Manukanhoney

Blueberries

by lovesandluxuries

yummyyummyblueberries

Continuing with my skin care obsession, Organic DIY products are cheap, easy and good enough to eat. So this post is about Blueberries.

Blueberries are full of Vitamin A and C. Vitamin A can help to reduce wrinkles and get rid of blotchy patches and dark spots while Vitamin C is said to reduce free radicals found in the environment which can be harmful to  skin. Acne is mostly caused by hormones but applying and eating blueberries can help to control hormones especially during that time of the month. They also give a boost to your circulatory system which can help to prevent any unwanted lines, varicose veins and cellulite.

You want to be using Fresh Organic products as much as possible. The less pesticides the better. This time of year Blueberries can be so cheap to buy especially if you have a PYO close to you. The small size punnet i brought cost me £1 (that’s right £1 for a punnet of Blueberries AND Raspberries)

Hair Mask 

Handful Blueberries

1-2 tablespoons Olive oil or Coconut oil

Mash up your blueberries and add the the oil

Apply to shampooed towel dried hair,massaging into the scalp to promote healthy new hair growth

leave for about 20 mins

rinse with plenty of warm water. Because its oil based you will need to do a lot of rinsing. Let your hair dry naturally avoiding any heated appliances.

boringname-blueberry

 

Acne Fighting Face Mask

Handful Blueberries

Teaspoon Lemon Juice

Teaspoon Manuka Honey

Mash up your Blueberries, add the lemon juice and honey.

Apply to clean damp skin and relax for 10-20 mins

rinse off with plenty of warm water

The lemon juice can be drying so make sure you use a moisturiser after.

 

Soothing Face mask

Handful Blueberries

Teaspoon Manuka honey

Teaspoon Organic yoghurt.

As with the others mash the blueberries and add the yoghurt and honey.

leave on for 10-20 mins. rinse with plenty of warm water.

 

You can also add essential oils to the mask like Rose oil to reduce redness and even out skin tone or TeaTree oil to help fight any bacteria on the skin

 

Raspberries

by lovesandluxuries

Raspberry

I prefer fresh, organic DIY skincare over any chemical based skincare. The fresher and more Organic the better the results. If its good enough to eat then its going to be great for your skin.

This little post is about Fresh Organic Raspberries. Their overall health benefits are endless from helping to eliminate wrinkles, helping to loose weight and even said to prevent Cancer due to their high concentration of Ellagic acid. Raspberries have the highest antioxident strength then in all fruits.

The best way to get your fruit particularly is summer would be to find your nearest PYO.

You can help yourself, have as much as you like knowing they use a lot less pesticides and is going to be cheaper then your local supermarket. I went to Blofield PYO Norwich where I paid less then £2 for my punnet.RaspberryForBloggPost

Simple FaceMask

Approx 5 large Raspberries

I used a pestal and morta to squash my Raspberries. I find it makes a nice consisitancy to put on my face. thats it…put it on!

Leave on for about 10 mins and rinse with plenty of clean warm water.

Raspberry and Milk (or Yoghurt)

Raspberryflatlay

Approx 5 large Raspberries

1 tablespoons Fresh Full Fat Milk (Or Live Organic Yoghurt)

As above, squash your raspberries and add milk (i use yoghurt) leave on about 15 mins and rinse with plenty of warm water.

Manuka Honey and Raspberry mask

If you’ve read my post on Manuka Honey you’ll know how great this is for your skin as well.

So you could substitute the milk or Yoghurt from the mask above to 1 Tablespoon of Manuka Honey. This will make it a little more sticky so makes sure you rinse well with plenty of warm water.

These masks are great for dry or combination skin. They will tone, hydrate, cleanse and reduce inflammation. You can do these twice a week. However, they only have a shelf life of about 6 hours when kept if fridge. So only make up enough for 1 mask at a time and eat whats left.

Don’t forget if you have any essential oils  (like rose – check out my post on using rose in skincare Reusing your roses in skincare) you can add a few drops to give your masks a boost.

 

xx

 

 

 

 

Reusing your roses in skincare

by lovesandluxuries

SaltFlatLay

If you’ve read my other post’s or seen my Instagram you’ll know i’m obsessed with skin care. Particularly if its fresh and organic. And roses. They are so beautiful, smell amazing and have many benefits to being part of a skin care routine.

So this post is about re using your rose’s and adding them to your skincare.

Rose is used in beauty products to help refresh and rejuvenate skin. Its anti bacterial properties make it ideal to help clear up acne. It can also reduce swelling of acne and rosacea due to its anti inflammatory properties. Rose is also high in vitamin C which is a great anti oxidant.Rose water is a great alternative to alcohol based toners particularly for sensitive skin as its not as dehydrating for your skin like alcohol.

 

 

Rose Body ScrubRose-Scrub-Flatlay

You will need:

Himalayan Rose Salt (Great for exfoliating)

Rose Petals

Sweet Almond Oil (or you can use olive oil or coconut oil)

Rose essential Oil

 

Grind up about a table spoon of salt and set aside. I used a pestle and mortar to do this. using the pestle and morta again, add rose petals and grind them till they become pulpy.i used the petals from 1 rose. Add salt, about 2 tablespoons of your oil and 3-4 drops of essence till well mixed. You want to make sure the mixture isn’t too dry or too runny.when its at the consistency you would like add to an airtight container.

using rose petals i would only keep for a few days. If your making the scrub without the petals its will last a few months as long as is in an airtight container

Rose and Manuka Honey Face Mask

RoseAnd-Manuka

You will need

Rose petals

Manuka Honey (read my Manuka Honey post)

rose oil

Rose-PulpUsing a pestle and morta i pulped the petals from 1 rose.  transferred to an airtight container and added 1-2 teaspoons of Manuka Honey and 3-4 drops of Rose essential oil.

The more honey you add the thicker and sticker the mixture will be.

Apply to clean damp face and leave on 10-15 mins. rinse with plenty of warm water and pat dry.

Soothing Eye Pads

Soak cotton pads in water with a few drops of essential oil. squeeze out excess water and leave on eyes for few minutes to reduce redness and puffiness.

You don’t need to have rose petals to make the scrubs or mask, its just nice to recycle something natural to make these home made skin care products even more special.  You can just add your rose essential oil to any of your skin care essentials. Not only will it smell amazing but will also help to improve your skin texture.

xx

Manuka Honey

by lovesandluxuries

Manuka-HoneyHave you heard about the new product everyone is buzzing about? It has recently been nicknamed ‘Liquid Gold’due to its ‘super powers’and many celebrities such as Kourtney Kardashian now endorse products containing Maunka Honey such as Manuka Doctor.

1800 tonnes of genuine Manuka Honey is produced a year and has a shelf life of… well forever. Its was originally used in Mauri medicines and is still commonly used to help heal wounds and sores

so whats so special about this £20 honey (yes £20!)

Firstly this honey originates from new Zealand. The bees collect the pollen from the Manuka bush. The Manuka is ‘related to the austalian ‘tea tree’ also know for its antibacterial properties.

All honey has a small amount of anti bacterial properties however, this gets destroyed by heat and light. Manuka is said to contain more potent properties and this doesnt get destroyed, making it more antiviral/antibacterial. Its is graded in UMF. The higher the UMF the stronger its properties are. But be warned a UMF OF 24+ can cost you around £60

This product is great as part of your weekly skincare routine. helps to clear and prevent break outs as well as hydrating your skin.

Manuka-Avacardo-3

here are a few ways of including it into your skincare…

Spot Treatment

Just apply a small amount where needed.

Moisturizing Face mask

Ensure you have thoroughly cleaned your face and have no make up

dampen face

Apply about a teaspoon of Maunka Honey over your face. you can massage it in in circular motions.

leave for about 15-20 mins

wash off with warm water and pat try

I dont feel the need to add moisturiser after but you can if you want

After using as a mask my skin is softer, more hydrated and has visibly reduced some pores.

Acne Fighting Mask

Same as above but add a couple of drops of TeaTree oil

Tea Tree is also anti bacterial, so great for helping clear up break outs ..Its easily available and very cheap. just mind your eyes.

 

Protective Face Mask

Avocados are loaded with nutrients and will help to protect from environmental damage which in turn will help to prevent fine lines and wrinkles.

You will need

1 Teaspoon honey

1/4 avocado

Mash up the Avocado. You can do this with a fork. but the mask will be lumpy. You can blitz it in a smoothie maker or blender to make it smoother. Make sure its not too runny. Add a teaspoon of Manuka Honey.

Apply to clean damp skin

Rinse off after 15-20mins

Its best to make this mask just before you use it. Avocados start to brown quickly after they have been cut.

I make my mask, put in an air tight container and put in the fridge while i remove my make up then use immediately.

 

 

Enjoy

Let me know if you try it

xx