Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish, 14 oz, $65

Gone are the days of spending a well-exfoliated arm and a leg on pricey body scrubs and cleansers! In this economic climate, how can one justify spending 65 dollars on a 14 oz pot of Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish?  Don’t let the pretty packaging and lab-born chemicals fool you; these products are not more effective just because they can be found on the shelf at your local Sephora. In a matter of minutes and for less than a few dollars, you can have a homemade body scrub that is just as effective, 100% organic, and completely tailored to your needs. I know what you’re thinking, Ugh, but that’s so much work. Actually, it’s fun and super easy!

My fabulous homemade scrub- I'll never go store-bought again!

I recently made an incredible peppermint sugar body scrub with a multitude of features and benefits.  It completely sloughs off dead skin while exuding an invigorating peppermint aroma, and the peppermint oil used provides a refreshing cooling effect. I selected the best ingredients for my dry, dull skin that hasn’t seen the light of day since summer, and got to work whipping together the following ingredients:

White granulated sugar- a great exfoliant that is not too rough on skin and dissolves with heat so it won’t clog your shower drain
Plain yogurt- softens and moisturizes
Olive oil- softens and moisturizes
Peppermint essential oil- provides an invigorating scent with a unique cooling sensation (Choose an essential oil that you love and you’ll never pay for a store-bought scrub again.  I stocked up on essential oils during a sale at the Body Shop so I can go from a calming lavender to a musky vanilla.)

Depending on your needs and preferences, you can use just about any ingredient you desire.  Here are some other skin-softening ingredients for a sensational scrub of your own:

Salt- inexpensive, has muscle-relaxing properties
Brown sugar- gentle on skin, nicely scented
Coffee (grounded)- can minimize the formation and appearance of dreaded cellulite and varicose veins
Flowers/herbs- several herbs and flowers have unique healing properties (ex. use lavender for relaxation or ginseng for an added boost of energy)

And what’s great is that for a few minutes and a couple of dollars, you can provide a friend with a custom-made gift they’ll truly appreciate. Go to your local crafts or home store and purchase a pretty glass bottle and some ribbon, and you’re all set!
What means more than a homemade gift?

Images courtesy of: amazon.com

So it's not the most attractive...but it tasted great!

On one particularly boring night of watching television for hours on end, I convinced my friend Danielle to try out a homemade facial mask with me.  Being that it is winter, Danielle and I both have issues with dry skin and we wanted to find a magical concoction that would put an end to our discomfort.  I was also having a particularly bad week in terms of breakouts that I wanted to quell and although I couldn’t see what Danielle was talking about, she claimed she was having the same.  I had always wanted to see the effects of various kitchen products on my skin and heard that chocolate and oatmeal were great skin moisturizers.  With that being said, I found several recipes for an oatmeal-chocolate mask and decided to give it a whirl.  I went to work whipping together ordinary kitchen items hoping that the molecules would somehow combine to create a miraculous super-blend.  Although I didn’t use specific proportions, the ingredients used were:

Milk
•   has lactic acid, fat (don’t use skim milk!) and vitamins A and D to soothe dry, irritated skin
•   calms the effects of a sunburn
•   loosens dead skin cells to make exfoliation quick and easy

Cocoa Powder
•    a great moisturizer

Honey
•    alleviates acne
•    treats minor burns and scrapes
•    has moisturizing properties

Oatmeal
•    cures itchiness
•    calms discomfort from a rash
•    moisturizes
•    rids pores of stubborn dirt and oil

We applied to it our faces, which was somewhat of a challenge as the oatmeal was heavy and kept sliding off (next time, I’ll ground it first), and waited for 15 minutes before we washed it off.  The end result, although temporary, was amazing- our skin felt noticeably softer! Typically after we rinse our faces with water our skin feels tight and cries out for moisturizer, but not this time.  With squeaky-clean, ultra-soft skin, I gave this mask 4 stars out of 5.  I found the only con to be that it was messy, so be sure to wear an old t-shirt if you experiment with this recipe yourself.  Danielle gave this mask 3 stars because as someone with very dry skin, she felt tightness form about 10 minutes after rinsing.  However, she still noticed a significant difference in moisture level when compared with other cleansers and masks.

All in all, creating our own yummy face mask was fun and provided great skincare benefits.  Go get some of your girls together and pretend like your back in the 6th grade with a home makeover night ☺

What are some great homemade facial masks that you’ve tried?