Organic Natural Beauty
While treating yourself to a spa therapy is the ultimate in comfort and relaxation, there are several effective beauty treatments you can do at home. Fivelements’ Beauty Wellness Team has some ideas for home pampering.
Hair
Raw honey makes a sweet and hydrating hair mask. Take 1/4 cup (or less or more depending on how long your hair is) and apply to damp hair,leaving it on for 20 minutes. If it is very thick add water. Ideally do this while in the tub (while drinking a cup of tea with added honey), as the hot, steamy environment will improve the mask and increase the relaxation. Then rinse with warm water – your hair will be beautifully fragrant and moisturized.
Benefits:Honey is especially good for dry and damaged hair. Honey is a natural healer and immune booster, full of antioxidants and nutrients that feed hair follicles and encourage growth, plus as a natural humectant it attracts moisture for hydration. You can also add olive oil for extra moisturization.
Face
Oatmeal is not just for breakfast. While preparing your breakfast porridge take 1/3 cup of oatmeal, stir in 1/2 a cup of hot water, allow the mixture to settle for two to three minutes, then add two tablespoons of raw honey. Apply a thin layer of the mask to your face, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes while you eat your porridge. Then rinse with warm water. To make a face scrub instead, add brown sugar to the oatmeal and massage gently into the skin.
Benefits: Ground oatmeal is a gentle exfoliator that balances the fragile skin on your face. Oats are nourishing and hydrating, absorbing excess oils to help heal acne while soothing irritated, dry skin. It removes impurities and also calms sunburn.
Body
Almonds make a great body scrub. Mix 1/2 a cup of sweet almond (or coconut or olive) oil with 1/2 a cup of finely ground almonds, adding rice powder for a stronger scrub. Massage in circular movements on the body taking your time. Rinse with warm water to keep a moisturizing layer of oil on the skin.
Benefits: Sweet almond oil is moisturizing, highly nutritious (full of fatty acids, vitamins A, E and B-complex) and ideal for dry and damaged skin and creating beautifully soft skin.
Hands
Make yourself a hand mask with Virgin Coconut Oil, which sets to work while you are doing your housework.Apply 1 to 2 tablespoons of your favourite oil – coconut, avocado, jojoba, olive – to your hands and pull your dishwashing gloves (latex and powder free) on. Dipping your hands in hot dish washing water or while cleaning the floor will open up the skin’s pores and allow the oil to be absorbed.
Benefits: Coconut oil is a wonderful skin softener and moisturizer, and with its antimicrobial and healing effects can help with issues like psoriasis and eczema.
Feet
Cacao Butter is hugely beneficial for your skin. Soften a few pieces of cacao butter in a bain-marie until it melts, apply the warm butter to your feet and put on cotton socks. Leave them onto absorb into your feet and soften the skin overnight.
Benefits: Cacao butter is a quality emollient, very hydrating and ideal for feet with dry, calloused areas. It is also great as an after-sun skin healer.
