DIY July Face Care Recipes for Happy, Healthy, Younger Looking Skin

 

 

 

Since many of us are still staying indoors, working from home, or simply don’t have the time (or access) to a spa day for now- let’s bring the spa to our homes! 


I’ve been testing out some easy DIY options just for you and these are my favorite recipes. So, you can skip the spa, save some time, and be sure your products will be natural, chemical-free, and enhance that natural beauty of yours xxx.

These DIY recipes will cleanse, exfoliate, tone, brighten complexion, smooth texture, and provide anti-aging results that keep your skin happy, healthy, and beautifully natural.

The following is a breakdown of the benefits of each ingredient. If you want the quick version, scroll to the table at the bottom. 

 

Dry Ingredients:

 

Turmeric Powder- great for glow, acne, oily skin, and anti-aging thanks to its bioactive component- cucumin. Turmeric offers anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits which can also help with skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. Applied topically, turmeric can also help speed healing and reduce scarring

 

I had a few fresher dark spots on my skin and after one use of the mask I’m about to share with you, the spots were noticeably lighter :O Not to mention the anti-aging effects. 

 

Cinnamon Powder- this antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant powerhouse isn’t just delicious in your oats (ok, I sprinkle cinnamon on anything I can =D )! These properties help in acne treatment and prevention by drying and gently exfoliating the skin while also increasing blood-flow. The results? Less oily skin with a youthfully balanced glow

 

Rice (any kind is fine. I used white)-  what??? This was honestly not on my radar at all for skincare (WHY?!) and now I couldn’t imagine my skincare regimen without it! 

 

So, you’re going to actually use this to make rice water which will cleanse and tighten your pores, soothe, tone, brighten, and hydrate your skin, and possibly increase collagen- HELLO, younger-looking wrinkle-free skin!

 

Wet Ingredients:

 

Aloe Vera Juice (straight from the leaf! Get that gel garbage outta here!)- I think you know, but just in case you don’t- aloe vera gel from the store is CHOCK-full of preservatives. In fact, aloe vera juice (the healing liquid extracted from the leaf) is almost 99% water. We know that water is a breeding ground for bacteria, so, like water, aloe needs a preservative to be shelf-stable. That’s why you should avoid store-bought beauty products that contain aloe. It’s only great for your skin when you get it fresh from the leaf. 

 

The benefits: aloe is going to promote your natural glow, help in the prevention and treatment of acne, and help balance oily skin and tighten pores with its astringent properties. It has anti-aging effects, and helps reduce the appearance of dark spots. Aloe also helps speed healing


You would do well to just go ahead and grab a whole plant of this go-to natural medicine as you can also use it for hair, sunburns, full-body moisture lock, and even in drinks! 


Green Tea- also has astringent properties to help with sebum (oil) production, which will help with oily skin and acne. It also has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial traits that will help with the same. Additionally, you’ll get some pore cleansing action, a brighter glowy complexion, and of course- anti-aging benefits! 

 

I read that you can use the used tea leaves as an exfoliant but I have yet to try it. If you give it a go, be sure to let me know your thoughts on it =D 

 

Lemon Balm-  has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-viral properties. It also fights free-radicals that speed aging. These qualities make lemon balm a great option to help promote your natural glow, prevent and treat acne, make skin less oily, cleanse and tighten pores, stimulate circulation, reduce the appearance of dark spots, and even soothe, calm, and heal your skin!


Honey- honey has been long-touted for its healing properties. When it comes to skincare, there is no shortage of benefits either. It helps cleanse pores, moisturize, hydrate, and exfoliate skin, reduce the appearance of scars and wrinkles, promote anti-aging, reveal your natural glow, brighten complexion, lighten dark spots, keep acne at bay, and balance the bacteria on your skin. It’s also delicious- so, try not to eat your face mask… ;)

 

Egg- the high fatty acid content will provide moisture while the albumin (simple protein) will tighten pores and eliminate excess oil


I used this in the hair mask, not the face mask. Although, I have used egg on my face before. I just whipped an egg white, applied to clean skin, let dry, and removed with warm water and a cloth. The result was a face lift in a shell :O If you don’t want to use egg, don’t stress- there are so many benefits in the other ingredients, so just stick with me! 

 

Used Coffee Grounds- I don’t believe in waste- especially coffee waste. Make yourself a cuppa joe and save the grounds. You don’t need to let them dry before making this recipe. Obviously, I would recommend an organic fair-trade coffee. If you’re lucky enough to be near a Trader Joe’s they have some decent coffee for $4!

I’m sure you can guess the main reason for this ingredient- exfoliating! Coffee also already has its own natural oils so, if you use this for your body in the shower there’s no need to mix it with a carrier (I’ve found, anyway). 

 

The downside to using coffee is that it will leave behind a natural tan...that wipes off on your towels. So, while it’s super easy to clean off your shower and skin, I do not recommend using your favorite cloth or towel. I haven’t actually had any stay stained, I don’t think; but if you know the potential “hazards” you can at least decide for yourself what to do. 

If you want to avoid this possibility, opt for ground almonds or desiccated coconut (unsweetened). They also have their own natural oils and can be used on their own.   

 

Exfoliating action provided by coffee grounds will reveal your natural glow, brighten complexion, cleanse and tighten pores, help balance oil production, and even promote anti-aging benefits! I’ve read that it can temporarily minimise the appearance of cellulite, as well!. If you were needing an excuse to continue your coffee addiction, you’re welcome. 

 

You can also use it in your compost or potted plants! Just be sure to double check regarding your specific plants (for example, aloe doesn’t like coffee =( ). 

 

MCT Oil (fractionated coconut oil). This is what I used but you can easily substitute another carrier oil; I’ll tell you how to choose below. MCT Oil provides moisturizing and antimicrobial benefits. 

 

MCT Oil does have many benefits, particularly for internal health. I actually used it because it’s what I had handy. As it’s higher on the comedogenic scale (has a higher potential to clog pores), If you’re worried about this, I would recommend almond or grapeseed oil. However, in this recipe, it’s not the main ingredient so you can totally get away with it- especially since there are some ingredients with astringent properties so it balances out well.   

 

Greek Yogurt- let me start this one off by saying READ YOUR LABELS. I cannot stress this enough. I have seen SO many people buy yogurt thinking “go me! I just made a healthy choice” =D *pats self on back*.

 

Folks think that having “yogurt” written across the front label means they don’t have to pay attention to the fine print. Yogurt is more often than not FULL of absolute shite such as: preservatives, sugar, fructose, that gross fruit/syrup stuff at the top or bottom you’re meant to swirl in, fillers like you wouldn’t believe (particularly in the USA), preservatives, and stabilizers.  

Ok, now that’s out of the way- get a proper greek yogurt with no added sugars. The carbohydrate to protein ratio should be excellent- like 16-20+ g protein to 6-9 carbs.

Now that you know what yogurt to look for (for a healthy inside AND outside!), let’s take a quick look at the benefits. Using greek yogurt topically will exfoliate, brighten, tone, and even complexion to reveal your natural glow. It will hydrate and moisturize dry skin, balance oil production, help prevent and treat acne, tighten pores, lighten dark spots, and promote anti-aging =D 



Banana- provides moisture and hydration for dry and oily skin alike; also, it smooths skin with exfoliating action and brings out that beautiful glow of yours. Banana also cleanses pores, helps balance oil production, and has anti-aging benefits. Its anti-inflammatory properties even help reduce the appearance of acne.  

 

I’m not joking when I say my face was totally different (in the best possible way) after 15-20 minutes. 


*Pro Tip- rub the inside of the banana peel on your teeth for about 60 seconds to reveal those pearly whites! You can do this twice a day; but I have done it once a day for 5+ days and noticed a big difference!  


First up- let’s do some DIY face care. 

 

1. Cleanse- PLEASE stay away from SLS and harsh cleansers. You have such a beautiful face- don’t ruin it with that shite. I’ll fill you in later about ingredients to avoid. Meanwhile, if you have questions, shoot me an email or ask Google.

 

All you need is some oil.

“OIL?! On my face?!” you say? I know, I thought the same thing until I tried it, but just trust me on this, you can thank me later ;)

 

Your skin type will determine which oil will be best for you. 

 

  • Grapeseed Oil is more astringent, so if you tend towards the oily side, this is a good option. 
  • If you have normal skin, you can use almond oil
  • For dry skin, opt for olive oil
  • If you have combination skin, pick the oil that is closest to your basal needs and adjust with the complimentary oil. 

 

For example, if you have oilier skin but sometimes have dry spots, you can use grapeseed as your base and add some almond oil. The amount of almond oil you’ll add will depend on how much you need to compensate for the dry spots. 

 

Likewise, if you have normal skin but have some extra oil to balance out, use almond oil as your base and add in some grapeseed

 

You don’t need to go crazy with measurements here. Just start with a small amount so you can test it out before you make heaps. 

 

Your skin may have a 2-3 week adjustment period as it purges impurities and gets used to the new method so don’t freak out if you have some extra spots during this time. The results after are going to blow your mind ;) 

 

To use:

  • wet your face and neck with warm water
  • apply a dime or nickel size amount of oil with clean fingers and work in a circular motion
  • remove with a clean cloth and warm water

Your face should not feel oily if it's been properly removed.

 

2. Tone- this step is to remove any dirt left behind after cleansing and to prep your skin for the moisturizing products.

 

Witch Hazel (with grain alcohol) is great on its own.

 

You can also use Aloe Vera juice (NOT gel or that preservative laden junk in the shop). Get a real leaf from your local growers outlet or farmer’s market. You may even just want to get the whole plant! You can grow aloe indoors easily.

 

Green tea, rice water, and Greek yogurt also provide toning action.

 

Ok, so the recipe I used:

  • Rice (any rice is fine; I used white)
  • Loose Leaf Green Tea
  • Aloe Vera Juice
  • Lemon Balm

 

  1. Rinse the rice and cover with filtered water for 30-45 minutes.

*Note* I didn’t put measurements because there’s no need to add extra work. Just use what you’re going to make for dinner, strain the water, and keep that for your toner. To finish your dinner, you can either subtract a bit of water from what would’ve originally been required (because the rice will have absorbed some); or, you can add too much water and strain when the rice has finished cooking. 

 

  1. Steep some loose leaf green tea- make it a strong cuppa! 

*Note*- the stronger you make it, the more astringent and drying it will be. If you have very oily skin, make it stronger; if you have less oily skin, make it less strong.

 

  1. Extract the aloe juice from the leaf

To do this, cut off the end, slice the sides, then remove the top layer. You can use a spoon to extract the juice by scraping the leaf and gel bit. Try not to dig in too deep or you’ll end up with gel bits in your juice (and hair >.< ). You can run this through a fine strainer or sieve after if you need to make sure you’ve got any bits out. 

 

  1. Combine the rice water, green tea (equal or near equal parts with rice water being the greater part), 2 tbsp of aloe juice, and 12-15 drops of Lemon Balm (this was for about a 16oz bottle. 

*Note* Unless you’re going to use this for your whole body or share with everyone in your house, you will NOT need this much as it will only stay good in the fridge for less than a week. I can’t imagine it would hurt to use more aloe juice (with less green tea), but definitely don’t overdo it with the lemon balm

 

  1. Store in an airtight container (jar or spray bottle) in the fridge. It will keep for a few days. You can add the gel of a vitamin E capsule for extra benefits and a slightly longer shelf life. 

 

To use:

Apply with a cotton pad if you feel the need for an extra cleaning step after cleansing. Otherwise, just use a spray bottle to mist on or apply with clean fingers. ​

 

Green Tea is astringent, so if you need more tightening or oil control action, add more green tea, and use less if the opposite is true. 

Aloe Vera is going to have some astringent action as well. It is also moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, pore cleansing, acne reducing, and oil balancing.   

Aloe juice is also great for your hair ;) Applied to wet /damp hair, it will seal your strands to lock in moisture and help prevent frizz and breakage. 

You could also use the toner on your hair; just note that the green tea might be too drying to use daily.

 

3. Moisturize- your skin type and time of day will be your biggest factors to consider when selecting a moisturizer. Generally, we should opt for something lighter in the day time and heavier for the evening. If you’re like me and living in a hot humid place, you might even make this an "as needed" step. 

Whether your skin is on the drier side or just needing a bit of moisturizing, opt for something simple like jojoba oil.

Because this plant wax is closest to our own sebum (oil) it will balance oil production, leaving you with a perfect dewy glow

If you need something even more moisturizing, you could use a heavier oil like almond (lighter) or olive (heavier) oil. Both are great options, just remember you only need a few drops of whichever you choose. 

For night time, you could opt for a Shea butter based cream - like the Whipped Shea Face & Body Butter (reply to this email if you want me to keep you posted on when it will be available again!) or stick with the lighter oils depending on what your needs are. 

 

That wraps up your basic 3-Step Daily Face Care Regimen! I hope you find it useful.

If you have any questions about how to make these or how to select the best ingredients for your skin, drop me a line and I'll help you out =)

If you've tried any of the recipes, leave a comment and let me know how it worked for you! Be sure to note any recipe modifications so others can be inspired by your ideas!  

 

Benefit

Turmeric Powder

Cinnamon Powder

Rice
Water

Used Coffee Grounds

Green Tea

Honey

Lemon Balm

Aloe Vera Juice

Banana

Greek Yogurt

Promotes Natural Glow

Helps Prevent/

Treat 

Acne

Cleanses Pores

Tightens Skin/ Minimizes Pores

Lightens Dark Spots

Hydrates/

Moisturizes 

Dry Skin

Balances Oil Production

Anti-Aging

Brightens/
Evens
Complexion

Tones

Heals

Exfoliates

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