Health and Beauty Roundup

Here's a post highlighting my health and beauty favorites.  Scroll down to see what you can make or use today!

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Make Your Own Deodorant

I've been turning to this DIY deodorant for about ten years now.  Think of that.  I've been saving my armpits from aluminum all that time!  It's the only deodorant I've used that doesn't irritate my sensitive skin.  Bonus: it works!

Honey-Turmeric Face Mask

This mask is great for moisture and detoxification, especially at this time of year.  Super simple and easy to prepare, this mask won't let you down.

Nice and Spicy Melt and Pour Soap

Click above for an easy DIY project that you can put together in minutes.  This easily customizable project is great for everyday use or unique gifting.  Give it a try!

My Number One Must Have Beauty Product

Click the link above to see my favorite beauty product. This one is not a DIY, but I love it nonetheless.  It's a staple I turn to every day!

9 Practical Uses for Vinegar

This post does not focus specifically on health and beauty, but I'd be remiss to exclude it.  Look at numbers 8 and 9 for ideas on how to treat athlete's foot and sunburn.  This is good stuff!

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Series Page

Make Your Own Laundry Soap

Honey Turmeric Face Mask

I know as the days get cooler and the humidity leaves the air, my skin cries out for moisture.  To keep my skin healthy, I use a honey turmeric mask 3-4 times per week.  From research and experience, I have found honey to be a great way to restore moisture to my skin.  Combine it with some turmeric and you have a beauty powerhouse.

Honey contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that help to keep skin healthy.  It is also a humectant, making it perfect for restoring facial moisture that is lost by the dry indoor air.  In addition to these great benefits, honey, specifically raw honey, is scientifically shown to be antibacterial.  Check out this article on PubMed.  Unrelated but significant, some honeys have been shown to fight MRSA, also known as medically resistant staph.  This is good stuff!

Turmeric works its own magic for the skin. It is anti-inflammatory (some say more potent than ibuprofen) and is said to help reduce scarring.  I've even read that turmeric helps to fight cancer.  Honey shares this claim.

So, now that you know all the benefits, you need the recipe!

It's so easy.  Like stupid easy.


Honey Turmeric Face Mask

Ingredients:

1-2 tablespoons honey
1-2 tablespoons turmeric

Mix honey and turmeric until it becomes a paste.  Place in a water tight container.

To use:  Spread on face and let sit for a short time.  Wash off thoroughly.

Tip!  Use this in the shower.  Turmeric stains and makes a bit of a mess.  Just make sure you rinse your face well or you might look a little yellow.

As a reminder, I'm participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge this month!  


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My Number One Must Have Beauty Product
DIY deodorant
Buy It Make It Maybe

My Number One Must Have Beauty Product

Image found here.

Ok, do I have your attention?

This is a post about petroleum jelly!

Ok, ok, nuts, but I can't tell you how much I love this product.  I know coconut oil is all the rage, and I do like coconut oil.  But, good old vaseline has come in much handier than everyone's new favorite.  And for me, it's been the answer to some of my beauty problems.

For years I have suffered from very dry skin in the winter and for years I tried to remedy the solution by drinking more water, humidifying my air and using coconut oil on my skin.  Those things all helped but I still got flaky skin around my nose and my cheeks were still dry.

In my typical fashion, I scoured the internet for ideas and eventually landed on vaseline.  Vaseline?  Yes.  I was afraid this thick oily product would clog my pores and leave me with unspoken numbers of blemishes.  But it hasn't!  Vaseline is non-comedogenic.

Instead of using coconut oil on my face, I now use petroleum jelly.  My routine is to spread on some oil free vitamin c cream, let that absorb, and follow that by a thin layer of petroleum jelly.  At night I use a little more.

In addition to a great face moisturizer, I use it as a total body moisturizer.  First I use an unscented lotion, let it absorb, then follow that up by some vaseline.  Works like a charm!  My usually dry skin has been replaced by soft and non-cracking skin.  I should note that I have very sensitive skin and some products, even those for sensitive skin bother me.  Not so with petroleum jelly.

For those of you purists out there, I have tried non-petroleum jelly that I made from beeswax and olive oil.  While I liked it, it is no match for good old Vaseline.  Am I afraid of the petrochemicals?  Not really.  From the research I've done vaseline is really quite safe.

So it's up to you.  Coconut oil is great, but for my winter-dry skin, I use vaseline.  It hasn't failed me since I started using it early this year.