With the summer quickly approaching it's time to shed our winter skin and get back out into the sunshine (...as soon as it stops raining). Here are a few things you'll definitely want to include on your next at home spa day to get you ready for the summer sun:
#1. Perfect Petals Scrub - Body
Recipe: 1 cup coconut oil, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1 cup rose petals. Blend all together until petals are completely mixed in/smooth, and exfoliate away! Store in one of those cute a** mason jars I know you've been dying to use.
This great scrub will not only help free you of dead skin, but the coconut oil will moisturize you to perfection with the beautifully light smell of roses.
#2. Honey, I Love Oats! - Face
Recipe: 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 cup oats, and 1 tsp. coconut oil (be sure the coconut oil is warmed so that it mixes well). Mix all ingredients together until evenly distributed, apply evenly (not too generously or it will drip off of your face!) on facial area (avoid hairline, eyebrows, and eyes - because honey is sticky and ouch), and remove after 10-15 minutes with warm water. P.S. They have adorably tiny mason jars perfect for storing your left overs.
This facial mask will leave your skin feeling ultra hydrated and revived after enduring a long and dry Syracuse winter.
#3. Going Banana's for You - Hair
Recipe: 1 extra ripe (browning works best) banana, 2 egg whites, 1/8 cup coconut oil (yes, we use this for literally everything), 1 avocado. Mash the banana and avocado until there are little to no clumps left, combine egg whites and coconut oil and mix until even. Apply on damp hair, wrap in a towel and let it sit for 45 minutes. Rinse hair with warm water then shampoo/condition as usual. This one I wouldn't recommend making in excess as the avocado will oxidize and start to look super gross, for lack of better terms.
Typically for this one, it's so hydrating that you won't need to condition for a few days (saving you SO MUCH MONEY, amiright). This is a great one if you're looking to put some natural shine back into your hair without spending an arm and a leg.
#4. Perfectly Caffeinated - Body
Recipe: 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup coffee grounds, 1/2 cup Argan oil, 1/2 cup coconut oil. Mix together until blended, store in yet another cute a** mason jar, if you've run out of said mason jars, get it together my friend.
This one can be used anywhere on your body; face, feet, arms, behind your ears (???), ANYWHERE. The coffee grounds are great for helping to remove dark circles under your eyes or reducing cellulite (side bar: cellulite is natural and beautiful so girl embrace it and just exfoliate for general purposes instead of in an attempt to magically remove part of what makes you beautiful). It's also anti-inflammatory (bye bye pesky pimples) and skin tightening.
#5. Cinnamon Day Dream - Face
Recipe: 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, honey, and lemon juice (freshly squeezed is best, but we don't discriminate against store bought). Mix together and apply evenly across skin, avoiding hair line, eyebrows, and eye area. Store in one of those tinted mason jars, they look ~vintage~ and are the perfect blend of practicality and atheistically pleasing to the eye, further enhancing your bathroom decorations.
Cinnamon is a super spice that can be used for almost anything as it is anti-microbial/anti-fungal/anti-viral, while nutmeg is anti-inflammatory. This recipe is great for fighting acne and the lemon helps to lighten blemishes that may be dark as a result of picking at them (tsk tsk) or scarred areas of the skin.
#6. Strawberry Lemonade - Hair
Recipe: 1 cup strawberries, 1/2 cup coconut oil, 1/2 cup Argan oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 cup yogurt (plain). Blend the strawberries until smooth, combine all other ingredients and mix until smooth. Apply evenly to hair, wrap in towel, and let it sit for 45 minutes. Rinse with warm water and shampoo/condition as you normally would. Store excess in one of those cute a** mason jars that come with the chalk board labels you can write on.
This one is also great as a leave in conditioner as long as the strawberries are pureed. The lemon will help the sun to bring out the natural lighter tones in your hair so you can skip your annual trip to the salon for those beachy highlights! It's a perfect one to use if you'll be spending a day in the sun at the beach or at a pool where the sun will have the most direct access to your hair.
However, be sure to condition and pay attention to how your hair is feeling as lemon is an acid and can dry out your hair if you aren't careful! The oils in this mask usually do a great job of balancing the two out, so there's typically nothing to worry about.
That's it for this round of DIY recipes! Let me know which ones you loved and which ones you hated and please - get some cute a** mason jars.
Photo attribution: https://www.pexels.com
