The mummies in Ancient Egypt got a honey facial.

It’s true. Apparently honey is food substance used on the bodies to keep them unspoiled.

Honey is a great moisturizer and you can use honey to keep your skin smooth and clear.

Don’t miss these 7 Honey Beauty Secrets

1. Acne

Apply honey on affected area to get rid of bacteria. Or make a facial mask by mixing honey and an egg yolk. Apply it and leave it on your skin for 20 minutes.

2. Dark Circles Under Eyes

Mix equal parts of honey and almond oil. Apply on the affected area every night before going to bed. Wash your face in the morning.

3. Luscious Lips

Dab your lips with honey to keep them  soft, plump and tasty sweet. To exfoliate and take away chapping brush your lips GENTLY, after brushing your teeth.

4. Glowing Skin

This is great for circulation and works on your face as well as on your body. Apply honey on your skin and pat dry using both hands. While patting your skin, the honey will get sticky and gently pull up your skin. When you are done get in the shower and rinse it off.

5. Hair Growth

Ancient Ayurvedic texts say that a mixture of honey and alcohol can be used to promote hair growth. Also a paste made of hot olive oil, one tablespoon of honey, one teaspoon of cinnamon powder that you apply to the area or scalp for 15 min is supposed to stimulate hair regrowth .

6. Weight Loss

Add cinnamon and honey to a cup of water,  boil and let it cool. Drink it on an empty stomach ( first thing in the morning). They say that taken regularly it will reduce the weight of even the most obese person.

7. Wrinkles

Mix 1/2 teaspoon of carrot juice and 1/2 teaspoon of honey. Apply it on face with a cotton ball dipped in a pinch of baking soda. Let it sit for 20 minutes.

Image by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnorman/ / CC BY 2.0

I just stumbled on a recipe for a royal jelly facial.  It is a natural face lifting cream and you will notice the effect in just a few minutes. For a long lasting face lift effect use the cream once or twice a week.

It comes from a site dedicated to Royal Jelly.

Visit the site for all the details, here is the recipe:

• 80 grams of blended oil
• 45 grams of cocoa butter
• 15 grams of beeswax
• 1,5 dcl of water
• 10 grams of fresh royal jelly

Melt the oils and wax at low heat.

Stirr for 12 minutes.

Remove the melted liquid from the stove and add water.

Mix with a mixer (handy one) until it gets creamy like – smooth.

Poar into a glass, cover and store on a dark place.

Image by recubejim.

Autumn won’t be the same without pumpkins and they have quite a lot of uses at this time of the year. Aside from carving them or cooking them for your special pumpkin recipe, you can also put them on your skin. Whether fresh or cooked, pumpkins are rich in vitamins C, E and A, alpha and beta-carotene, lutein, potassium and zinc. Because of these nutrients, pumpkin offers a lot of healthy goodness when applied to the skin. In fact, beauty products and spa treatments use pumpkin extracts together with other beauty ingredients.

So today, I’m going to share with  you how to make an exfoliating mask made of pumpkin and honey. Well, you already know that honey is also good for the skin. It has moisturizing and antiseptic properties that keeps the skin clean without making it dull and dry.

This recipe was adapted by Care2.com from the National Honey Board and was posted in honor of National Honey Month.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon green tea, brewed
2 teaspoon pineapple, papaya or figs, diced
4 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons aloe vera gel
1/2 teaspoon jojoba oil
4 teaspoons cornmeal

Directions:

1. Steep green tea in boiling water. Set aside to cool.
2. In blender or food processor, puree pineapple and place in medium-sized mixing bowl. Add pumpkin, honey and aloe. Mix well.
3. Stir in jojoba oil, green tea and cornmeal.
4. Reserve remaining green tea for another use. Apply small amount of pumpkin mask to cheeks, forehead, chin and neck. Massage in circular motions gently buffing skin. Repeat. Apply more product as needed. Leave a thin layer of pumpkin mask on face and neck for 15-20 minutes.
5. Rinse with tepid or cool water and pat dry with soft towel. Follow with appropriate moisturizer.
6. Store remaining mask covered in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Image by In Praise of Sardines.

Fall is here and it is calling for new skin care routines.

Cold temperature and dry air can definitely bring changes to your skin’s health and appearance. The most common skin care problems this season are dryness, wrinkles and pigmentation. So how can we naturally combat nature’s effect upon our skin?

Dryness can be prevented by doing the following tips:

• Drink plenty of water. In the morning, you can add half a lemon to a glass of warm water.
• Drink green tea.
• Eat yellow, orange and dark green vegetables and fruits. They are rich in beta-carotene.
• Eat foods rich in omega-3.
• Use olive oil in your cooking.
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, smoking and fried foods.

Wrinkles can be reduced if you use the following natural treatments:

• Egg white
• Coconut and/or olive oil
• A mix of sugarcane and turmeric powder
• Lemon juice

Pigmentation or freckles can be prevented by:

• Staying out of the sun or wearing protective clothing to shield your skin from the sun.
• Increasing your skin’s natural sunscreen by eating healthy foods.
• Vitamin C and lactic acid are known to control and even out pigmentation.

You may also try Our Vanity‘s Fall face masks for oily skin:

Vitamin mask

Beat up egg white and add 1 tea spoon sea-buckthorn juice into it. Apply the mask for 20 minutes and then rinse it off with cranberry-acidulous water.

Ashberry mask

Blend 1 tbsp smashed berries with 2 tbsp kefir and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Put the mask onto the skin for 15-20 and then rinse it off with warm water.

Grape mask

Whip egg white into a froth and add 2 tea spoons of grape pulp. Apply the mask for 15-20 min and then rinse off with cool water.

Fall mask

Blend parsley with kefir and lemon juice. Then add starch or bolting into the mixture and carefully put it onto the skin. This recipe does miracles to oily skin.

Potato mask

Apply warm mashed potatoes onto the face skin and leave it there for 15-20 minutes. Then rinse off with cold water.

If you don’t want to go through the hassle of making these skin care recipes, make sure that you use the best organic skin care products to keep your skin healthy and good looking all throughout the year.

Image by Stefan Zabunov.

To be healthy and beautiful does not have to be expensive. Even in trying times like these days, there are still ways to look healthy and beautiful without spending too much on  expensive cosmetics and beauty treatments.

Mother Earth News presents a natural at-home facial that would definitely make you look fabulous for just a few cents. The ingredients are all-natural and edible too. To start, you would need:

• 4 grapes, cut in half
• 1 tsp yogurt
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 washcloths

Before you go ahead and try this natural face mask, know why this is so good for you. First, the grapes contain fruit acids that exfoliate and smooth your skin. Second, yogurt soothes inflammation and redness and softens dry skin. Third, honey moisturizes your skin and keeps the bacteria away. Fourth, the heat opens your pores allowing other ingredients to get to work. It is also soothing. And fifth, giving yourself the chance to relax for a few minutes is part of the healing process.

Step One:

• Cut the grapes in half and mix the yogurt and honey together. Place them in your staging area.
• Wet the wash cloths and place them on a plate in the microwave.
• If you prefer to use the stove, set the cloths in the steamer basket with a little bit of water underneath.

Step Two:

• Rub the grapes all over your face in circular motions, squeezing them into your skin until it runs out of juice.

Step Three:

• Take the yogurt-honey mixture and pat the clumpy blend all over your face.

Step Four:

• Warm the towels on half power in the microwave for around 45 seconds or use the stove. They should not be too hot to handle.
• Place the warm cloths over your face. Lie down and relax until the wash cloths have lost all their heat.

Step Five:

• Rinse the mask off with warm water.

By this time, you should be ready to flaunt your fresh beauty. Go ahead and enjoy your day!

Image by Alpharetta CVB.

The key to soft, great-looking skin is to keep it moisturized. It is a beauty practice that dates back to the ancient times.

Cleopatra, the ancient Queen of Egypt distinguished for its beauty and allure, was known to soak regularly in a rose petal and milk bath. Greeks have used honey. English women used dairy products and Italians, olive oil.  History all over the world proved that moisturized and healthy skin can be achieved by using natural skin care products and recipes.

In recent times, natural homemade skin moisturizer is not at all out of style. Still, it is the best way to moisturize your skin without exposing it to harmful chemicals.

I make my own Homemade Skin Moisturizer on a regular basis:

• It has only 2 ingredients
• It has a long shelf life
• It doesn’t have to be stored in the fridge
• It only takes a couple of minutes to make
• And it is very EFFECTIVE

If you are have a hard time finding products that really work on dry skin or if you would like to save money on your skin care. I recommend that you try this Homemade Skin Moisturizer Recipe.

Honey! I’ve go to agree with the Greeks that honey is great. You can use it in so many so many ways to use it. How about:

• mixing a cup in your bath for soft skin
• mix 1 teaspoon of tea with honey, vegetable oil and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Gently pat on the skin, let sit 10 minutes and rinse with water.

For more ways to keep your skin beautiful with honey, read Treat Your Skin With Honey.

Methods of Healing writes about how to make natural moisturizer at home :

If you regularly use moisturizer, you may find yourself using it extensively and spending a lot of money. Or you may want to create your own moisturizer to find the perfect balance with your skin and the right scents. When you make it yourself, you also know exactly what is going in it, which is important for something you put on your skin on a regular basis. Whatever your reason, it is easy to make moisturizers at home…

If you don’t have the time to make your own at least choose an organic and natural moisturizer. A good choice now will make you thankful later. There’s definitely one that is right for your type of skin.

Image by sunshinecity.

With this homemade recipe you don’t need to worry about toxic and unhealthy ingredients. And you don’t have to spend your money on products that are unnecessary.

Every time you exfoliate your skin cells are renewed.
In recipe I’ve used oats to renew and nurture the skin on your face. Oats are one of our healthiest foods. With its good fats, vitamin-B and vitamin-E it is also great on our skin.

Here is how to exfoliate with oats.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of rolled oats.
1 organic orange
some water

Mix:

Mix the oats with the juice from the orange. Add 1 teaspoon of grated orange rind.
Add some water to make it nice a creamy.

And apply:

Apply to your face and massage carefully.
Rinse off with warm water.

Using a regular washed orange in this recipe is probably not worse than putting regular skin care on your face but if you have the opportunity, choose organic.

All skin types need to be nourished. But some acne or oily skin treatments are stripping the skin from its natural oil and dehydrating it. The skin then reacts with producing more oil to protect itself creating a vicious circle of hash treatment and more oily skin.

The best well spread myth about acne is:
“Washing your face more often will help clear up acne.”
Truth is: Facial blemishes are not caused by dirt. Instead frequent washing may actually irritate pores and cause them to become clogged. But all skin needs to be cleaned and the best is to wash your skin with a gentle cleanser and nourish it with moisturizer twice a day.

The skin needs to be cleansed and nourished. Keep on reading to find out how you can treat your oily skin naturally.

Homemade recipe for oily skin

This is so easy.
Step 1: For your oily skin:

1. Separate an egg.
2. Whip the egg white with a beater until it is a soft white foam.
3. Apply to face and throat and let dry.
4. Rinse with lukewarm water.

Step 2: To stop bacteria:

1. Use Honey as a mask. Warm it gently to make it easier to spread.
2. Apply to face and throat and let set about 15 minutes.
3. Rinse with very warm water.

After wards, apply a high quality natural moisturizer. Remember to check the ingredients in your skin care!

Personally I find it too time consuming to make my own moisturizer if I really want one that does a fantastic job, long term.

How to use the treatment
Week 1 : use the mask daily
Week 2 :use the mask every 2nd day
Week 3 : use the mask every 3rd day
Week 4 : use the mask every 4th day
Continue to use the mask once a week.

You can find more great recipes for natural skin care here.

I have really dry skin and need a good moisturizer. Oils just don’t give my skin enough and using fresh ingredients every day is just not realistic for me.

I need something that is easy, inexpensive and keeps for a long time. I got the inspiration to this salve on a market. I bought what was called lavender salve and it was the best moisturizer I had ever used.

I was about to call her to see where I could buy more when I happened to check the ingredients label. It had only 3 ingredients: bees wax, olive oil and essential lavender oil.

I decided to try and make my own. It took a while to get it right but in the end I did it.

This salve is absolutely brilliant!

• It has only 2 ingredients
• It has a long shelf life
• It doesn’t have to be stored in the fridge
• It only takes a couple of minutes to make
• And it is very EFFECTIVE

Skin care can not be more natural than this.

This basic salve is prefect on dry skin.

If you have eczema this is your daily moisturizer. It keeps the rash away and has no side effects.

It will last for a very long time since you only need to apply a very thin layer. There is no need to keep it in the fridge. Store it in a dark place and it will keep for a whole year.

I use it on my face, my hands and well my whole body. It’s also very good on my kids. When they where babies if they ever showed signs of dry skin I just applied this salve once of twice and their skin was perfect again.

You can get bees wax as small pellets in health food stores or larger chunks in crafts stores. I have a big chunk of course. It lasts forever.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons Bees wax
0,5 cup of jojoba oil or Organic extra virgin olive oil
1-2 drops of your favorite essential oil (optional)

Melt bees wax in a pot then remove from heat and add olive oil. Or put everything in an old cup a heat it in the microwave, about 1.3 min.

Stir quickly and add a few drops of essential oil.

Pour in a clean jar an leave to cool and stiffen.

If you a planning to use the salve on babies or small children then exclude the essential oil.