Natural Foot Scrub & Lotion

Our feet are all too often hidden from view and neglected, especially during the colder winter months. Out of sight and out of mind - that is, until they start aching, flaking, cracking or getting sore! Perhaps we don't always appreciate the work our feet do until they're not working properly.
The simple fact is that we only have one pair of feet to last us a lifetime, and should pay them the respect they deserve for getting us around every day. And when summer arrives, it's a much better prospect to unveil a pair of perfectly pristine pedicured tootsies than two cracked-heeled and scaly feet!
The easiest solution to keeping your feet in tip-top condition is to make your own natural foot scrub and lotion, and apply regularly. The foot scrub will help to gently exfoliate the dead skin cells, whilst foot lotion will help to keep your foot's skin supple and soft.
Before applying this natural foot scrub and lotion recipe, you can give the especially hard skin areas on your feet a helping hand. After soaking in the bath, a pumice stone can be gently rubbed over the offending areas to help wear down thickened skin that commonly occurs on the heels. 

Foot Scrub Recipe 

Making your own foot scrub is so easy! The first simplest recipe you can use for a foot scrub is using sea salt and olive oil. Firstly soak your feet in warm water. Then simply add a teaspoon of sea salt to a few milliliters of olive oil, and massage over your feet before washing off. The olive oil is a fantastic skin moisturizer that helps to condition your toenails, whilst the sea salt gently exfoliates your skin.

However, there are more exotic recipes for foot scrubs that will leave your feet smelling gorgeous. For a more rejuvenating herbal recipe, you'll need:

• Peppermint Essential Oil
• Lavender Essential Oil
• Sweet Almond Oil
• Sea Salt

Firstly, you will need to measure out around one and a half cups of sea salt and add around 4 tablespoons of sweet almond oil. Make sure to combine the mixture evenly. Then simply add two or three drops of both the lavender and peppermint essential oils to the mixture.
Once you've soaked your feet in warm water for around 5 minutes, you can then gently massage the foot scrub all over your feet, before rinsing off. Again, the salt acts as a natural exfoliate, whilst the sweet almond oil gently softens, nourishes and moisturizes. The lavender essential oil adds a soothing tone, and the peppermint revives and revitalizes.

Foot Lotion Recipes

Foot lotion or cream tends to be thicker than general all-body moisturizers. It's therefore a good idea to make up a batch of your own natural foot lotion at home - so that you can focus on pampering your feet in the way that they deserve!
As above, you can use some basic natural ingredients in place of commercial lotions and moisturizers. Making your own foot lotion can be amazingly easy. For instance, almond oil, olive oil and jojoba oil are all great starter ingredients that will leave your feet irresistibly smooth.

Other foot 'foods' that nourish and moisturize the skin include mashed banana combined with honey and lemon juice. You can apply this mixture to your feet, put on a pair of old socks and leave overnight. In the morning remove the socks, wash your feet and hey presto - stunningly smooth skin!
Avocado is also another great natural ingredient in place of foot lotion. Simply mash and apply in the same way for exceptional results.

natural Hand Moisturizing Creams

beeswax and coconut oil hand cream

This natural hand moisturizing cream helps to moisturize the skin and helps protect the skin from the elements and harsh weather. I suggest using this hand moisturizing cream in replace of your regular hand cream. This hand moisturizing cream should be used in the morning and evening. However, if you suffer from severely dry skin on the hands you can use this hand moisturizing cream throughout the day as needed.

 

• In a small sauce man, bring the water to a heavy boil them remove from the heat. Pour in the apricots, and then put to the side.
• In a double broiler, set to low heat, add in the beeswax, apricot oil and coconut oil. Stir the mixture together gently as it warms, and remove from the heat once the beeswax has melted.
• Puree the apricots and water, then strain the mixture into a medium mixing bowl. Add in the aloe Vera gel and vitamin E oil and stir together gently.
• Slowly drizzle the mixture into the beeswax mixture, stirring constantly as you add it.
• Once it's been thoroughly mixed, pour into a glass jar or cosmetics bottle, and then allow it to reach room temperature. Store the hand cream in the fridge between uses.

Olive oil and Honey Hand Cream

Olive oil and honey hand cream is a simple, easy to make hand cream that is great for nourishing and moisturizing the skin after a long day of working with the hands. Olive oil and honey hand cream is also good for moisturizing hands after washing the dishes, an everyday activity that saps essential moisture from the hands, often leaving them dry and rough. Olive oil and honey hand cream will keep for about four months from the day it is made if stored in a cool, dark place between uses. 

• Combine the olive oil, raw honey and liquid lecithin in a blender. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds to thoroughly combine the ingredients.
• Add the apple cider vinegar and vitamin E oil and pulse on low for about one minute.
• Transfer the olive oil and honey hand cream to a small wide-mouth glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.

natural skin whitening

Sun exposure can cause hyper pigmentation in the skin. Hyper pigmentation is when the skin gets areas of increased melanin, causing it to have dark spots. The dark spots make the skin look blotchy. Using natural skin whiteners made out of products normally found in homes, you can lighten your skin and reduce hyper pigmentation without the risks of chemical burns that are associated with some commercial skin whiteners.

To attain beautiful and white skin

• Wash your skin twice a day with a mild soap and a washcloth. Use the washcloth to rub the soap in the skin and to rinse the soap off the skin. The washcloth mildly exfoliates the skin to encourage the shedding of dead cells. 

• Apply a skin-brightening tomato and lime juice mask to the skin every morning before you wash. To make the brightening mask, blend 1 tomato and the juice of 1 lime in a blender. Apply a thin layer of the brightening mask to the skin and leave on for 15 minutes. The extra amount of brightening mask can be stored in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. After 15 minutes, rinse the skin with cold water. Wash skin with a mild soap and a washcloth. The tomato and lime whiten the skin and give it a bright appearance. The lime juice may cause a stinging sensation on the skin; this is normal. With regular use, skin becomes accustomed to the lime juice, and the stinging sensation lessens. 

• Apply a moisturizing honey and lemon juice mask before bed every night, before you wash your skin. To make the mask, mix 1 tsp. of honey with 1 tsp. of lemon juice. Apply the mask to the skin and leave it on for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, rinse the mask off with warm water. Wash skin with a mild soap and a washcloth. The honey moisturizes the skin, and the lemon whitens the skin. The lemon may cause a stinging sensation on the skin while the mask is on; this is normal. With regular use, skin becomes accustomed to the lemon-juice and the stinging sensation lessens.            

• Apply organic aloe Vera gel to the skin twice a day (morning and night), after washing. Aloe Vera gel is a moisturizer that heals skin irritation and lightens the skin. 

• Exfoliate your skin once a week with sugar and olive oil. Mix 1 tbsp. of olive oil with 1 tbsp. of white granulated table sugar to make a paste. Use your fingers to gently rub the paste into the skin with a circular motion. Be careful around the eye area to avoid getting the paste into the eyes. The exfoliant removes dead cells off the surface layer of the skin, exposing new, fresh skin and encouraging the growth of new skin.

Avocado Face Mask

Dry skin needs moisture and every little is a bonus, an avocado face mask is one of the very best to use on dry skin. The recipes below are using avocado for its softening properties, honey for its moisturizing properties and yogurt for its exfoliation properties -as dry skin needs gentle exfoliation, yogurt is ideal.                                   

Face Mask Using Avocado 

Avocado and Neroli Face Mask

Avocado will leave your face feeling calm and soft because it's rich in lecithin, vitamin A and D. Yogurt is a great exfoliate and neroli is well known in the beauty industry for its ability to stimulate the growth of healthy skin cells.

• Half a ripe avocado
• 2 tsp plain yogurt
• 5ml neroli oil diluted with sunflower oil.

Mix all the ingredients to a smooth paste and apply to face and neck. Leave on for at least 15-20 minutes, and then rinse off with warm water.

Avocado Face Mask
 

• Half a ripe avocado
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp plain yogurt
• 1 tsp olive or avocado oil

Mash the avocado to a pulp, then mix in remaining ingredients. Apply to face and neck, leaving for at least 15-20 minutes before rinsing off with warm water.