Strawberry for Oily Skin

‘s almost time to say goodbye to strawberries. ‘sad face’ Use these beauties while we’ve still got ’em in season!

Strawberries are a mild astringent which is especially helpful for oily skin.
They help balance excess oil and promote even, glowing skin tone while minimizing the appearance of pores. 

Strawberries are super rich in antioxidants too, which help to encourage new cell formation and the repair of damaged skin.

You can use strawberries right on your skin to take advantage of their pore-minimizing, astringent benefits.
Just slice in half and rub on your face.
Rinse right away or leave on for 10 minutes.
This is also a gentle exfoliator! 
You can even use strawberry slices (great for noses), or strawberry puree for an easy facial treatment.

We put real strawberry in our Strawberry Basil D.I.Y. Fresh Mask mix and our Summer Berry Bath Salts.

Coconut for Skin

That’s coconuts!

Coconut milk, coconut flake, coconut water – it’s all good. B-vitamins in coconut are essential for healthy skin, and coconut meat is full of conditioning and anti-aging benefits.

Dried coconut flake (unsweetened) is a great gentle exfoliant and you can find it in the bulk section of most grocers. If you have scraps or leftovers, use them on your skin! 

Mix flakes with coconut oil and agave for a sweet face and lip scrub, or add a pinch to your cleanser in the palm of your hand for a quick exfoliating wash.
Many commercial scrubbing washes and exfoliators contain plastics and other no-no ingredients, so this is an easy way to avoid all of that mess.
Coconut oil is an easy fix in a pinch for dry spots like feet, elbows or knees, and you can use both coconut oil and coconut milk as a treatment for dry hair.
Just go coconuts!

Add coconut flake to any of our Fresh Mask mixes, or mix your face and body mask with coconut milk.

Some of our products with real coconut…

Coconut Cream Fresh Mask
Coconut Milk Bath Salts
Citrus Petals Coconut Milk Bath

Easy Avocado Hair Mask

We all know avocado has amazing skin benefits.

It can help with dryness, spots, and wrinkles among other things. Full of nutrients, delicious and healthy fats, plus vitamins like B, C and E…it’s a practically perfect food. 
Well all of those amazing avocado characteristics are excellent for hair too!

Not only are avocados exceptionally conditioning for hair, but they can actually prevent hair loss and even promote hair growth. Vitamins in avo’s protect and strengthen hair on a cellular level, while the fats help with dry hair and breakage. They have been used as far back as Egyptian times, and can easily be made into a quick natural hair treatment. Rather than add a million other ingredients, we are keeping this short and sweet, with all of our focus on our star ingredient.

Avocado hair mask
– Blend about 1/4 cup of fresh avocado with 3 Tablespoons of water. Blending will give you a smooth, thick texture.
– Add a splash of apple cider vinegar if desired to help slow oxidation of avocado (ACV is also excellent for conditioning and smoothing hair).
– Cover with cap
– Leave on 30 minutes – 1 hour and rinse.

You can also make a quick hair mask with our Mineral Mud, just add water or juice!

DIY Hot Oil Wraps

Between summer heat and insomnia, I am in a constant struggle to fight dry skin on my face. While heading to a spa for a facial is a nice thought, a quick and easy treatment at home can be just as effective and relaxing.

AND it fits in my schedule. 

These hot oil wraps can be made with just a few ingredients. We want to build 3 layers on the face – oil, moisture and heat. I am already feeling relaxed…

Easy hot oil wraps ->
-Massage a good amount of non-comedogenic oil on your clean face. Use enough so that you have a thin layer of oil on your skin.
I’m using our Conditioning Oil since it has castor oil which will help clean pores too, plus nourishing oils to heal and condition. You can add a pinch of cinnamon to stimulate circulation.

– Soak a clean towel, t-shirt or (my favorite) a white undershirt in warm water. I like these undershirts because they are light, breathable…and somehow I always seem to have one. This will be your moisture layer. Don’t get the water hotter than is comfortable on your skin.
– Heat grains (rice, lentils, buckwheat -whatever you have) in the microwave or in a saute pan and place in a bag. Not blistering hot, but warm enough for comfort. This is a great way to reuse our Simplecare burlap bags, or a gallon sized plastic bag works as well.
-Place the wet layer over your oiled face and lay the heat source on top. Relax for 10 minutes or so, until cooled.
-Gently wipe face with hot, wet towel to remove excess oil.
-Rinse and repeat if desired.
-Shine bright like a diamond.

Lemon Juice Rinse

 

Lemon juice ☀liquid sunshine ☀

Make an easy lemon rinse with just two ingredients. Use it on problem areas in the morning as a simple, refreshing treatment or a nice way to end the day.

Lemon is high in Vitamin C, with lots of great benefits to encourage healthy skin. It has astringent properties, making it especially great for oily skin.

Use diluted lemon juice on blackheads, acne, dark scars & age spots.
Leave on overnight and rinse in the morning.
Lemon juice is acidic and can sting a little on sensitive skin, so start with a concentration of 1:1 water and lemon juice. Increase lemon juice if your skin can take it.

Excessive use can dry skin, so 2-4 times a week is good. 
Avoid heavy sun exposure immediately after, as lemon juice can temporarily increase risk of sunburn.
Find real lemon peel in many of our products, like our Vitamin C Fresh Mask.

DIY Infused Oils

If you loved our D.I.Y. coffee infused oil post, here are 5 other ingredients to try: Peppermint, Black pepper, Rose, Green Tea, Vanilla

Use a good, non-comedogenic oil like grapeseed or safflower (or our Conditioning Oil).

These easy infused oils to massage or spot treat problem areas or to give your skin and hair some extra love.

Follow the simple steps below and store in clean, airtight containers away from heat and light.

Fill jar with ingredients and pour oil over to cover.
Seal in an airtight container.
Let clean, dry ingredients soak for 5-7 days in direct sunlight and strain.
To speed up the process a few days, bring a pot of water just to a boil and turn off the heat.

Place the jar in the hot water bath until the water has cooled.
Repeat 2-3 times.

This is a great way to reuse your Simplecare jars. 🙂

Browse the blog for information on each of these ingredients and their benefits. Mix and match ingredients for your specific needs.

Simple Syrup Cold Packs

Chill out with our simple syrup cold packs!

No chemicals, and easy to make with only 2 ingredients…plus you can eat it. Always a perk.

These have the same soft and squishy feel as a commercial ice pack – use these over your eyes for a cooling eye mask. They work great for headaches and injuries too.

Bring 1/2 cup of water + 1 cup of sugar just to a boil to dissolve sugar.
This is a concentrated simple syrup.
Cool, then place in a baggie and freeze for at least 4 hours.

If you want to get really fancy, make a double batch and divide in half. Add vanilla bean, cinnamon or citrus peel and you have yourself a flavored coffee or tea syrup 🙂

Sweet Peppermint Lip Scrub

Here’s a quick and easy lip scrub that will polish and condition with soothing mint.

Put sugar and mint leaves between 2 sheets of paper and crush with rolling pin. This will give you small, irregular pieces and fine grains. Use a coffee grinder instead for a sandy texture.
Combine sugar and mint with cornstarch (if desired, to thicken). Mix with oil and agave in a clean bowl.

This minty recipe yields enough scrub for about 1 week of once-daily use.
Makes a great scrub for sore feet too.

No chemicals, pollutants or carcinogens. Keep refrigerated to preserve freshness. 

Our Coffee Bean Fresh Scrub is another great lip scrub, made with real coffee beans, peppercorns and orange peel.

DIY Cilantro Facial

Cool off with an easy cilantro facial.
Cilantro has antiseptic, anti-fungal and antibacterial properties that are helpful and soothing for many irritating skin conditions like eczema and dermatitis. 

hese qualities also make it a great acne fighter, and it is believed to help lighten skin and promote a more even tone. It has a cooling effect and can be calming for irritated areas.

Cilantro’s properties make it especially great for aging, sensitive or acne-prone skin. It has so many benefits from use internally and externally, so it’s a good fridge (or garden) staple.

For an easy cilantro facial:
Puree 2-4 tablespoons of juice, water or milk with a big handful of cilantro.
Add oats if desired to thicken and encourage skin repair. You can also use a combo of cilantro juice and lime juice as a daily treatment for blackheads – apply with cotton, leave on 1 hour and rinse.
Add freshly chopped cilantro leaves or cilantro juice to any of our Fresh Mask mixes or Mineral Mud as an easy way to incorporate this herb. I’ve got enough washed and ready for a Vitamin C Fresh Mask with minced cilantro leaves…and some salsa. 🙂

Mix any of our Fresh Masks or Mineral Mud with juice to increase nutrient content. Our products are made with real ingredients including natural earth-derived clays that clean, nourish and revitalize.

Tension Relief Heat Socks

Easy tension relief:
Stuff a clean sock with dried grains or legumes like buckwheat, rice, barley or lentils. Microwave 2 minutes.
Don’t have a microwave? Heat your filling in a saute pan on low heat to reach desired temperature and fill sock. Do not get these wet.

Use these stuffed socks on your neck, shoulders, lower back, feet or over your eyes for easy, soothing comfort without cords or chemicals.

Follow with a gentle, relaxing self massage using your favorite body oil. A pillowcase works great too.
Use whatcha got.

Check out our Conditioning Body Oil, made with pure,  cold-pressed plant oils. A smooth, non-greasy and non-comedogenic formula that conditions and nourishes skin.

2oz. / $8.95
4oz. / $17.95