Currently I am loving beauty products that are as natural as possible. And my current holy trinity is Honey, Lemon Juice and Olive Oil. Hot Damn this stuff is good, inexpensive and more versatile than you can imagine. Go raid your kitchen cupboards right now.
Cleanser
Okay, lets start with the basics. I use (high quality) extra virgin olive oil straight on a cotton wool pad as an extra moisturising make up remover and cleanser. It easily lifts my make up off and if you have your cotton pad saturated enough (certainly not dripping though) It drags very little, maybe a little more than my new French discovery - Bioderma Crealine H20 Cleansing Solution - but the pay off (besides being in almost everyone's cupboard) is that you perhaps use less swipes with olive oil waterproof mascara, both remove it effectively, but I feel that olive oil is quicker.
Face Mask
Next up is my hydrating face mask. For this I use 1 part runny honey to 1 part olive oil to 1 part lemon juice. As with all things natural, quality ingredients make better products. I mix this together in a shallow dish, it's quite a thin consistency but once it is on my face I find it stays put. I apply onto my face with my fingers and leave for at least 15 minutes, I store any excess in the fridge for next time. This leaves my skin feeling (and smelling!) great. When I first apply I find it tingles a little, in a nice, "Oh that's doing something" way, rather than a sting-y, tightening feeling. I believe this is due to the antibacterial properties of the honey. More on that in the "Science Bit". After 15 minutes I wash the mask off, it is removed by warm water very easily, and pat my face dry leaving my skin feeling decidedly fresh and soft.
Cough Remedy
I also use the exact same mixture as a remedy for coughs. I've been hit by cold after cold since arriving in France and this no fuss, all natural soother has been a God send. You can also up the lemon quota to increase vitamin C. As before mix together and then take a large spoonful or two. Make up extra and store in the fridge. Easy Peasy.
Facial Scrub
You can also add sugar to the original face mask to create a scrub, I use about 3 tablespoons of sugar into the recipe above and add an extra squirt or two of lemon, but you can play around with the amounts to find a consistency you like. This scrub is great for the body, rough elbows, knees and shins that need brightening up and is also great for use on the face too.
Acne Blaster
Finally the hardcore stuff, Take the original face mask and finally dissolve a drop of water on three aspirins and crush them up. Mix these all together and apply to any kind of razor rash, redness, pimples or all over your face. Leave for 15 minutes, the mask will harden, then using a little water and swirling motions remove the mask as if you were using an ex-foliating cream. Seriously this stuff is amazing if you have oily skin, it tautens those pores right up, but it can be a little drying if your skin is not oily so be careful not to over use. Aspirin is a great source of Salicylic Acid which is why this mask is so great for those prone to acne.
Now for why these ingredients work on your skin.
Olive Oil is great for the skin because of it's wonderful anti-inflammatory and hydrating properties, with out clogging up your pores. This is due to The wide variety of antioxidants in olive oil including Vitamin A and E but the most potent compound is hydroxytyrosol. Hydroxytyrosol is a very rare but potent antioxidant found in olive oil that prevents free radical damage on skin cells and all those antioxidants are excellent at imparting moisture in to your skin. What's not to love?
Honey has been used for thousands of years as medicinal and a skin treatment. The “Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine” reports that honey was used extensively by the ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians for wounds and disease and has proven value in treating surgical and burn wounds. This is because when raw honey is mixed with water (as found in the lemon juice in my mask) it produces Hydrogen Peroxide which is an excellent, mild antiseptic perfect for helping to eliminate pimples and keep your skin hygienic and clean.
Honey also makes a great exfoliant as it contains mild alpha hydroxy acids, such as gluconic acid. These acids are very safe to use on skin and can loosen bonds between the dead skin cells, making it easier to shed this dead layer. These acids also increase elasticity, balance out oily skin, stimulate collagen production, and minimize lines and wrinkles, making you look younger.
Honey's moisturising properties are from the amino acids it contains, which help the skin retain its essential moisture. So really, I am not sure how much more positive testimonials you need for honey!
In my mask the main purpose of the lemon juice is to provide a little water content to react with the honey but with the added benefit of lemon's well document cleansing properties. Plus it's chock full of vitamins. A winner all round.
Finally the Aspirin, as mentioned before Aspirin contains Salytic Acid which is the active ingredient in many of the acne treatments on the market. Aspirin is also an anti inflammatory so can be helpful in reducing skin redness.
I hope I have inspired you to give some of my DIY home beauty treatments a go. If you do give them a whirl please let me know how you get on!
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