Facial Cleanser from Grapes? Absolutely!

Happy Sunday all!

As a tribute to my love for a good red wine, this week's DIY Fall Beauty recipe is going to focus on the amazing grape.   So, if your face needs some pep, red grapes can give it an anti-oxidant lift!  

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 cup mashed grapes (or so; doesn't have to be exact)
• around 1 tsp olive oil (adjust up or down a smidge depending on skin type)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup milk (can be cow, goat, soy, whatever you want)

In a blender, combine the grapes, oil, baking soda and milk, and mix well.  Gently wash your face with this morning and evening. Rinse off with warm water.  

If you refrigerate, this should keep for about a week. 

This is GREAT for your skin because, as we all know, grapes are super high in antioxidants.  The olive oil helps your skin to retain moisture.  Baking soda helps to soften the skin - for that "smooth as a baby's bottom" complexion we all want!  Finally, the enzymes in milk help to gently exfoliate your skin.

I hope you guys have all enjoyed this recipe and found it useful.  Please feel free to comment and let us know how it goes. 

See ya next week :)!

Candace

RedSunflower Designs

FALL SERIES: Apple Body Scrub

Happy Sunday all!

In keeping with the Autumn theme, today we're working with apples!  You can read more about the skin benefits of apple here.  So, let's get on with the recipe for an Apple Body Scrub!

You'll need:

• a fresh apple
• salt (preferably himalayan pink salts or dead sea salts)
• OR sugar
• oils (jojoba, coconut, grapeseed; whatever your preference is)
• shea or cocoa butter (if you have it, if not don't worry about it)
• OPTIONAL: a pinch of cinnamon and/or clove powder

Peel the apple (or not, really doesn't matter too much), and crush the apple until you have what is basically a thick applesauce.  Combine the apple, the salt and/or sugar the shea or cocoa butter (if using) and the oils.  Start with roughly equal parts apple and sugar/salt, add about 1 tbsp of the butter, then add oils 1 tbsp at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.  If you choose to use the cinnamon, you can add that now. Voila! You have a completely natural body scrub.  This should keep in the refrigerator for probably a week or so. 

You can also check out some of my new scrubs & masks at my shop!

I hope you've enjoyed the recipe, and let me know your thoughts on how you're liking this series.

Peace, Love, and Natural Blessings -

Candace

RedSunflower Designs

Pumpkin Face Mask: Fall's Facial!

Happy Sunday all!

Sorry this post is alittle later than usual; I went to the farmer's market earlier, and the bounty was just so good I got kinda carried away.  But I'll be canning and preserving the yumminess throughout the week, so that makes it worth it for me.  But on to the good stuff!

This week starts my series on bath, body, & beauty you can make with our Autumn bounty, things you either already have at home, or can grab up at the farmers market or your local grocer. Today, I'm going to give you a recipe for a Pumpkin Face Mask, so let's get started.

You'll need:

• 2 tsp canned pumpkin (or you can puree your own fresh pumpkin)
• 1/2 tsp honey
• 1/4 tsp milk 

Honey acts as a humectant, which means it helps your skin to retain moisture.  For the milk, you can use any kind you want (cow milk, goats milk, soy, etc) just be sure it's not a flavored milk because that's too much sugar.  The milk, surprisingly, contains acids that help to gently exfoliate your skin.  You can check out last week's post here for the skin benefits of pumpkin. 

Customizations for dry skin: 

1/2 tsp heavy whipping cream instead of milk (high in alpha hydroxy acids)

OR

1/2 tsp brown sugar (instead of milk, to exfoliate)

Customizations for oily skin: 

1/4 tsp apple cider (instead of milk; it's a great toner, hich in alpha hydroxy, and helps to regulate skin's pH level)

OR

1/4 tsp cranberry juice (really high in antioxidants)

I also have a dry formula that will be in my shop by end of day if you prefer something that will last alittle longer, and has more skin-loving ingredients in it.  Click the link below to check it out!

I hope you've found this interesting, and I'll be back next week with another easy, at-home spa recipe.

Lots of love, and enjoy the bounty of the season!

Candace

RedSunflower Designs

How A Visit To Your Local Farmer's Market is Better Than A Trip to Sephora!

Happy Sunday all!  

It's Labor Day weekend, and I know many will have plans.  Family gatherings, a pick-up game of football with friends, maybe getting in that last camping trip of the season...  It's truly a time to go out and appreciate nature and the bounty that this year's harvests have (and will) bring us.  Not only is it sustenance for our bodies, with the shmorgousboard of fruits and veggies available to us, but also for skincare.  I always say that some of the best skincare recipes are those that our great-grandmothers grandmothers used.  Nature gives us most anything we could need, and as my "thank you" to Mother Earth, I thought I'd share the skincare uses of some of the things growing at this time of year!

• PUMPKIN  contains a wide spectrum of vitamin A derivatives with an outstanding effect on the skin's cellular turnover, meaning you're left with younger-looking skin.  It also contains a multitude of vitamins and minerals with strong antioxidant protection.  The natural fruit acids, along with Vitamins A, C, E, minerals and replenishing enzymes make it a great exfoliant, breakout inhibitor, and pore refiner for your skin. Pumpkin also decreases oxidation and free radical stress in the skin. It is extraordinarily effective for dull, sluggish skin as it stimulates circulation, promotes healing, and provides vitamin nutrition leaving skin glowing and healthy looking. If this isn't enough, it further helps to restore elasticity while allowing ingredients to better penetrate the skin. So, try some pumpkin this fall and use it all year long for radiant, silky smooth skin!
•  APPLES help treat and control acne breakouts to improving your complexion.  Applying the fruit to your face as a mask gives your skin a healthy dose of Vitamin A, B, C and E. This will act as a gentle face scrub and will clean your pores from deep within!  If you suffer from acne, apple cider vinegar is a must.  Soak a cotton ball in the vinegar and then apply lightly over your face and neck (I'd start with alittle and go from there; you want to test your skin first, as anyone can have allergies to anything). Let it stay on a few minutes then wash off with warm water.  This will help to get rid of impurities, as well as excess oil on your skin.  
• BERRIES contain ellagic acid, an antioxidant found in numerous fruits, vegetables and nuts, (but especially raspberries, strawberries, cranberries and pomegranates), which can protect the skin against UV damage.  Strawberries in particular are high in alpha-hydroxy acid, a great little substance that helps us slough off dead skin cells so that new, youthful skin is revealed.  It's also a natural exfoliant, as are all berries. Berries also help the body to manufacture collagen, which helps keep the skin looking supple, smooth & wrinkle-free. 
• GRAPES are full of antioxidants, reservatrol (found in the skin of the grape), and are very nourishing for your skin.  Grapes can be used as a tonic, and are wonderful for mature or dehydrated skin. 
• AND FINALLY...  Masks of peaches and tomatoes are excellent for oily skin care for removing grease and to shrink pores. 

This is going to be the start of a new series! Through October, I'll be featuring a home spa recipe using these and other ingredients you can easily find at your local farmers market, etc during this time of year!  I hope everyone enjoys it, and finds this series useful. 

Wishing everyone a wonderful, restful Labor Day weekend!

Candace 

RedSunflower Designs