Dessert for your Skin!!

As some of you might know, I have a bit of a history with cake and beauty.

I’ve never been a total girl’s girl–you know but when I am, hooked on dresses, lip gloss, fancy skin cream and the like. Ive also always been obsessed with baked goods (what gave that away?).

Besides, us baking junkies cannot live on baked goods alone, right? We all love our skin and hair to feel nourished, youthful and glowing (you know, for those days we actually leave the kitchen). So let’s talk beauty, baby:

*As with anything that you’re applying to your skin, you’ll want to do a little patch test, before using all over your face or body, particularly if you have sensitive skin.

Aside from its divine taste and texture, honey is said to have countless health benefits and medicinal uses, a lot of which have to do with its anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties, among others. Honey seems to be a heal-all, including working as a treatment for cuts, wounds, sore throats, hangovers, energy-boosting and many more. But honey also boasts several beauty benefits. It is known for its soothing properties and for being a natural humectant (naturally attracts and retains moisture), so needless to say it’s a sweet addition to any beauty routine.

Here are some (of many) ways I like to use honey in my beauty routine:

Mixing a squeeze of honey with coconut oil or shea butter for a sweet-as-can-be body moisturizer.

Adding a few generous squeezes of honey (about 1/2 to 1 cup) to warm bath water for a luxurious bath (I have to admit, I do feel slightly Cleopatra-esque doing this, but I think we all need to feel that way whenever possible.) It feels incredibly silky and leaves the skin smooth as can be.

Squeezing a teaspoon of honey into your palm and mixing with my shampoo in the shower for taming my long locks.

So it’s true, sugar isn’t necessarily the most magical ingredient for the inside of our bodies–we know this. (Which is why we all keep our sugar intake to a minimum, right? Right. Ahem.) But, sugar is a fabulous beauty ingredient. It’s also helpful that it’s likely always in your cupboard, ready and waiting to beautify the baker (that’s you).

One of the main benefits of sugar (when used on the skin) is that it contains glycolic acid (Alpha hydroxy acid). Glycolic acid penetrates the skin easily, and is said to reduce wrinkles and remedy hyper-pigmentation (along with many other skin conditions). With its ability to “peel away” dead skin cells, it is a natural exfoliant, revealing the healthy, live cells beneath which gives our skin that vibrancy and glow we all yearn for. The sugar granules themselves are also an exfoliant and are a great way to bind other skin-saving oils (eg. olive oil) to create the ultimate natural skin product. (It’s also handy that sugar acts as a natural preservative, giving our homemade beauty products a longer shelf life.)

You can use any type of sugar in your beauty routine, but just note that the finer the sugar granule, the gentler the exfoliation. You can use it on its own, but I find it’s easier to combine with some olive oil, coconut oil or other beautifying base-oils, such as sweet almond oil or jojoba oil (these are found at health food shops or online).

From finest to most coarse, I use brown sugar, castor sugar (aka superfine sugar), granulated sugar, or raw sugar (aka turbinado sugar). You can, though, use any kind of sugar you may have or come across. Just remember that if you are using on your face, I would stick to brown sugar or caster sugar and apply in small, gentle circles before rinsing thoroughly. For your body, any of the sugars would work well– I use turbinado mixed with some lavender white sugar (and oils) for my body scrubs, and apply  (the sugar dissolves down the shower drain). I don’t, however, recommend using a sugar scrub in the tub–the granules tend to sink to the bottom and can aggravate your, um, parts. Let us stick to the sink or shower for our exfoliating adventures.

With their protein-richness and nutrients, it’s not a surprise that eggs can make a nourishing and natural beauty ingredient. 

Both egg whites and egg yolks can be used in at-home beauty care, both for nourishing facial and hair treatments. While I have to admit that I don’t feel particularly comfortable rubbing raw eggs on my face, but I have been known to smother my rather large, and potentially dry hair in whole eggs for a rich boost of moisture and shine.

There are many egg-based hair treatment recipes out there, but I like to keep it simple–break an egg (or in my land of big-hair, 2 eggs) into a bowl and whisk (scrambled eggs, anyone?). Get into the shower and work the mixture into dry hair from root to ends. Leave on for 10 minutes before rinsing with COOL water, not hot water, or you will end up with cooked eggy bits in your mane, and that’s never good. Once completely rinsed, shampoo and condition as usual.

COCONUT OIL

Let’s just call this the sweet-miracle ingredient. I keep a big jar of this stuff in my kitchen at all times–it’s readily available at grocery stores, health food stores.

The actual health benefits of coconut oil are seemingly endless: When used in cooking and baking, it has been scientifically linked to such things as weight loss, increased energy and lower blood cholesterol levels, just to name a few.

If that’s not enough of a reason to start buying it by the truckload, let’s talk about how it can make us even more dazzling. 

You can use coconut oil straight out of the jar as a nourishing and effective makeup remover, body moisturizer (it’s a bit greasy for a face moisturizer though), massage oil, deep hair treatment, hair-styling cream to ease frizz and add sheen, lip balm and more.

Here are just a few of the ways I love to use coconut oil in my beauty routine:

Placing a small amount of the oil on a cotton round to remove my eye makeup. I love how easily it takes off even the blackest of mascaras, and moisturizes that sensitive eye area all the while (just don’t get it in your eyes). 

Adding a scoop to homemade brown sugar body scrub (see below) used every few days in the shower. The coconut oil adds extra richness and leaves a gorgeous sheen (soap, albeit very necessary, is super-drying, so this is a fabulous skin-quench to apply after you use shower suds of any kind).

Using directly out of the jar post-shower as a full body moisturizer, rubbing it into nails as well for a cuticle treatment and nourishment (you can also try adding a bit of honey and rubbing together before massaging into skin–sweet decadence!).

Using as a once-per-week deep hair treatment by massaging into hair (starting a few inches below roots working through to ends), leaving on for 10 minutes and then applying shampoo, washing and rinsing in the shower (don’t rinse before adding shampoo, or it will remain greasy for days).

Applying to lips as a decadent lip balm, nails as a nail and cuticle balm and feet as a foot cream. (I also love using it on my dry hands, but because it does have a light greasiness to it, so you just want to be sure to really work it in.)

With large amounts of vitamin A, D, and, as well as vitamin E (a powerful antioxidant–antioxidants kill free radicals which cause our skin to show the signs of aging), olive oil is another miracle oil of sorts–its uses and benefits are seemingly endless, for both health and beauty. 

Here are some ways in which you can use olive oil in your beauty routine:

Using an olive-oil based sugar scrub in the shower (you can also include the coconut oil mentioned above, among other ingredients in this list.) for a decadent and nourishing skin treatment.

Applying all over body for a skin-sheen and hit of moisture.

Applying a few drops to a cotton round to removing makeup (and as with commercial makeup remover, you just don’t want to get it in your eyes).

Working into hands, feet, heels and elbows (or any other dry patches or areas of skin) for and instant treatment, either on its own or mixed with honey.

Filling a small dish with olive oil and soaking nails for a few moments to soften cuticles for a mini at-home manicure (soak for a few minutes and then gently push the cuticles down prior to painting your nails).

Adding a few tablespoons of olive oil to warm bath water for moisture and lighter layer of sheen.

COCOA BUTTER

Okay, so you may not already have this in your pantry, unless you’re making your own chocolate, but this makes for not only an amazing baking ingredient (try it–it’s awesome), but incredible asset to your natural beauty ingredient arsenal (you can buy it at health food stores). 

Cocoa butter is high in antioxidants and is extremely nourishing. Much like chocolate, the cocoa butter itself is solid at room temperature but begins to soften and melt with the warmth of your hands, so it makes an ideal massage bar and body butter–it’s creamy, rich, nourishing and velvety. It also has the most delightful-but-subtle chocolaty confection scent to it, naturally–pure decadence for your skin, lips and nails.

I can tell you that cocoa butter does have some amazing uses for natural beauty and care . . .

Here are some of the ways you can use cocoa butter in your beauty routine:

Use a chunk of raw cocoa butter as a massage bar, which in turn becomes an rich and nourishing moisturizer.

Apply to lips as a decadent (and yummy-smelling) lip balm.

Rub into nails for an effective nail treatment and natural shine.

Melt 1 part cocoa butter and 1 part coconut oil over a double boiler until melted, remove from heat and add a squeeze of honey and stir until combined. pour into a glass jar and let cool. Use on dry skin or all over body for a sweet and decadent body butter.

So it does seem a little strange to be using the same thing for our beautiful-ness as we do to deodorize our refrigerators and bake our cakes with, but it seems there are countless ways to tie this everyday ingredient into our skin and hair care routines (you’ll just want to keep the box of baking soda in the cupboard, in the fridge). And since you likely always have baking soda on hand, it just might be time to give it a few other cheap and cheerful purposes. Think purifying and clean. Super clean.

Here are some nifty ways you can work this clarifying ingredient into your beauty routine:

For a quick and super-affordable dry shampoo, use a clean, medium-sized make up brush dipped in baking soda (with excess tapped off) and blot along your oily roots. Leave on for about a minute and then shake hair with your hands to distribute and rid of any excess. The baking soda will absorb all of the grease and leave your hair feeling ready for (yet) another day.

Create an effective, natural face cleanser by mixing 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water, and apply to damp skin in a gentle, circular motion. Rinse well with lukewarm water and pat dry. This is gentle enough to use several days per week, particularly in the summer when our skin generates more oil.

Sprinkle some baking soda onto the regular amount of toothpaste on your brush, and brush your teeth as usual for a homemade tooth whitener.

So there we have it! There are so many more, but these are the ingredients I use the most in my beauty routine. And if you’re not the type of person who feels comfortable smothering and slathering kitchen cupboard ingredients on themselves, try looking for beauty products that contain one or some of these ingredients–I bet you’ll notice a difference.

And if you’re eager to get buffing, here’s the 5-minute brown sugar body scrub I make and use 3 times per week for a gorgeous, super-healthy glow:

Decadent Brown Sugar Body Scrub

2 cups turbinado (raw) sugar 

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 tablespoon honey

In a wide-mouthed glass jar, add all of the ingredients and stir to combine. Keep lid on jar between uses.

Apply to body in a circular motion and rinse. Use up to three times per week.

Notes

In a pinch, you can use straight turbinado sugar and olive oil--it will still be a decadent exfoliation and nourishing treatment for your skin!

Do you have other ways in which you incorporate baking ingredients into your beauty routine? I’d love to hear about them!
See you soon with a baked good recipe!