the peppermint oil, whisk again and transfer to a small sterilized jar.

…as with all organic products you will need to use it up in a few weeks or it will spoil.  But then why would we want to use anything that doesn’t spoil?  We are organic beings and we need organic products to give us maximum beauty. 

Be sure to check out other recipes at www.bridges2beauty.net
caring for you,
Carin G Hansen

Week Three: Beauty From Your Kitchen

One of the things Cleopatra is known for was her propensity for milk baths.  History tells us that she indulged herself often to make her skin smooth and soft.  This simple, ancient-based beauty bath recipe is sure to delight you with its results just like it did Cleopatra.

Please remember that this recipe is taken from Natural Beauty Pamper Yourself with Salon Secrets at Home by Laura DuPriest.  For more information on who Laura is, read the previous blog for Monday, January 28th.

          Egyptian-Style Milk bath
               2 tablespoons regular oatmeal
               1 cup powdered milk
               2 tablespoons almond meal *
               2 to 3 drops of your favorite essential oil **
          Grind the oatmeal to a fine powder and combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Store it in a pretty jar in your bathroom.  For a relaxing bath, add 2 tablespoons to bath water and soak for 20 minutes.  Afterward, your skin will be remarkably soft and smooth.
                * grind up 10 fresh almonds in a food processor if you can’t purchase almond meal.

** If you have allergies be cautious about using essential oils you have not tried before.  You do not want to experience a reaction versus enjoying the great benefits of the oatmeal and almond.  If you have severe allergies you may want to go sans essential oils when making your mixture.

If you are a women journeying through cancer presently, please feel free to try any of these home recipes after consulting with your doctor.  There should not be any ingredients that would cause reactions or problems – however once you have been given the green light by your doctor you can indulge yourself without any concerns.  To subscribe to a free e-newsletter Cancer Answers offering other home recipes, articles and tips during your cancer journey – or to purchase my book Beauty During the Cancer Journey, go to www.bridges2beauty.net

I can’t wait to get into my oatmeal bath…can you?  What a great way to relax, rejuvenate, hydrate your skin and keep it soft for the you and the one you love! 

caring for you,
Carin g Hansen  

Week Three: Beauty From Your Kitchen

I hope you are having as much fun investigating and trying out some of the recipes on my blog PLUS others you have found on your own.  It gives me great happiness to know I am encouraging women to explore, try and benefit from what I write.  There are so many great things to make with the fruits, vegetables, plants and oils God has given us. 

Today and Wednesday’s recipe, as I promised, are a bit more exotic.  I know you will love them both!  They come from Natural Beauty Pamper Yourself with Salon Secrets at Home by Laura DuPriest.  She is a beauty expert, esthetician, salon and day spa owner in northern California and host of a national public television program  Natural Beauty: Salon Secrets at Home.

            ORANGE PAPAYA MASK
            (this mask works best on normal or dry complexions)
            4 applications / refrigerate unused mask in a plastic container for up to
            2 weeks
                  1/4 papaya, smashed to a pulp
                  1 teaspoon freshly squeezed orange juice
                  1 teaspoon canola oil
                  2 tablespoons sour cream
             Whip all the ingredients together into a smooth consistency.  Using a paintbrush, apply a thick coat of the mixture to your face.  Leave it on your skin five  to ten minutes.  Remember to relax while you wait.  If possible rest while lying flat on the floor with your legs up at a 90 degree angle against the wall.  Rinse with warm water and follow up with an organic toner and moisturiser. 
(Italics in recipe are mine)

Since I have oily skin even at age 53, I will not be using this mask.  However, for those of you with normal or dry skin – now is the perfect time to give this mask a whirl.  Give your skin some Rx from the dry, cold winter weather. 

You can read recipes like these, articles and beauty tips montly on my free e-newsletter Maximize Your Natural Beauty.  You can subscribe on my website at http://www.bridges2beauty.net/freeenewsletter.html

caring for you,
Carin g Hansen

Week Two: Beauty From Your Kitchen

In keeping with my promise to you on Monday here is another recipe from the “Lily Cafe”.  You can find other simple, easy recipes on their site at www.lilyorganics.com  Whether you want to maximize your natural beauty OR you are a women journeying through cancer you can find help through information, products and newsletters through Bridges to Beauty,ltd.

FACIAL SALT SCRUB : The salt scrub can be used for all skin types. Instead of an enzyme or acidic action to remove dead cells, the salt scrub uses a mechanical action. The salt scrub is the easiest and best way to have a scrub available at all times. All you have to do is simply add salt to your cleanser or soap. It is very important you do not add salt to the product in the bottle or jar. You must only add it at the time of cleansing or you will change the chemical constituency of the product!!

Isn’t it fun to see what great skin benefits there are in using simple ingredients we all have in our kitchens? 
Next week we will look at couple more recipes that involve a bit more exotic ingredients.  They will be sure to please everyone!

caring for you,
Carin g Hansen 

Week Two: Beauty From Your Kitchen

This week I am going to share some recipes from the “Lily Cafe”.  Lily is the owner and founder of Lily Organics.  This great line of organic skin care products come from Henderson, Colorado.  We carry them on my website at www.bridges2beauty.net  I know you will find them beneficial.

This is the time of year when our skin dries out and may become itchy.  This generally is a combination of the cold weather and products we are using on our skin.  Soap, especially deodorant soap can be too harsh for skin during these winter months.  Vinegar helps reestablish the proper acid balance of our skin in addition to softening it and refining the skin pores.  It is also a natural deodorizer.  Wow!  What a great list of attributes.

Vinegar Bath:  Add one cup of vinegar to a soaking bath.  Sit and soak for at least twenty minutes.

Be sure to check back Thursday for another recipe from the “Lily Cafe”. 
Feel free to contact me if you have questions about natural beauty.  Remember, I specialize in working with women journeying through cancer.  If you know of someone who would benefit from my e_book Beauty During the Cancer Journey please have them visit our website or send an email direct to carin@bridges2beauty.net

caring for you,
Carin g Hansen

Beauty From Your Kitchen

I just love these great beauty aides that come from the kitchen.  It feeds my soul knowing I am encouraging women to treat their skin and bodies with respect by making and using these recipes. Today’s recipe is taken from the book Natural Beauty by Laura DuPriest.  It is a terrific book that will help you from head to toe.  Be sure to check it out. 
This cleanser is perfect for days when you have perspired a lot or worn heavy makeup.  Oatmeal helps soften your skin to let the oils work away at the sweat and/or makeup helping to open your pores.            DEEP CLEANSER:  1/2 cup oatmeal
                                       3 to 4 drops sweet almond oil or canola oil
                                       1T milk
                                       1 egg white
     Grind the oatmeal in a food processor.  Add the remaining ingredients and blend well.  Massage all over your face and neck for two to three minutes.  It will be messy, so bend over the sink while you massage. Rinse with a clean white washcloth using warm water.   Just a reminder to check out my website http://www.bridges2beauty.net for more recipes.  Each week I feature one.  You can also contact me if you have specific questions or needs.

caring for you,
Carin g Hansen

Beauty From Your Kitchen

I will be sharing beauty recipes with you over the next few weeks that are easy and can be made in your own kitchen.  Check out my website www.bridges2beauty.net for more recipes.  Each week I feature one.  You can also contact me if you have specific questions or needs.

Today’s recipe comes from my book Beauty During the Cancer Journey.   It is specifically for women who have lost their hair from chemotherapy.  It is both pampering and beneficial!

     SCALP MASSAGING OIL:  Combine equal parts of vitamin E oil and almond oil.  To stimulate hair growth add a small amount of Saw Palmetto oil.      

If you are not experiencing scalp discomfort…let yourself be pampered!  Ask a friend or spouse to slip
a trash bag over the top of your favorite chair while you wrap up in a soft terry bathrobe and warm slippers. Then settle back…and enjoy!

Although it is rare, some women experience scalp discomfort during treatment.  It that is the case with you, then you will not want to indulge in a massage.  However, you can gently cover your head in the massaging oil and wrap your head in a warm, clean towel. The oils will still penetrate enough to be beneficial without the massaging.

caring for you,
Carin g Hansen

Why Organic Part II

    Reading the ingredient list on organic skin care products and organic makeup can be like selecting from a menu of wonderful, mouth watering fruits, vegetables and edible flowers at your local restaurant.  When storing these products you should treat them as you would fresh produce.  Keep them in either a cool dark place or refrigerator  to extend their life.  If you notice a product has an odd smell you should discard it.  However, if it simply separates leaving oils sitting on top you can stir it up with a plastic spoon and feel completely confident using it.

    For convenience you can just keep it in the cupboard with the rest of your personal products, but be aware that if you have a product that you are not using regularly, it may spoil before you reach the bottom of the jar.

    If you experience any kind of an adverse reaction to an organic skin care product or makeup you should immediately discontinue use just like a non-organic product.  Even though a product is organic you can still experience an allergic reaction to one or more ingredients in the formula. 

    There are great certified organic lines available.  They range in cost from moderate to expensive depending how exotic the ingredients are.

Why Should I Go Organic?

  Your skin is the largest organ of your body and it needs to be fed good food just like all the internal organs of your body.  Years ago I had a doctor put me on the “Stone-Age Diet”.  It was a diet where I was to eat everything as close to its original form as possible.   Of course it included lots of fresh fruits and vegetables – but when it came to cooked food I was to boil, bake and grill versus fry or cover with rich sauces.   The idea behind the diet was to help my body heal by making digestion easier. 

  The same thing applies to your skin.  If you have overly dry, extremely oily or dull lifeless skin you need to feed it with products that are easy to “digest”.  By using organic skin care products and makeup your skin is receiving essential oils, vitamins and minerals without having to work through added ingredients like artificial fragrances or colors and preservatives.

  If you are fortunate enough to have wonderful healthy skin using organic skin care  products and makeup will keep it that way.

  Either way you are a winner! 

  …more on this tomorrow.
  caring about you
  Carin g Hansen