Peppy-Mint Mask for Acne & Breakouts

Peppy-Mint Mask for Acne & Breakouts

Acne blemishes are red, bumpy, painful, oozy, and embarrassing. They can even scar the skin leaving it look red and blotchy. A natural way to treat the acne blemishes and make them go away is by using a homemade sea salt peppermint facial mask. The mask is soothing and will help relieve inflammation and dry out the acne blemishes so they can heal up fast and properly.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. of sea salt

1 tbsp. of warm water

3 drops each of peppermint oil

2 drops of tea tree oil

3 tbsp. of honey

¼ tsp. of cornstarch. 

Place 2 tbsp. of sea salt into a small bowl and dissolve it with 1 tbsp. of warm water. Then add the 3 drops of peppermint oil, 2 drops of tea tree oil, and 3 tbsp. of honey into the salt water mixture and combined them together to form a golden yellow syrup. After add in your ¼ tsp. of cornstarch to help thicken the mixture right up into a light yellow creamy textured facial mask. If the mask is to runny add another small ¼ tsp. of cornstarch, and if the mask is too thick add a tsp. of warm water. The mask should be thick and easy to spread onto the face without dripping off of it. 

First cleanse the skin with warm water and a facial cleanser. After take a small handful of the mask and lather it right onto the skin and face in a nice thick even layer. A burning, stinging, and cooling sensation will be present while the mask is on, but this is only because the mask is cleaning the acne blemishes and drawing out the puss and the toxins inside of them. The facial mask should be left on for 20 minutes. After it can be washed off with plenty of warm water. The salt and baking soda from the mask will help remove blackheads, whiteheads, and oils, and the peppermint oil and tea tree oil will help tone, cleanse, and kill the bacteria on the skin. The honey in the mask is meant to soothe, lightly condition, nourish, and kill germs on the skin as well to prevent further acne breakouts. 

Gorgeous Green Smoothies for Glowing Skin!

The Beauty Nook 
Gorgeous Green Smoothie

Why Kale in your smoothie? Because it's a quick, easy, and delicious way to get more greens into your diet. They’re full of fiber, antioxidants, enzymes, and chlorophyll. Green smoothies are the best way to digest and absorb nutrients from the greens because the blender helps to break down the cell walls, allowing your body to easily absorb those nutrients.

Gorgeous Green Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup of raw greens (kale, chard, collards, spinach, etc)
• 2 cups liquid (non-dairy milk, fresh juice, coconut water, green tea, or water)
• 1 frozen banana (remove the peel, cut into 1-inch slices, and freeze overnight)
• 1 cup of frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and/or blackberries)
• 2 tbsp Mila (chia blend)

Directions: 

Remove any tough stems from the greens. Blend greens, liquid & Mila chia seeds for 15 seconds - 1 minute (depending on your blender) on high. Add fruits (and any supplements) and blend for 15 - 30 seconds, or longer as needed to achieve a creamy consistency. Drink up!

What to do with all that sugar.... Brown Sugar Scrub!

The brown sugar in this recipe is the exfoliant. The olive oil is for the moisturizer. Honey is a natural antibacterial (as well as another moisturizer), and vanilla is for the added scent.

How to make Brown Sugar Scrub:

2 cups brown sugar (lightly packed)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Place the brown sugar in a medium-size bowl.
2.  Add the olive oil.
3. You can use any other plant-based oils in place of the olive oil, such as coconut oil, sunflower oil, or almond oil, to name a few.
4. Add the honey. Honey not only moisturizes your skin, it helps hold moisture in.
5. Add the vanilla.
6. Stir to combine.
7. Scoop mixture into a container. This recipe will fit a pint-size jar perfectly. 

Your all-natural scrub will separate. Stir before each use. Moisten your face with warm water, scoop out a bit of the scrub, and apply to your skin. Work it in gently–you can even leave it on for 10 or 15 minutes to increase the nourishing benefits before washing off with warm water. Use a couple times a week and you won’t believe how soft your skin will be! I love this stuff. It makes me feel as if I’ve had an expensive spa treatment–and it’s practically free.

Note: This keeps well (easily as long as it takes to use this amount) and doesn’t need to be refrigerated.

An Applesauce Treat for your face!

Great for your skin and yummy in your tummy. A applesauce mask for your face! Why? Well, apples are rich in vitamins A, B, and C, along with and malic acid, which works to allow your skin to absorb those vitamins. Plus, it actually will help even out your skin tone by lightening any sun-darkened patches or freckles. AND it is great for summer dry skin! I love at home masks that you can also snack on... this one is just a mix of wheatgerm and applesauce, so it is 100% edible (and a bonus: wheat germ is rich in vitamin E and B vitamins your skin will love!). Here is how you make your very own applesauce mask:

1 TBSP natural applesauce

1 TBSP germ (wheat germ is a great natural exfoliator)

Blend together into a paste and apply over face (avoid getting to close to your eyes)

Allow it to dry, and do its thing... then rinse off.

Coffee Grounds Not Just For Your Garden Anymore!

Coffee Grounds for your face!

Coffee grounds, not just for your garden anymore!

Did you know that coffee has many benefits for the skin. It can decrease puffiness in the face, brighten skin, and wake up a dull complexion. (hello caffine!)
You can simply scrub the crumbly goodness all over your body for a natural exfoliant. Rubbing grounds into your skin will slough off dead skin cells and leave your skin feeling refreshed. For a smoother scrub, add a bit of olive oil to the grounds.


or make this mask:



2 tablespoons freshly ground coffee (or used grinds)
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons milk (whole), heavy cream or yogurt
1 tablespoon honey


Massage this chocolatey delicious mask into your skin in the morning for a quick perk up. Allow the mask to dry for 15-20 minutes. Then rinse it off thoroughly. 


This delectable mask will help tighten pores and remove oil. The coffee grinds will help reduce puffiness and swelling, while the cocoa, honey and milk will add moisture to your skin.


Who'd have thought your favorite beverage could do so much beauty goodness?


Enjoy!