Herbal Mint Facial Toner

Ingredients

• 1 chamomile tea bag (for soothing the skin)
• 1 green tea bag (includes antioxidants to fight free radicals)
• 2 large springs of fresh mint
• 3 C. water
• Distilled water

 

Directions

Combine tea bags, mint and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and steep. Mix equal parts of the mixture with distilled water in a spray bottle. It should keep in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Organic Bath Teas

This is a new line of Bath Tea salts that will be available soon! 

Brighten your skin with a Favorite Fall Veggie!

Pumpkins are great for more than carving! Mix a pumpkin-pie face scrub to not only exfoliate the dead, dull, and dry skin cells that build up over the summer months (from sunscreens, sun exposure, sweat, and pollution!) but also to moisturize, which is essential as the temperatures and humidity start to drop.
Just mix two tablespoons of cooked and mashed pumpkin (canned pumpkin works too) with two tablespoons plain, full-fat yogurt and one tablespoon ground, raw oats. Apply it to your face and let it sit for five minutes before using your fingers to gently scrub your face in small circular motions. The lactic acid in the yogurt, as well as the alpha hydroxy acids in the pumpkin will loosen the dead skin cells while the oats gently exfoliate and the fat in the yogurt hydrates.

 ~Whole Living Daily

Cool Ways to use Cukes

Crunchy, juicy cucumbers don't just refresh summer meals; they're also low in calories and deliver skin-firming vitamin C and caffeic acid, which may protect skin cells against UVB rays, a cause of wrinkles and age spots.  They also provide loads of water - cukes are 95% water! 

Cucumbers aren't just for munching - here are a few unusual ways to use them:

1. Peel a cuke, blend it with water and press the puree through a sieve for a flavorful drink or as a base for lemonade.
2. Soothe your sunburn by halving a cucumber length-wise and rubbing it on scorched skin as you would aloe.  Vitamin C can turn down the dial on inflammation damage in the skin.
3. Place slices over puffy eyes - anti-inflammatory properties may help to reduce swelling.

~Eating Well

The Delightful Benefits of Massage

Massage eases tension.

Physical tension caused by standing at your job all day or carrying umpteen bags of junk out of the basement can be relieved by getting a massage to relax those worn muscles and limbs. If you can’t afford a weekly massage, opt for a special spa day after a demanding workout when you can splurge and get the works, including a full body massage. You’ll feel so good afterwards that you won’t put off cleaning the basement so long the next time.

Skin Soothers - The Classic Aloe

In the first century, Egyptian queens Nefertiti and Cleopatra used the gooey substance inside the leaves of this hardy succulent to moisturize their skin.

Today it's still revered as a natural hydrator because the gel is made primarily of water and fatty acids.  Aloe is also effective at healing wounds.  A study found it to be a better anti-inflammatory for skin irritations than 1 percent hydrocortisone cream.  You can keep it in your house, cut off part of a leaf, and apply the gel directly onto dry, irritated, or burned skin.

~Martha Stewart Living

Simple Skin Toner

Hydrate your skin with this simple skin toner.

Mix 1 cup Witch Hazel, 1/4 cup white vinegar and 1/4 tsp. mint extract.  Drop in some fresh mint leaves.

Dab on your face with a cotton ball to hydrate skin and remove excess dirt from pores.