Herbal Beauty Treatments

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sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Mon Mar 07, 05 8:39 pm Post subject: Herbal Beauty Treatments

Article written September 2000- but thought it might be of interest to some people here. Its only a few basic ingredients but fun if you haven't made your own cosmetics before.
_____________________________________________________ Herbal Beauty Treatments

How often have you noticed that the latest selling point of expensive beauty treatments is their use of ï¿½naturalï¿½ or ï¿½organicï¿½ ingredients? High profile manufacturers sell expensively packaged creams and potions based on their reinvention of plant ingredients that have been known about for centuries.

Take Aloe Vera for example, the Greeks and Romans knew of its soothing capabilities and the Spanish brought it to the New World. Many different countries have a long history of using the gel from the leaves to soothe sore skin or sunburn. Fruit Acids are another recent fashion, anyone who has ever rinsed their hair with diluted lemon juice to add shine has made use of the natural acids contained in fruit, but the cosmetic companies would have us believe that there is some great mystery involved.

To be fair, commercial cosmetics do have their uses. Most importantly, they have a standardised recipe, which means you can get your favourite skin-cream from one end of the year to the other, and the shelf life is much greater than home-made blends. However, there is no reason to stop you combining the best of both worlds to use luxurious cosmetics, hand-made from fresh natural ingredients to support and enhance the action of your basic drug-store shampoos and moisturisers. The recipes below are good, fun introductions to the art of making your own cosmetics and all have stood the test of time. Common sense note: Always use new products cautiously, use scrupulously clean equipment, and if in doubt, throw it out!

Herbal Vinegar Hair Rinse

Modern shampoos can often leave your hair feeling heavy, as the ingredients added to provide ï¿½volumeï¿½, or ï¿½shineï¿½ can build up over a few washes and actually produce the opposite effect. This simple preparation keeps well and will help clear away that build-up to leave your hair and scalp feeling really clean.

1 bottle of good vinegar. Try Red-Wine vinegar if your hair is dark, or Apple Cider vinegar if its light
1 handful dried herbs: Rosemary for dark or oily hair, Chamomile for fair or dry hair
3 drops lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) essential oil:

In a large jar, combine all the ingredients. Seal well and leave in a warm place for about two weeks, shaking often. Strain through a coffee filter paper and decant into a pretty bottle that can be kept in the bathroom. To use, add a tablespoon of the rinse to a jug of lukewarm water. Pour this through your hair as the final rinse after washing with a mild shampoo. There is no need to rinse out the mixture. You should be left with beautifully clean hair with a fresh, herbal fragrance.

Honey and Oat Face Pack

It has been said that you should avoid putting things on your skin that you wouldnï¿½t be prepared to eat. This deep cleansing and soothing face pack definitely fits those guidelines. Apply it before relaxing in a warm bath and donï¿½t worry if odd bits drop off into the bathwater. The milk and honey are especially soothing to dry skin, and the oatmeal will gently exfoliate any slightly oilier areas.

2 tablespoons of oatmeal
1 tablespoon of clear, runny honey
a little milk to moisten

In a bowl, mix the honey with a few drops of milk to loosen the texture. Stir in the oatmeal and add a little more milk if necessary to form a smooth paste. Apply to clean skin and allow to remain on for about ten minutes. Before washing off, rub the mask gently into any problem areas of your skin (nose, chin and forehead for example) using small circular movements. Dip your fingers into water first if the mask has set slightly. Wash off using tepid water and a soft washcloth, then tone with a gentle tonic.

Rosewater and Witchazel Skin Toner

This gentle fragrant astringent can be easily made from commercial Distilled Witchazel and from Rosewater. Rosewater can often be bought in the home baking section of supermarkets but if you have trouble getting it a drug-store should be able to order it for you.

The actual proportions depend on whether your skin is dry or oily. Use equal parts of Rosewater and Witchazel for normal skin, 1/3 Witchazel for very dry skin, and 2/3 Witchazel for very oily skin.
Simply blend the two waters together and pour into a scrupulously clean bottle. Apply as you would any other tonic, with a cotton ball.

Galen's Cold Cream

This rich cream is based on a recipe first devised by a Greek doctor who lived almost 2000 years ago. It is rather different to commercial creams, and does a wonderful job at moisturising dry skin.

4 tablespoons sweet almond oil (olive oil works too)
1 tablespoon grated beeswax
pinch borax (use this ingredient cautiously)
rosewater

Melt the wax into the oil and remove from the heat. Stir the borax into a small cupful of the rosewater. This helps emulsify the mixture. You can manage without the borax, but the cream will probably be thicker as you will not be able to incorporate as much liquid.

Add the rosewater a drop at a time, stirring constantly. When you think that the cream will not accept any more liquid (small beads of liquid will refuse to stir in), stop adding, and keep stirring very gently as the cream cools down. Pot into a scrupulously clean jar.This makes a wonderful cleansing cream if massaged into the face well before washing with a good handmade soap. If you normally couldnï¿½t even think about using real soap on your skin, this cream adds an extra oily layer that should prevent drying. The other way to use this is as an overnight moisture pack on dry hands or feet. Massage it generously into the skin then wear thin cotton socks on your hands or feet to prevent getting salve all over the bedding. In the morning, you should find that all the cream has been absorbed leaving your skin feeling like new.

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Mon Mar 07, 05 10:38 pm Post subject:
Hi hun, fab info! Watch this space for an article on an ancient egyptian skin cream recipe in the next couple of days

judyofthewoods

Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire

Posted: Mon Mar 07, 05 10:41 pm Post subject:
mumification salve?

Marigold123

Joined: 06 Feb 2005
Posts: 224

Posted: Mon Mar 07, 05 11:26 pm Post subject:

Wow, those sound lovely, Sally.

I'm not really one for cosmetics, just a bit of moisturiser or handcream when I feel I need it, but those recipes really make me want to use them! I bought a little bottle each of rosewater and orange flower water in Safeway fairly recently when they were flogging them off for next to nothing, and now I have a use for them - Hooray! I think I have all the other ingredients, including the beeswax, as I bought some for making soap with, (I think). I have no idea why I have borax, but I've got some, possibly something to do with ants??

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 6:54 am Post subject:

Just remember only to use a little pinch of the borax, it can be drying otherwise but it does help immensly with getting the cream to emulsify.

Another good use for the beeswax is in lipsalves, just melt roughly equal parts of an oil that you are happy with (olive sweet almond etc, possibly a touch more oil than wax unless you like very firm salves) and beeswax, then pour into a small jar to set. Ideal barrier lipsalve if you are working outside in wet or windy conditions, and also good to rub into the nails and cuticles as an everyday conditioning barrier cream. Make it in small batches.

I do a lot of work where I've got wet hands for ages, and this really helps keep my hands functional.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 6:21 pm Post subject:
Well thats this weekend sorted then! don't suppose you have a recipe for conditioner? I've got a shampoo bar, and lots of soap, and now I know how to make moistersizer and toner, all I need is a conditioner. Who needs Boots?!

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 6:31 pm Post subject:
Just condition your hair with almond oil or coconut oil (it's lighter than the almond) half an hour before you wash it

Marigold123

Joined: 06 Feb 2005
Posts: 224

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 6:43 pm Post subject:
I can't wait to get stuck in. I'll never have been so beautiful!

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 10:37 pm Post subject:

nettie wrote:

Just condition your hair with almond oil or coconut oil (it's lighter than the almond) half an hour before you wash it

Does it need to be hot? and would olive oil be the same - I can only get little bottles of almond oil from the healthfood shop, or coconut by mail order, but I've got litres of olive oil lurking odd places.

I've never been so glad that my bathroom is next to the kitchen - I'm going to make such a mess!

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 11:20 pm Post subject:
Olive oil will be really heavy and make your hair greasy. Coconut oil is best, and needs to be warm as it is solid at room temperature, I just pop it by the radiator for a while till it melts a bit. I get mine from the healthfood stall at the market! Almond oil doen't need to be heated up. I would think groundnut would be OK too.

judyofthewoods

Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 11:28 pm Post subject:
is coconut oil the same as coconut butter?

Marigold123

Joined: 06 Feb 2005
Posts: 224

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 05 12:28 am Post subject:
I didn't know coconut oil was solid at room temperature. I thought it was a major component of baby oil, and that's really light and clear.

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 05 6:55 am Post subject:
Baby oil always used to be almost all mineral oil which is why there were always heated debates as to whether it was any good for babies at all!

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 05 6:19 pm Post subject:

nettie wrote:

Olive oil will be really heavy and make your hair greasy. Coconut oil is best, and needs to be warm as it is solid at room temperature, I just pop it by the radiator for a while till it melts a bit. I get mine from the healthfood stall at the market!

Aha - that was my next question - mine is definately solid (bought it for soapmaking from a mail order supplier) Do you have to wet your hair first or are you supposed to put it on dry? approximately how much should I use (I don't generally do cosmetics - himself is going to think I've gone mad!)

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 05 7:05 pm Post subject:

I usually just slap it onto dry hair, just on the ends, (If it's solid it will melt between your hands as you rub them together!) and then wash out with a natural soap, rather than a commercial shampoo. I put a bit of bicarb in the rinsing water to get rid of any soapy residue.

For Judy - I haven't heard of coconut butter, only cocoa or shea butter, which get used more for skin creams. Would I be right in thinking they are similar things?

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