Category: BEAUTY DIY

5 Miracle Foods That Will Help You Detox – Fast!

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As much as we all love a burger, we know it’s not going to help us get that glossy skin and beautiful mane we lust after. Sure, now and again it’s no harm, but no matter how much money you spend on miracle products, if you’re not taking care of what you put into your body, your newest potion is never going to reach its full potential. These five superfoods, however, will make you feel beautiful from the inside out and I swear in just a week, we’ve been able to notice a difference in our hair and our skin. Plus, by eating healthy you’ll have more than just extra energy and great hair, your concentration and mood will improve too. These five ingredients are so good you’ll want to bathe in them – and btw, I have the recipes so that you can:

Chia Seeds – The Glow-Getter 

Don’t be fooled by their size, these tiny seeds are literally full of beauty-boosting minerals and antioxidants. They’re super high in Omega 3, so they’ll give you the ultimate glow while reducing any inflammation or dryness. The amazing seeds also increase your blood circulation, thereby giving you more even skin. You can sprinkle the seeds on pretty much anything, from your yogurts and smoothies to your salads. I love mixing them with almond milk and honey for a delicious breakfast snack with fruit.

Chia Seed and Lavender Face Mask DIY:
My favorite Chia Seed DIY will gently exfoliate your skin leaving you feeling baby soft with a J Lo glow. Mix 2 teaspoons of Chia Seeds with 4 tablespoons of water, then add 2 drops of lavender oil. Massage it onto your face and leave the mix on your skin for 10 minutes, then just wash away with warm water.

Medjool Dates – Acne Banisher, Youth Booster

Medjool Dates are desert plants, originally from the Middle East. Most Medjool Date Palm Trees sold in Florida come from California fruit producers that are selling off the older, less productive cultivars to make room for newer, better fruiting cultivars. Plus, there aren’t well adapted here because it rains more in Florida than California. Dates (the fruit) can be produced in North Florida and South East US if planted correctly. It is best to choose cultivars that are more tolerant of humidity and rain.

Luckily, Target sells Medjool– I’m obsessed! But, not just because they’re mega tasty, they’re also a rich source of fiber, which will support your metabolism and help you debloat. In the Middle East, some like to use them to break their fast during Ramadan, as they’re great energy boosters – making them an ideal snack (just stick to a few though as they’re high in sugar). Medjool Dates are also a great source of copper, which helps your body absorb more iron allowing your skin to produce more collagen. Dates can even help reduce redness and will work as an anti-inflammatory, so if you’re acne-prone, ditch the crisps and grab a date!

Medjool Date and Honey Mask DIY:
De-pit 3 to 4 dates and blend with 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey (both rich in vitamin B) to formulate a thick paste. Spread this mix on your face and leave for 10 minutes before washing away with water. Your face will feel SO smooth.

Avocado – The Hair Helper

Avocados aren’t just for your breakfast Insta Story, they’re a beauty miracle ingredient too! Avocados are full of fatty acids and proteins, and whether you use them on your hair as a mask or you just eat them on toast, they’ll give your locks killer shine – Adriana Lima swears by it. The vitamin B and E content will also strengthen your hair follicles and help the strands remain strong and healthy, preventing split ends from forming.

Avocado and Coconut Hair Mask:
For the ultimate hair mask, mash one ripe avocado (if you have shorter hair you can use half and eat the other), and mix it with one egg yolk and two tablespoons of coconut oil. Massage it into your hair (from root to tip) and then wash it off 20 minutes later. Just make sure you shampoo your hair thoroughly or you could get a little oily at the roots.

Lemons – The Detox Queen

Whenever you ask a model how they start their day, I swear the answer will be with a cup of hot water and lemon. Lemon is an incredible detoxifier and cleans your digestive system so that your liver can eliminate waste more efficiently. It also boosts your lymphatic drainage, which will help get rid of any puffiness around your eyes and toxins from your body. And the best thing about a detox drink is that it can seriously help clear up your skin, so say hello to that glow!

Lemon, Honey, and Green Tea Face Mask: 
This face mask will revitalize your skin and cleanse your pores, leaving your skin super radiant. Mix the juice of half a lemon with 1 teaspoon of honey and the contents of one green tea bag (brew the tea first, and then take the leaves from the tea bag). Apply it your face and wash it off 15 minutes later with warm water.

Figs – The Beauty All-rounder

Figs don’t get the hype they deserve but we love them! Just like lemons, they’re an incredible detoxifier as the seeds inside the fruit will help cleanse the digestive tract of mucus and toxins. This is so important as when it’s blocked, it prevents essential nutrients getting into your skin. It’s also full of antioxidants that help fight free radicals, which cause fine lines and wrinkles to form. A great source of vitamins C and B6, figs can help even out your skin tone and regulate hormone activity, combatting breakouts. I love to snack on them, but make sure you limit your intake to just a couple as they’re high in sugar.

Fig and Oatmeal Mask 
For an amazing exfoliator, blend 5 figs with a teaspoon of powdered oatmeal and a teaspoon of milk. Once a smooth paste is formed, massage it into your skin, leave it for 15 minutes and wash it off with warm water and a soft washcloth.

Let me know if you have any other fav healthy foods that are also great for DIYs!

Sipping Pretty: Infused Water Recipes

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Aside from coming across as beautiful, drinkable works of art, infused waters have a subtly sweet taste and a cleansing effect on your body that is equal parts refreshing and healthy. From time to time, I find myself making a large pitcher of lemon cucumber mint water and drinking it for a week. And after embarking on a recent “pinge” on Pinterest, I discovered a few other infused water recipes that I was eager to try. I gave them a go and were pleased to find that they tasted as lovely as they looked. Here are the four infused water recipes I created (and couldn’t get enough of)…

  • orange + lemon + lime
  • lemon + raspberry + mint
  • lemon + cucumber + mint
  • blackberry + cherry + lime

To make any of these recipes, all you have to do is slice the fruit you want to use and drop them into your water. You can start drinking it right away, but you might not notice the flavors until it infuses for a few hours (four hours achieves the most potent flavor). I like to let my waters sit overnight in the fridge, and if I’m using a recipe that calls for lemon I will squeeze half a lemon straight into the water for a little detox boost. As long as you keep your water refrigerated, the fruit should stay fresh. If you are filling your pitcher with water throughout the week, keep in mind that it will dilute the flavor each time you refill. I would recommend drinking your water within 3-5 days and making a new batch once you notice that fruit has started to soften or turn your water cloudy. Which infused water recipe will you try first? Leave your questions and comments below! And if you liked this post, be sure to take a peek at my detox diary for all the details about my first juice cleanse. xx

Rose Honey Brown Sugar Lip Scrub

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Hi loves!! If your lips tend to go through the motions with the seasons and have been dry lately then DIY Rose Honey Brown Sugar Lip Scrub is for you. Let’s get right to it …

Morning everyone! Erin here!! A little kitchen beauty sesh kinda makes the perfect Sunday morning activity! Just me?! I whipped up this yummy (yes, I tasted it just to check, or as my mom used to say, to make sure it wasn’t poison, lol) rose honey brown sugar lip scrub on a Sunday morning while watching Food Network and I had to share it with you!

Let’s break down the ingredients:

  • Brown sugar – acts as a gentle exfoliator because of its grainy texture
  • Honey – honey is a natural humectant so it’s actually adding moisture
  • Olive oil – adds moisture to bind the ingredients
  • Rose essential oil – because IMO, anything rose is a big YES

So why would you want to exfoliate your lips? A few obvious reasons – it gets rid of dry skin, and makes your lips softer. A reason not so obvious? It helps your nourishing lip products penetrate better! If you’re gonna spend on those, let’s makes sure they are the most effective they can be, right?!

Rose Honey Lip Scrub Recipe

  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • ½ cup olive or coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 10 drops rose essential oil

I personally LOVE the smell of rose, but if you’re not so into it, customize this scrub with mint or lavender oil instead of rose, or maybe adding lemon zest would be your jam?

The most amazing thing about this scrub (besides the soft lips!) is that it can double as a body scrub if you whip up a double batch! I added some dried rose petals into the body scrub just because it’s pretty and a little more luxurious, then put it in a bigger tin for the shower. Incorporate the lip scrub into your nightly routine – leave it by the sink and use it before you put on your nighttime lip product and hop into bed… and by all means, friends don’t let friends have sandpaper lips, so pass on a jar to your bestie, okay?!

xo

Vitamin 101 | Green Tea Blemish Buster

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We all hate breakouts, but sometimes it seems we are fighting an uphill battle with these little red devils! If you are looking for a way to fight acne without harming your skin, this may be the solution for you. According to Dr. Jennifer Gan Wong, Green tea extract has been proven to be effective in its fight against acne without the harsh effects of the commonly used benzoyl peroxide. Green tea nourishes skin while it combats acne and keeps you clear. It also helps reduce inflammation and works as a detox for your skin! Talk about badass blemish buster!

Get a good quality green tea from your local health food store, traditional Chinese or Japanese store or online. You can use any type of green tea, such as Sencha, matcha or genmaicha and should aim to drink two to three cups per day. To prepare it, heat fresh water to just before boiling point, pour into the cup and steep for five to 15 minutes, depending on individual instructions. Do not add sugar to green tea as it will diminish health benefits.

Drinking green tea daily can also help prevent new acne breakouts, which are caused by bacteria, because, as Nadine Taylor, M.S., R.D. of Green Tea Library notes, the catechins in tea kill bad bacteria while maintaining good bacteria.

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According to Dr. Jennifer Gan-Wong of Memorial Medical Center, green tea also works as a topical application for skin problems, including acne scars, eczema, and psoriasis. Epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, is another type of antioxidant found in green tea that is very beneficial in reducing acne and scars by both cleansings the skin of toxins and neutralizing the bacteria that causes acne. Green tea has astringent properties which help diminish redness and inflammation.

For a facial cleanser, use pure, unflavored green tea. Heat one quart filtered water to just before boiling, pour over one cup of green tea leaves and let steep for about 20 minutes. Allow the tea to cool and splash on your face, or use cotton balls to dab directly onto acne scars. Apply the green tea extract to the affected area three times daily. Really simple! Do not rinse. Store the tea in a sealed container in the fridge.