With the weather getting warmer, I’ve decided that it’s time to take the socks off and prep my feet for sandal weather. I grab a big basin that I got from the dollar store, and a good magazine. After doing this soak and the following routine at least once a week for the next month or two, all the roughness of winter will have melted away, revealing pretty feet and toes. The best part of a foot soak? For 15 minutes…I’m not moving! (I think normal people would call this “taking a break”) LOL!

Homemade Peppermint Foot Soak

Ingredients:

1 tub full of hot water
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup epsom salt
15 drops peppermint essential oil
10 drops eucalyptus essential oil

Directions:

Pour hot water (as hot as you can stand it) a little more than halfway into a basin or bowl. Then add the rest of the ingredients and stir. After the salt has dissolved a bit, put your feet in and relax!  The menthol in the peppermint and the  anti-inflammatory properties of the eucalyptus always make my feet feel warm and tingly. (Especially after wearing heels). I sit for about 15 minutes or until the water runs cold. Right before I take my feet out I give them a good scrub

Don’t you hate it when you get those annoying fruit flies around your house? Well, fruit flies’ eggs get a free ride into your house from the grocery store or farmers market. (And it doesn’t matter if the fruit is organic or not). And when they hatch, the larvae can feed on wet or moist surfaces, where they lay more eggs, up to 500 at a time. And NOT just on your fruit. The best way to get rid of them, is to make sure those eggs don’t hatch in the first place. You can find veggie and fruit wash in most produce sections of your market, but it usually costs between $7-$10.

Not very savvy if you ask me.

So here’s 5 ways to wash your fruits and veggies more economically:

1. Wash the veggies in a colander in the sink with a little baking soda and a nailbrush and dry.
2. Spray the veggies with vinegar and dry
3. Put a few drops of liquid castille soap into a small spray bottle full of water. (This works really well on citrus fruits and bananas)

At night I don’t wash my face. Not with soap anyway. What I do is the Oil Cleansing Method. I learned about OCM from Frizzcurls over at CurlyNikki.com. Now before you say “I can’t use oil on my face”. Read her story. She suffered from acne for YEARS and this was the ONLY thing that worked. You know the saying “fight fire with fire”? Well, in this case, you’re fighting oil with oil. Castor Oil has different properties than other oils, and in fact if you use too much, your skin will get dry!

My Nightly Oil Cleansing Method Routine:

Ingredients:

• clear castor oil
• first cold pressed olive oil
• hot tap water

Directions: I have a little dark jar filled 1/4 of the way with castor oil, and the rest with olive oil. I shake it before each use. I pour a nickel-sized amount of oil in my had and proceed to gently massage the oil all over my face and neck. I usually need to do this twice so that it’s nice and thick. Then I run the hot water over a washcloth (as hot as I can stand it), then I hold the hot washcloth about and inch from my face and let the steam hit me. Then I put the whole thing on my face and let the heat work its magic. After about 15-20 secs the washcloth has cooled and I use it to wipe off any and all traces of makeup, or, if I’m not wearing makeup I just wipe my face and neck down completely.Some people use more castor oil and some people use more olive oil, and some folks even add sunflower seed oil, click here to figure out which is best for you.

DIY Eye Serum 

As I mentioned in the post My 12 Clear Skin Rules, at least once a day you should cleanse, tone and moisturize your face. (Yes, gentlemen, that goes for you too).  I do this once a day in the morning.

Here’s what I use:

• Black Soap (either raw or a bar soap) Despite the name this is NOT just for African-American skin.
• Witch hazel – the good old fashioned stuff is great!
• Heritage Rosewater – This kind does not have any alcohol or perfume in it, it’s just electrified water and rosewater.
• 100% Aloe Vera Gel – This is not the green paraben-filled stuff. This is usually clear. I really like Fruit of the Earth but there are other brands out there.
• Organic Jojoba Oil -  It is cheaper to buy regular jojoba oil, but I like usiung the organic on my face, and as you’ll see, you don’t need to use much at all!
• Organic Rosehip Oil – This is the HG (holy grail) product of my skin care regimen. It’s anti-wrinkle and anti-aging properies are incredible!

Here’s my routine:

I’ve gotten so many emails asking me how I take care of my skin. Instead of trying to address everything is one post, over the next few weeks, I’m going to share different aspects of my skin-care routine.

Everyone’s skin is different, and I’m lucky enough not to have had any major skin issues, BUT I’m human, I get pimples and pock marks,  dark spots and dark circles under my eyes just like everyone else. One thing I’ve noticed about my skin is that it usually tells me when there’s something wrong in my diet, or with makeup I’ve tried within MINUTES.

So here are the 12 basic rules I live by for healthy, clear skin:

1. Wear full makeup only on special occasions- Most days I wear just concealer, eyeliner, lip liner, mascara and lip gloss
2. Wear paraben-free mineral makeup – I am currently using Bare Escentuals, but I’m open to trying other brands
3. Drink water - my face (and hair) get really dry when I don’t get enough water
4. Wash, Tone and Moisturize – at LEAST once a day (I’ll go into what I use in another post)
5. Don’t wear blush – I haven’t found a blush yet that doesn’t make me break out. I just smear a little lipstick onto the apples of my cheeks, and keep it movin’
6. Use makeup brushes with caps on them – Bacteria can build up on them when you just dump them in your makeup bag

I think bath salts are even easier to make than Homemade Body Scrub, and they’re a great way to relax and unwind after along day.

Lavender Bath Salt Recipe
- 2 cups Epsom Salt, Sea salt, Kosher salt or a mixture of all three!
- Glass jar (I recycled a salsa jar)
- 10 drops peppermint essential oil
- 10 drops lavender essential oil
- 2 tsps of dried lavender (optional)
- 3 tbsps of baking soda (to soften the water)

Mix all in jar and shake well.

Lemony Bath Salt Recipe

A couple of times a week when I wash my face, I add a scrub to it. All a scrub really is is a face cleanser with an abrasive added to it.

I like to use one of the following as an abrasive:

• salt
• sugar
• ground oatmeal (I just put a few tablespsoons of regular oatmeal in my mini food processor and give it a whirl)

I take a couple of pinches of one of the above and put it in a napkin and take it to the bathroom with me. Then I wash my face and work up a good lather. (I use black soap, but use whatever you normally wash your face with). Then I dip 3 fingers into the abrasive and work it into the lather already on my face, and scrub it all around to get those dead cells off. Rinse and moisturize as usual!

I’ve also mixed one of the above abrasives with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and scrubbed my face with that as well. Then I rinse with warm water and pat my face dry with a towel. I don’t need to moisturize after because the oil does just great!

I find that oatmeal is great for sensitive skin because it’s a soft abrasive, salt is good for oily skin or in the summer when my combo skin turns to oily of it’s drying properties. I find that sugar is good year round. Use what’s in your kitchen! Don’t go crazy trying to find the perfect salt, or sugar or oatmeal for that matter. (I use good old fashioned Quaker Oatmeal.)

By the way, this isn’t just for ladies, guys you could use this scrub too! (I’m slowing weaning Sexy off of store bought scrubs, trying to stick to a budget, ya know?)

naturalhonney mentioned in a comment on Homemade Brown Sugar Body Scrub post that she uses honey and white sugar on her face. Do you make your own facial scrub? What do you use?

When I discovered that body scrub is so ridiculously easy and cheap to make, I was tempted to walk into to Sephora and smack the nearest salesgirl. ($22 for some body scrub?! I don’t think so).

• raw brown sugar ( NOT the “Brownulated” kind)
• white sugar (you’re trying to be healthy right? So you shouldn’t be eating this stuff anyway)
• 1/2 cup sweet almond oil
• 1/2 cup  grape seed oil
• spoon (or something to stir with)
• vanilla oil (or vanilla extract)
• peppermint oil
• anise oil
• spoon, tongue depressor or pop-sickle stick
• empty plastic jar (any size will do, I recycled an old body scrub container)

First, I filled the  jar halfway with the brown sugar, and then filled it almost to the top with the white sugar.

I made a well in the center of the sugar and poured the oils in. As you pour you should stir in the oil until all of it is wet but not saturated. If you need a little more sugar go ahead and add it. It should look like this.Then I added 20 drops of peppermint oil, 10 of anise, and 1 capful of vanilla extract and I stirred until well blended.

oil and sugar all mixed

This is what I do instead of wearing lotion. Right after I get out of the shower, while I’m still sopping wet, I rub oils all over my body, (except for my face) and THEN I towel off. My skin gets really moisturized because my pores are open and my skin is wet. But my pores don’t get clogged, because I towel off the excess. I still use my Whipped Shea on my elbows, knees and heels, (even my hair) but usually at night before bed. I don’t have a lot of time in the morning, so this method speeds things up. I also like that it’s more cost effective than buying retail body oils.

Ingredients:

1/8 cup Organic unrefined coconut oil

1/8 cup jojoba oil

1/8 cup grape seed oil or apricot kernel oil

5 drops essential oil (peppermint, anise, or lemongrass are great to use first thing in the morning!)

Glass bottle or jar with a airtight top or stopper

I keep my oil in an olive oil cruet

Directions:

Pour all 3 oils into container, and shake. After showering, pour a little in your hand and rub into damp skin, then dry off and go! Just be sure to wipe off all the excess oil, (you don’t want to stain your clothes!)

You can use any base oils you want, except for Baby Oil (mineral oil) or anything with petrolatum in it because they will clog your pores and can cause rashes. Below are the benefits of using the oils listed…

Organic unrefined coconut oil - derived from the fruit of the coconut palm. Rich in antioxidants and can provide fantastic benefits on making your skin younger. Softens skin and it forms a barrier against infection, softens and moisturizes, and prevents wrinkling, sagging and age spots. It even naturally protects from UV rays. My favorite reason for using it? It smells like coconut! LOL

Jojoba Oil – technically a wax, it is chemically very similar to the human body’s own natural oils,  which is why it penetrates the skin so well and leaves hardly any residue. It does not turn rancid or need any refrigeration.

Grape seed Oil – Grape seed oil has the same poly-phenols (which are antioxidants) as green tea, black tea, berries and red wine. Poly-phenols can help slow the process of aging, as well as having anti inflammatory and anti oxidant properties, which makes it great for helping clear up acne.  Using this oil will help prevent pores clogging and breakouts, it is good for oily skin as well. I personally use it at night around my eyes to fight wrinkles.

Sources:

Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles

http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/nutrition/coconut.htm

http://www.foreverlookingood.com/grapeseed-oil-good-skin-care

Ingredients:

1/2cup shea butter

1tbsp vegetable glycerine

1tbsp grapeseed oil

1 tbsp jojoba oil

1 tsp palm oil

2 tbsp coconut oil (the real stuff from the grocery store, NOT the fake stuff from the beauty supply store)

1.5 tbsps of organic aloe vera gel

essential oil for fragrance (optional)

rosemary oil or tea tree oil ( as a natural preservative)

Soften (don’t melt) the shea butter in a microwave, or boil some water in a small pot and put the shea butter on a ceramic or glass plate and rest it on top of the pot until it softens. Then spoon it into a food processor. (I use a little one like this). Add one of the oils only and start to whip. After the shea butter has started to smooth, add the rest of the oil a little at a time, scrpaing the sides as you go. Then when the butter is the consistency of thick lotion (like Eucerin), add 3 or 4 drops of essential oil for fragrance and rosemary or tea tree oil, (as a natural preservative) and whip one more time just to blend. Spoon into a container with a top and you’re all set! We usually spoon a little into little lip gloss containers, so that we can take some with us! The rest I put into used salsa jars or whatever else we’re recyling at the moment. I also rotate the oils and fragrances, so you can really make this your own. I use this stuff on my body, in my hair, and if you slather it on your feet at night and put some socks on, you’ll wake up to nice soft feet!

What are your whipped shea recipes? What do you use it for?

By the way, if you have trouble finding these items where you live, you can always order them from the Savvy Shop!