One day I was  out of the turbinado sugar I usually use to make my Brown Sugar Body Scrub and I decided to try my hand at making my Body Scrub with used coffee grounds instead. Usually, the used coffee grounds (and their filters) end up in the compost pile, but lately, I’ve been making more coffee than salad so I decided to try to use the grounds for other stuff.

I’ve met people who swear Organic Aloe Vera Juice helps their digestion and take it internally on a regular basis. I haven’t tried it that way yet, but I since I use aloe vera gel on my face everyday, this wasn’t that big of a leap for me. (Aloe Vera Gel uses a different part of the plant). One of the changes that I’ve noticed since the temp has dropped  is that my witch-hazel and rosewater toner has been leaving my skin feeling a bit dry. I remembered that I had picked up some Organic Aloe Vera Juice recently, and sure enough, there it was at the back of the fridge when I went looking for it. So a couple of experiments later and my new toner was born.

This is so simple I don’t know why I haven’t tried it sooner.

When the temperature drops, I tend tend to drink less water, (because I’m cold!) and my skin suffers. So I’ve gone back to my weekly facial routine, and it’s really helped a lot. My favorite part of the pampering ritual is the mask. It always leaves my face feeling so refreshed, even Sexy noticed a difference! Below are three of my favorites:

The packaged ramen soups that you buy are plagued by two health eroding ingredients, high sodium and MSG. Most of that comes from the nasty little flavor packet that they throw in there. With a few little tweaks, and a little research, I was able to use a 95 cent package of ramen noodles, some fresh veggies, some broth and a little miso and make a healthy meal that lasted us all week but cost less than $10 to make. This is also another great use for some of the ingredients used in my Simple Summer Soba Noodle Recipe

Savvy’s Healthy Ramen Redo Recipe

Ingredients:

I love spa anything, and these gifts are truly easy, and can be given individually, or as a complete set for Mom on her special day. The following recipes are some of my favorites!

I was having a conversation the other day with a friend, and they were telling me how they love to add almond oil to their bath. When I asked whether they used an almond essential oil or a carrier oil they were confused. It hit me that a lot of us are probably confused about the difference, but it’s actually pretty simple….

Carrier Oils or base oils are derived from the fatty portion of plants, nuts and seeds. They are primarily used for cooking as well as as a solution to dilute other stronger, more potent oils (like essential oils) in. Characteristically, carrier oils are
rather bland and viscous (thick in consistency), with little to no aroma. That’s another reason why they mix well with more pungent, fragrant oils. Carrier oils can be stored at room temperature and in clear or dark bottles.

Ever since I found out about honey’s healing benefits, I’ve been troving the web for more ways to use it. This is is one of the ones I came up with after cobbling a few together.

Honey is a natural antiseptic and antioxidant and has wonderful skin cleansing properties. It even contains a protein that helps kill bacteria and can help reduce inflammation and scarring.

Love. That.

Honey Face Mask Reipe

Ingredients:
1 tbsp raw honey (I’m sure you can use regular honey too)
1 tbsp olive oil (I use first cold pressed organic)
1 egg yolk

I received this lovely tip on Facebook, from my Aunt Sexy* and decided to share it with the rest of the class.

Homemade Oatmeal Mask for Acne

“I suffer from Adult acne – so I did some research and came up with this mask”.

- Boil about 1/4 cup of oatmeal (organic can be used) in water

- Add in about 2 tablespoon of lemon juice and 2 tablespoon of aloe vera gel.

- Let cool to room temp.

- Apply to clean skin let mask dry on face

Many bug repellents that we spray on our skin have chemicals that can aggravate out skin and our health.  Some of these products also contain DEET (diethyl-meta-toluamide) which doesn’t exactly repel insects, but instead it “erases” the scent of carbon dioxide that emanates from our skin so that they aren’t attracted to us. Although is very effective in repelling mosquitoes and other disease carrying insects, has also been shown to cause sever health problems when mixed with other medications. (Which ones? I cant find a straight answer on that).  Infants should NEVER be exposed to DEET at all because it can cause potential brain damage, but the EPA has deemed it safe for use in adults and older children if used properly…..hmmm. Insect repellents that contain DEET  have to be sprayed 6-8 inches away from the skin, should not be inhaled, and should also be washed off thoroughly with soap and water after a few hours.. Those products should not come in contact with acetate, rayon, spandex and other synthetics and don’t spray it on wounds, cuts or sun-burnt skin. Other products like Cutter and Avon’s Skin So Soft contain Picaridin which is a chemical that has been used in Europe for years, but it is relatively new in the U.S. It has less side effects than DEET, and is easier on the skin, but should also be used according to the manufacturers’ directions. I don’t know anyone who follows ALL of the above directions. And it also bothers me that the above mentioned products have parabens and other icky ingredients.

I was curious to see if I could effectively make a chemical-free insect repellent, and I’m pleased to say, the recipe I found below works pretty well. And (with the addition of a base oil), it won’t leave your skin feeling dry.

DIY Bug Repellent

Materials:

• 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup witch hazel (or cheap vodka)
• 5 drops of citronella or eucalyptus essential oil
• 1 tbsps jojoba oil
• Spray bottle
• Funnel

Directions: