How to make your own hand and body scrub

Like most people I use my hands a lot, whether it is cleaning, washing-up, polishing, ironing or typing to name just a few of my every day things, it takes it toll on my skin, not to mention the ever change in weather which can leave my hands feeling really dry and horrible.  

A few weeks ago I shared a post on my blog about how I love to use Coconut Oil and listed some of the ways I like to use it best, which you can see HERE. In that post I mentioned a quick recipe that you can use at home to make your own scrub.  Today's post is a similar scrub which I have been using, made at home in my kitchen and given it takes less than ten minutes to make, I thought I would share it with you.

All you will need to make this scrub is:

• 1 Kilner Jar because it has a secure lid
• A tablespoon, 
• A knife to cut the orange
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar which will act as your exfoliant to remove dead, dry and flaking skin
• 1/4 cup of Pure Coconut oil, this will soften and moisturise your skin 
• 1-2 tablespoon's of freshly squeezed orange juice which smells wonderful and is both invigorating and uplifting

I have the little ramekin as an extra for when I squeeze the orange juice onto a spoon for measuring so it can catch any excess juice.

Once you have gathered all of the things you need for this scrub, all you need to do is follows:

Put the coconut oil directly into the Kilner jar which is where it is going to stay and then add the sugar.  Once both of these ingredients are in the jar, give them a stir, using your tablespoon, to ensure they are mixed together, then do a little test to see how if you are happy with the coarseness of the mixture by taking a small amount out of the jar and place it on your skin and then rub gently, if you are happy that it will give your skin a good scrub leave it as it is, if not add a little more sugar and test it again.  

Once you are happy with your scrub, cut your orange in half and then squeeze the juice onto the tablespoon, add it to your scrub and mix it in before repeating.  Again, give your scrub a really good mix and again text it on your skin.  If you are happy with it, clean the edges around the top of the jar, securely close the lid.  

A little tip - You need to ensure your scrub is stored in a cool, dry place and I would recommend leaving it for 24 hours or overnight before using it to give the coconut oil time to solidify again before using.

Now I have used this scrub on my lips, legs, arms and hands to date and it is really lovely, effective and best of all cheap, not to mention really effective on dry skin.  It also makes a nice little gift for someone too.

Have you ever made your own products at home?

Coconut Oil - my favourite ways to use it!

Coconut Oil is one ingredient we all probably have in our kitchen and are never really sure what to do with it. As a natural oil coconut oil is a perfect moisturisers, lightweight, absorbs really easily not to mention smells divine. I am a huge fan of coconut scent products whether it is a cream, hair mask, face-mask or sun tan lotion.

Just mentioning all of the above means that it is an item you can incorporate into your beauty routine, especially if you are on a spending ban, wanting to save money, are having a bit of a DIY moment or are simply wanting to try something new.  All you need to do is Google Coconut Oil uses and within seconds before your eyes you will have over 4.3million pages to look at and go through.

The lovely people at Viridian sent me a lovely jar of organic raw virgin coconut oil** and it smells amazing, I absolutely love it.

So rather than read all of those pages, I thought it would be a good idea and a good post if I picked my favourite 5 ways to use Coconut Oil and share them with you below.

1.) Eye Makeup remover: This is a tip I was given by a friend when she was training to be a beautician.  Coconut oil will gently remove your makeup, all you need to do is place some on a damp cotton pad and rub gently in circles around your eye area to get rid of makeup.  Once you have finished be sure to wash your face thoroughly.

2.) Hair Mask: Use coconut oil as a DIY hair mask to soften your hair and add moisture. Just scoop some out into the palms of your hands to warm it through and then apply to your hair, focusing on the ends (if like me you have greasy hair, then definitely avoid the root area altogether). Once applied, leave it on for around 30 minutes and then rinse it out in the shower before shampooing and conditioning your hair.  You can also use this method as an overnight treatment, just put a towel on your pillow to make sure it doesn't stain and then wash out in the morning.  I do this when my hair is feeling really dry, particularly at the ends when my hair is due to be cut and my hair feels so soft and smooth after using.

3.) Body Scrub:  You can make your own body scrub really easily and there are a lot of tutorials which show you how to do just that.   Below is one of my favourite home made body scrubs which the people at Eco Market sent to me to try a few months back.

Combine coconut oil with: 

• 1 small organic lemon

• 1 small organic lime

• 1 cup organic pure cane sugar
• 
1/2 cup organic coconut oil
• 
1 teaspoon organic peppermint essential oil/extract
. 

You can, if you like also add some mint leaves and lemon & lime peels. Mix the coconut oil, the peppermint oil and the juice from both the lemon and lime. Then pour in the sugar and mix it up well. If you want to add the mint leaves and citrus peels then stir them in at the end. Transfer the mixture to a clean, dry container like an old jam jar and you're ready to scrub.

This is such an effective exfoliator and definitely one to try if you fancy trying a DIY version because it is so easy to do and it smells so good.  You can also use this scrub on your feet, hands and lips!

4.) Shaving Cream:  If you run out of shaving cream/foam or whatever you might use, instead of reaching for your misters (oops yes I do) or using shower gel, grab some coconut oil and warm it between the palms of your hands, massage onto the skin and then you'll see how easily your razor glides over the skin leaving you with hair free soft smooth skin.

5.) Cuticle oil: If your nail beds look really dry, cracked and are a bit sore, get a cotton bud and your jar of coconut oil and dab some onto each fingers around and on your cuticle and massage it on.  If your cuticles need a little bit more TLC then don't massage it in, put some gloves on overnight whilst sleeping, in the morning you will notice quite a difference.

Those are just some of the ways I use coconut oil and naturally there are lots of other ways because it is just such a good moisturiser and so kind to the skin.

Have you ever used coconut oil in your beauty routine? How? 

1. Tell me in the comments!

Lush Rudolph Face Mask

I am a huge fan of Lush products, yes I am a Lushaholic and I love the Christmas Range. As soon as I know Snow Fairy has been released for those precious few weeks, I stock up.  I did a mini Lush Haul which I wrote about HERE and one of the products from that haul is the Rudolph Face mask.

Soothe and nourish your skin, with fresh cucumber, oatmeal and tofu. Scented with organic lavender oil, this calming mask will reduce redness and restore nutrients to your skin

Is the description for this face-mask.  Called Rudolph it has been designed to give your face and neck a little TLC which I am sure most people need, especially with this constant change in weather, my skin is not a fan of the cold weather and in order to make sure I don't end up looking like Freddie Kruger, I ensure my skin gets a little extra TLC as and when I can.  This face-mask sounded ideal when I came across it in the Lush store, especially as it promises to soothe, nourish, and calm skin, as well as reducing redness and restore balance. 

The main ingredients, which as you will know from Lush are endless and natural, are cucumber, oatmeal, tofu, and lavender.  Then we have tea tree, Calamine Powder and witch hazel which help to keep those blemishes at bay. I was quite surprised to see tofu included, mainly because I can't stand the horrible taste or texture whenever I have tried to eat it, but if it does give my skin a little TLC, I might be much nicer to it.   Now all of those ingredients aside and many more that haven't been mentioned but can be found online. I am sure you are wondering what the red blob is right?  Well it is of course Rudolph’s red nose, which is made from a bright red rounded piece of jelly to stick upon your own nose once you have applied the mask.

Being handmade and full of completely natural ingredients, Lush face masks can be quite thick and lumpy and this one is no exception.  Resembling porridge in texture and looks this facemask actually smells much better than it looks and they do say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

The mask is because described as porridge and the overly done stuff that literally clings to the pan and no amount of milk is going to make it any easier to eat.  Yes simply put, this mask is a fairly thick texture and when you apply it to your face it can be quite tricky, I found it easier to apply my mixing it with a tiny bit of water.  As I always apply as mask before getting in the bath or if I am just laying on the sofa, I tend to have some water in the sink anyway to wash my hands after I have finished applying any mask.  Once applied to your face, simply lay back and relax.

I left the mask on for around half an hour before I rinsed it off. Removing the mask was much easier than applying it and I used some damp muslin cloth to remove most of it before using a mirror to make sure I hadn't left anything lurking in and around my hairline or my eyebrows (it happens) and then once everything had been removed, I patted my skin dry and was surprised to find how lovely my skin felt.  When the mask is on your face, or any mask for that matter, I am never too sure whether anything is actually happening because if it doesn't harden for peeling off or wiping off, but stays as it was when you applied it, then what has it done?  Well this one did a lot.  my skin was soft and smooth to the touch, I had a lovely rosy glow and best of all, my skin felt so hydrated and moisturised that I didn't feel the need to instantly grab a moisturising cream and cover my face in it, because unlike some other masks I have used, I didn't feel that this one had stripped my skin of everything and left my skin feeling really dry.

Overall this is a fantastic face-mask and one I have really enjoyed using it.  It retails at £5.50 for 60g and it comes in one of those lovely black tubs which you can keep, take back and once you have 5, get another face-mask for free. 

Mr Frosty Bath Creamer

At the London Blogger Secret Santa Meet, we were all given amazing goodie bags and in mine was this fabulous Mr Frosty Bath Creamer from Bomb Cosmetics which you can find HERE.  Now I am a HUGE fan of Bomb Cosmetics and their products are simply amazing and naturally I couldn't wait to chuck this into my bath and enjoy it.

Bomb Cosmetics tell you too "Drop Mr Frosty into a warm bath and watch him melt, softly giving up his Cocoa and Shea butters and Rose essential oils. With a warming, satisfying hot chocolate fragrance for cold winter nights".

Whenever I use something like this, I ensure there is a few inches of water in the bath and then placing the Bath Creamer into the warm water it begins to fizz instantly and run around your bath like someone on a sugar rush.  As it melts into the water it releases the Cocoa Butter and the Shea butter as well as the Rose Essential Oil which you can smell and it is totally divine.  Rose scented products rank highly in my favourite scents, so to use this Bath Creamer is a complete delight.  Once the Bath Creamer stops fizzing, it is time to get into your bath, relax and enjoy.

This Bath Creamer is full of lovely ingredients and I always like to look at what is something before I use it, it fascinated me for years and this particular product includes: 

• Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter - both know for their ability to moisturise the skin
• Rose Flower Oil - is great for toning the skin and also has moisturising properties
• Coconut Oil - the goodness within coconut oil and benefits for your skin is literally endless and it is something I always have in my kitchen cupboard and it leaves your skin feeling soft, smooth and incredibly moisturised to name but a few.

There are other ingredients included within this Bath Creamer which are listed on the Bomb Cosmetics website.

The water that you immerse yourself into feels really soft on the skin, that is the best way for me to describe it, the Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter are incedibly moisutirsing and I almost felt no need to add anything else to my skin because it is all there in the water. However with this cold weather, my skin is quite dry on my legs, so I did exfoliate, but then rather than use anything else, I used what was in my water and once out of the bath, my skin was soft and smooth to the touch and it smelt totally amazing.

Sometimes in these products there are bits which float about your bath, mainly to add some decoration and fun and the warning always is to rinse them away from the bath after use to avoid and prevent any staining.

All of the products from Bomb Cosmetics are formulated to be free from Parabens, or Paraben based preservatives.

Have you tried anything from Bomb Cosmetics? Do you have a favourite product?