Spring Tonic Syrup

A stimulating syrup that combats fatigue and refreshes and renews the system. Put 2 tablespoons each of freshly chopped nettle, dandelion and yarrow leaves with a teaspoon of thyme in a mortar, and pulp with the pestle to form a smooth paste. Add a generous cup of good clear honey and blend thoroughly. Store in an airtight jar and leave in a warm place for at least a day before use. Take 1 to 2 teaspoonfuls first thing each morning and last thing at night.


Basic Cold Cream
This recipe gives you a basic cold cream/moisturizer, which you can add to as you like with scented oils.
1 egg yolk, beaten
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Combine egg yolk and lemon juice and stir with a wire whisk, gradually adding oils until mixture thickens. If it's too thick, add more lemon juice.

All Purpose Hand Cream
3 tbsp mashed almonds
2 tbsp comfrey root (dried)
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 egg
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp glycerin
Mix almond meal, comfrey root and parsley in a small bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix egg, honey and glycerin. Stir in 3 tbsp of the almond mixture. Rub the mixture gently into your hands, letting it penetrate for 20-30 minutes, then wash off with warm water. Refrigerate mixture between uses.

Cuticle Cream
3 tbsp paraffin
1/2 cup mineral oil
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp glycerin
Slowly heat paraffin with the oils in a double boiler. Stir until blended. Add in the glycerin and remove from heat. Let cool before using.


~Fruit For The Face~
by Stacy Gibbs

1/2 thinly sliced lemon
1/2 thinly sliced orange
3/4 cup ethanol alcohol

Combine lemon, orange, and alcohol in a blender and mix until fruits are pulverized.
Strain liquid into a jar using a small strainer or cheesecloth.

Tightens your pores, refreshes your skin and helps remove oils from face.
Will keep 6 months refrigerated.



Citrus Milk

Slice up half an orange and half a grapefruit or lemon, and simmer very gently in a cupful of milk. Strain, bottle and refrigerate. This is a very light toning moisturizer which when applied regularly makes the skin silky and bright.

Rich Honey Lotion

Add 1 tsp of clear, warmed and melted honey to 100 ml milk. Stir briskly until the honey has dissolved and then add I egg yolk, whisking until well-blended.
Bottle and refrigerate.


Peaches and Cream Lotion

Peel and mash one very ripe peach. Strain through a sieve to get all the juice out. Mix with an equal quantity of pure cream, then mix the peach-and-cream mixture with an equal volume of cooled elderflower infusion. This is a lovely soothing lotion for hot weather - keep it in the fridge.



MOISTURIZING CREAMS

Rich Moisturizing Cream

This is very rich and heavy, so don't use it if you have oily or sensitive skin. I advise doing a patch test beforehand as some people are allergic to lanolin. I use macadamia oil because it's very light; if it's unavailable in your area or you don't like it., substitute almond oil. Both these ingredients are close to the natural composition of the oils produced by human skin. Take 1 tablespoon anhydrous lanolin (wool fat). Put it in a jar in a bath of hot water and stir until it melts. Then add 1 tablespoon macadamia oil, stirring constantly. You may prefer less or more oil; if the consistency is wrong when the cream solidifies, simply re-melt and add more lanolin or oil. When the lanolin and oil have melted together, remove from heat and stir in 5 drops of your preferred true essential oil to cover the sheepy smell of the lanolin. Squeeze in the contents of one vitamin E capsule and stir thoroughly until cool. Keep 'in an opaque or dark glass jar and in a cool place.

Cold Cream

Pour 84 ml olive oil and 2 8 g beeswax into a jar or basin and stand in a pan of hot water on the stove. Warm gently (do not boll!) until the wax is Just melted.
Warm 30 ml rosewater. Stir the oil and wax together and while stirring, add the Rosewater gradually. Remove the jar from hot water and stir vigorously until cool. To make a cream which is effective *in fighting wrinkles and scars, add the contents of one or two vitamin E capsules (prick the capsule and squeeze the contents out).

Hand Cream

Beat together (preferably in blender) I egg yolk and 2 tsp lemon Juice. Slowly add 1/4 cup almond, carrot or other vegetable oil, while still beating. Beat in 6 drops tincture of benzoin, to preserve, and 6 drops lavender, rose or lemon oil, to perfume. Keep this refrigerated and it will last a long time. It will soften hands, feet, elbows and legs.



MASKS AND FACIALS

The best place to apply any facial is in the bath, where you needn't worry About drips and interruptions.

Oatmeal and Honey Mask

Mix oatmeal, either cooked or raw, with enough honey to make it sticky. Apply, leave for twenty minutes or so, and rinse off with plenty of water. It will tone oily skin, refine the texture of the pores, and gently lift a face that's in general poor condition, especially after illness or depression.

Honey Mask

Honey is a lovely mask. Massage it into your skin, and keep adding more and patting it on till your face is very tacky. Rinse it off, and your skin will look fresh and glowing. Honey is antiseptic, hydrating and cleanses the pores. However, if you're prone to odd pimples, don't use this before a big night - sometimes its ability to suck impurities out of the skin means you get a zit.

A beaten egg also makes a great nourishing mask.

Avocado-Honey Moisturizing Mask

Mash up 2 tablespoons avocado, mix with 2 tablespoons honey and 1 egg yolk. A very rich mask.

Prune Porridge

This mask sounds and looks disgusting but is very soothing and good for a face tormented by sore underground pimples. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over 2 dried prunes in a bowl and leave until soft. Mash prunes. Use any leftover prune water in cooking about 1/2 cup oatmeal. Mix oatmeal with mashed prunes and enough honey to make a sticky mash that will adhere to the face. Apply while still warm (but not hot), leave 20 minutes and rinse off with warm water.

Yogurt Mask

Use natural, unflavored yogurt; you can add honey and/or oatmeal if you like.
The gentle acids in the yogurt are very good to help restore the natural acid balance of the skin.

Fruit Mask

You can also make masks from mashed fruit pulp, alone or mixed with oatmeal and/or honey till you get the right consistency. Good fruit to try:

Tomato: astringent and a good blackhead remover. Pulp it up and mix with oatmeal, or slice and lay on the face on its own.

Apple: grate an apple and mix with honey to make a mask that soothes and Heals acne, and makes your skin look great.

Strawberry: a good oily skin mask. Pulp it up, smear it on the face, wash off. Makes the skin look soft and fine. A good use for over-ripe or bruised blemishes.

Avocado: Moisturizing. I find it's too oily for my skin, but I've heard good reports from others.

Banana: Also a moisturizer.

Carrot: Grate a carrot, add honey, use as a facial for oily skin. Or you can mash up a cooked one.

Peach: A nice, good-smelling mask for dry or normal skin.

Cucumber: On its own, is cleansing, astringent and cooling during hot weather. Juice a cucumber and wipe the Juice over the face. It will reduce shine and the appearance of wrinkles.


Creamy Green Mask

This mask feels wonderful and does great things to cleanse and hydrate the skin, and acts as a mild exfoliant as well as a mask. Mash 1 tablespoon ripe avocado, add ½ tsp honey and mix. Stir in a little almond meal until the whole thing is of a pleasant creamy consistency. Apply to clean skin, leave on for 15-20 minutes and wash off with lukewarm water, massaging gently as you remove to exfoliate the skin.


SKIN CARE RECIPES
~source unknown~
Dry Skin
1) Make a puree of 1 banana and 1 papaya, peach or avacado. Apply to skin. Leave on for at least 20 minutes then rinse with warm water, followed by a moisturizer of natural margarine or natural vegetable oil.

2) Apply natural mayonnaise, either homemade or from natural foods store. Massage into skin, leave on for 15-20 minutes, rinse thoroughly with warm water.

Face Lift
Combine a handful of strawberries, a handful of grapes, 1/2 pear, 1/2 apple and 1 oz. orange juice in a blender. Apply a thin layer of honey to face, then apply fruit mixture to face. Leave on for 30 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Finish with a rinse of the vinegar pH balancer.

Facial Masks
Most facial masks are applied to the skin, left on for 15-20 minutes then washed off with warm water, followed by a cold rinse.

1) Apple & Honey Mask
A mask of grated apple mixed with a little honey is an excellent remedy for pimples.

2) Apricot Mask
Mash the fresh fruit for a good face mask. Variation: Add apricots to a little warm olive oil to form a spreadable paste. Good for dry skin.

3) Avocado & Honey Moisturizer Mask(For Dry Skin)
Mash up 2 tablespoons avocado, mix with 2 tablespoons honey and 1 egg yolk. Apply to face, leaving on about 15-20 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Finish with a rinse of the vinegar pH balancer.

4) Creamy Avocado Mask
Mash 1 tablespoon ripe avocado, add 1/2 tsp honey and mix. Stir in a little almond meal until creamy. Apply to clean skin, leave on for 15-20 minutes and wash off with lukewarm water. Finish with a rinse of the vinegar pH balancer.

5) Avocado Honey Mask #2(For Dry Skin)
Peel one ripe avacado, mash the meat into a creamy texture. Heat over a double boiler until just warm,iIncorporate 1 Tbsp of honey. Massage into the face and neck. Finish with a rinse of rosewater, witch hazel or vinegar pH balancer.

6) Banana Mask
Mash a banana and spread on face for a soothing, cleansing and moisturizing face mask. Rinse celan with warm water finished with a rinse of the vinegar pH balancer.

7) Brewers Yeast Mask(For Oily Skin)
Make a paste using the yeast and a small amount of warm water.

8) Carrot Mask(For Oily Skin)
Carrots make an excellent skin mask for acne and blemishes. Apply raw, grated carrots to the face while lying down, a little lemon juice may also be added. For a cooked carrot mask: Boil three large carrots and mash them, or process in a food processor. Add 5 tablespoons of honey or yogurt (optional). Apply gently, in an upward motion. Leave on for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Finish with a final rinse of witch hazel or the vinegar pH balancer.

9) Cool As A Cucumber Yogurt Facial(For Normal/Oily Skin)
1/2 cucumber
1 Tbsp plain yogurt
Puree cucumber in blender. Mix in yogurt, apply to face. Leave on for 30 minutes. Rinse well.

10) Elder Flower Mask(For Oily Skin)
Mix elder flower herb with yogurt to make a paste, apply to face.

11) Fennel Wrinkle Mask
Mix a strong infusion of fennel seed or herb into a liberal amount of honey and yogurt to form a paste, add some additional dried fennel herb, mix well, apply to skin.

12) Honey Mask(For Oily & Blemished Skin)
Massage a small amount of slightly heated honey into skin. Wheat germ may be added for its abrasive action, protein and nutrients.

13) Lemon/Egg Mask(For Oily Skin)
Squeeze half a lemon and mix the juice with one beaten egg white. Apply to face avoiding the area around the eyes. Leave on your face overnight or if during the day, for about 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

14) Oatmeal Facial(For Oily Skin)
Make a creamy paste of oatmeal and water. Apply to face, let dry completely. Remove by very gently rubbing off with your fingers.

15) Papaya Skin Treatment
A fresh mashed papaya applied as a face mask will remove dead, flaky skin.

16) Peach Mask(For Dry Skin)
Mash a fresh peach, mix with enough warm olive, peach kernel or almond oil to form a spreadable paste.

17) Strawberry Mask(For Oily Skin)
Mash strawberries then use as a cleansing face mask.

18) Tomato Mask(For Oily Skin)
Use mashed or sliced tomato for enlarged pores.

19) Yogurt Mask(For Oily Skin)
Apply natural unflavored yogurt adding honey and/or oatmeal if desired.

Large Pores:
1) Mix almond meal with enough water to make a paste. Apply to pores for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water, then apply withch hazel or a solution of apple cider vinegar and water.

2) Mix table salt and buttermilk into a paste, apply on enlarged pores and massage well. Rinse with warm water.

Lines and Wrinkles:
1) Apply the leftover eggwhites in the bottom of the shell to the lines under your eyes

2) Apply odorless castor oil to the crepe-like skin under the eyes or on the throat.

3) Prick 3 capsules of vitamin E and drain into small bowl. Add 2 tsps plain yogurt, 1/2 tsp honey and 1/2 tsp. lemon juice. Apply to face with cotton ball. Leave on skin for about 10 minutes. Rinse.