Homemade Skin Care

Are you tired of spending money on lotions and potions that promise beautiful results but may not impress you? Ingredients that you have at home can be combined to create products that target your personal skin care concerns; and homemade skin care products cost much less than those sold by retailers.

Lotions

Creating lotions at home from everyday ingredients may be more complicated than other homemade skin care products, but can reward you with a very smooth and pleasantly scented — not too mention inexpensive — moisturizer. A typical recipe includes dried chamomile, honey, milk, and wheat germ. The chamomile is steeped in the milk for a few hours and then strained. Honey and wheat germ are then added to the liquid, which can then be blended into its final lotion form. This lotion should be kept sealed in the refrigerator, and can last up to a week.

Cleansers and Scrubs

If you like to save money and enjoy the effort and satisfaction associated with making your own homemade skin care products, body scrubs are one good product to start with. One of the simplest mixtures that can be used as a body scrub is a combination of sea salt and water in the consistency of a paste, which should be rubbed onto the body and left on for a minute or more before rinsing. A slightly more complicated body scrub can be made with ground oats, brown sugar, aloe vera, and lemon juice. Oats can easily be ground using a clean coffee grinder or blender to make a fine powder out of the flakes.

Facial cleansers can easily be made at home from common ingredients as well. A typical gentle facial cleanser includes ingredients such as oatmeal and yogurt and can be used daily. For those who prefer a facial scrub, one with good exfoliating properties can be created with yogurt and finely ground walnuts. For a refreshing splash after your face is clean, a toner made of witch hazel and rosemary can be used.

Masks

Any homemade skin care regimen can also include facial masks. Common ingredients may include honey, and sometimes oatmeal, combined with any of a variety of different mashed fruits and vegetables. Different combinations work best for different types of skin. Carrots, apples, and strawberries tend to be very effective with oily skin; bananas can moisturize dry skin; and peaches can soothe normal skin. Homemade masks do not have to be limited to fruits and vegetables, however. Certain types of clay can be thinned somewhat with water and mixed with other ingredients for a mask that may help acne-prone skin.

Special Ingredients

Certain types of ingredients can be used for specific results. Alpha hydroxy acids, which are believed to help fight wrinkles, sun damage, and other signs of aging, can be found in a number of products, including papayas, pineapples, oranges, limes, lemons, grapefruits, strawberries, apples, sugar cane, and milk. These can be simply pureed or mixed with sugar or milk to form a mask which can be left on the face for up to 30 minutes.

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, can be great for your skin as well. It is found in many of the same fruits as alpha hydroxy acids, and also in peppers, grapes, apricots, broccoli, tomatoes, cranberries, kiwis, peas, sweet potatoes, mangoes, tangerines, cantaloupe melons, and honeydew melons. A mask made of these ingredients can be made by simply pureeing the fruit.

Vitamin E, which is known to help maintain healthy skin, is found in sunflower seeds, tomatoes, almonds, safflower oil, and sunflower oil. Tomatoes or almonds can be pureed with oil, or the oils can be used alone as an evening moisturizer.

Vitamin A is said to help reduce wrinkles and even, in some cases, acne. Carrots, apricots, cantaloupe, nectarines, plums, egg yolk, fish liver oil, and milk are all rich in vitamin A. Vitamin B3 can be used to treat acne as well, and is found in cranberries, tomatoes, soy sauce, summer squash, and green peas.

Vitamin B5 helps increase moisture in hair and skin. Good sources of Vitamin B5 include cranberries, sunflower seeds, tomatoes, strawberries, yogurt, whole eggs, and winter squash.

Homemade skin care can be a great alternative to spending money on commercial products, and a great way to create products tailored especially to your individual preferences and needs.