No Calories! Indulge with Dessert-Rich Skin Care Products
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Does the scent of vanilla remind you of grandma’s kitchen?
Does the mention of chocolate give you the munchies?
Do you salivate for banana cream pies and sugary treats?
Don’t worry about the diet – you CAN indulge recklessly when you use these delicious ingredients for the beauty of your skin!
When you are talking about eating giving in to your craving for sugary treats too often will not give you the lift you’re looking for, but these calorie filled ingredients can improve the quality and tone of your skin means that you can have dessert anytime you want – guilt free. Whoopie!
What can these delightful ingredients do for your skin?
In this section you will read about home made moisturizers, scrubs and face masks. You can also find some of these in commercially made products, but these are much fresher.
SUGAR
Sugar makes an effective and sweet body scrub. Brown sugar mixed with a small amount of liquid glycerin or massage oil can be used all over the body. Apply the mixture using small, circular motions to rub it on.
The sugar grains will gently remove dry, dead skin while the glycerin or massage oil will ease the application and keep skin soft and supple.
Why brown sugar? Although brown sugar does have a bit more nutrients than white sugar, it’s the size of the crystals that makes brown work better.
You may have noticed that many companies have been adding sugar to their skin care products and charging a pretty for them. Why not add your own sugar and not just save money but also have a fresher and more natural product for your skin.
You can intensify the sweetness of your body scrub by adding a few drops of essential oils, like vanilla or lavender, for a sweet smelling and relaxing indulgence.
HONEY
Honey is a natural anti-bacterial agent. You can add a small amount of liquid soap or glycerin to a few tablespoons of honey for a gentle cleanser that kills bacteria.
Honey also makes an excellent base for a mask and can be used with all of these other ingredients to provide healing and cleansing properties to the formulations. A simple honey and oat cleanser (using fine ground or rolled oats) will both exfoliate and moisturize your skin at the same time.
I like to warm the honey a little bit so that it spreads easier. Just remember that if you do decide to warm it up a bit, just put a small amount in a cup or glass and place it into a larger container with warm water. Since you are going to be using such a small amount don’t put it in the microwave as it will get too hot and will also cook, which you don’t want to happen.
CHOCOLATE
Chocolate in it’s sugary form may not be great for you for you to eat but real, dark cocoa is an excellent source of antioxidants. The caffeine in chocolate is also useful in detoxifying skin and has been used to fight cellulite ( this is still debatable) as well as purify skin.
Cocoa butter, which is the healthiest part of chocolate is a fantastic moisturizer and by adding a few drops of vanilla you can enjoy a calorie free treat, while the aromatherapy effects can actually curb your cravings!
VANILLA
Vanilla is one of the most popular scents for showering and bathing products. It’s rich aroma is relaxing and it is also said to help with cravings. This is one reason why you may not feel as hungry when you wear fragrances that are heavy on the vanilla side.
Vanilla blends well with most other scents so when you are mixing your own body products, you can experiment easily with vanilla
Although some people may use vanilla extract, it is a much better idea to use real vanilla or vanilla oil which is meant to be used on the skin – such as an essential skin oil.
BANANA
Bananas are naturally rich in vitamins, potassium and other skin beautifying nutrients. Nothing could be simpler (or cheaper) than mashing a banana and applying as a mask for softer, smoother skin.
Choose a banana that’s ripened and soft (but not with black spots). Many times you can find bananas like these at a reduced cost at the store. Instead of passing them by, pick one up and give yourself a facial.
And don’t throw away that banana peel!!! If you’re really hungry and love bananas like I do, then go ahead and eat the banana, but then use the peel to rub all over your skin. Banana peels are full of amazing vitamins that your skin will love to soak up. Seriously, I do it all the time.
Adding plain yogurt and honey will soothe sunburned skin and kill germs. If you have an allergy to bananas you should apply a test patch on your skin ( wait for 24 hours – just like when you are doing a skin test for hair dye) before applying to the entire face.
So go rummage through your cabinets and your refrigerator and instead of making a calorie rich fattening dessert, instead make your skin more beautiful.
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