Beautiful Skin Complements of Your Kitchen Cupboard.

One of the best things that you can do for your skin is to exfoliate, exfoliate, and yes, exfoliate. Don’t get me wrong, you can over exfoliate but if you want to maintain or obtain a beautiful, clear, glowing complexion and this includes the entire body well then by all means make regular exfoliation a part of your weekly beauty regimine. It doesn’t have to be costly and can be accomplished with a few ingredients that you have in your kitchen.

First of all either sugar or salt or a combination of the 2 will do. The finer the granules the better the job of gently and evenly removing old skin without causing surface abrasions. If your skin tends to be dry then perhaps sugar would be best as it is non drying.

Now to dampen the mixture which will provide the base of the mixture. You’ll need an oil (especially for the body). Olive or Safflower are ideal and or honey.

Next you’ll need an acid based product. For this lemon, orange, mango, papaya, milk, or yogurt are great. Remember acids are what Alpha Hydroxy’s are made of and they are found in natural foods. They loosen the skin’s “glue” and allow it to be gently removed. This is a good thing because we’re talking about old dead dull skin that will do good to go.

Other add ins that are purely optional are Essential oils. These can be found at your local Health food Store or online. They are obtained from various plants and flowers and lend different qualities and attributes to whatever concoction they’re added too. Best of all they provide aromatherapy in a natural non synthetic way. They are quite concentrated so a drop or two to an entire jar (16oz) of mixture should be plenty.

When combining your ingredients rememeber

No preservatives are added so you’ll do best to make just enough for yourself to use in a week or two. What isn’t used immediately should be stored in the refrigerator. Sugar, salt, and honey are natural preservatives but… since contamination can occur while using with wet hands it’s best to not risk it. Make it as you need it and if a little is left over then refrigerate and use within two weeks.

Consistency is up to you. Begin with a 50/50 ratio of oil or honey to salt or sugar. If it's too loose then add more salt or sugar until the desired thickness is reached.

Keep in mind that separation will occur and stir prior to each use.


A few Essential oils and their beneficial uses

Lavender - Calming, Removes nervous tension, helpful in treating migraines, headaches, anxiety, depression, nervous tension and emotional stress. Abscess, acne, allergies, alopeica areata, asthma, athlete’s foot, blenorrhea, blepharitits, boils, bronchitis, bruises, burns, carbuncles, catarrh, childbirth, chlorosis, colic, conjunctivitis, cramps, cystitis, dandruff, depression, dermatitis, diarrhea, diphtheria, dysmenorrhea, dyspepsia, earache, eczema. Its refreshing aroma removes nervous exhaustion and restlessness and increases mental activity.
blends well with many other essential oils including cedarwood, pine, clary sage, geranium, and nutmeg.

Blends well with -Bergamot, black pepper, cedarwood, german and roman chamomile, clary sage, clove, cypress, eucalyptus, geranium, grapefruit, juniper, labdanum, lemon, lemongrass, mandarin, marjoram, oakmoss, palmarosa, patchouli, peppermint, pine, ravensara, rose, rosemary, tea tree, thyme linalol, and vetiver



Rose - Antidepressant, anti-infectious, antiphlogistic, antiseptic, antitubercular agent, antiviral, aphrodisiac, astringent, bactericidal, choleretic, cicatrisant, cytophylactic, depurative, emmenagogue, emollient, hemostatic, hepatic, laxative, pectoral, regulator of appetite, sedative (nervous), stomachic, and tonic (heart, liver, stomach, uterus). Amenorrhea, aphrodisiac, asthma, broken capillaries, childbirth, cholecystitis, coughs, depression, dry skin, eczema, emotional crisis, general tonic, frigidity, hay fever, headache, herpes, impotence, infertility, insomnia, leucorrhea, liver congestion, mature and sensitive complexions, menorrhagia, nausea, nervous tension and stress-related complaints, palpitations, poor circulation, scarring, skin problems, uterine disorders, and wrinkles

Blends well with - Bay, cardamom, clove, coriander, frankincense, geranium, ginger, jasmine, lemon, mandarin, neroli, palmarosa, patchouli, sandalwood, and ylang ylang.




Rosemary - Analgesic, antidepressant, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antirheumatic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antitussive, antitoxic, aphrodisiac, astringent, carminative, cephalic, choleretic, cordial, cytophylactic, decongestant, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, emmenagogue, fungicidal, hepatic, hypertensor, nervine, parasiticide, pectoral, restorative, stimulant, stomachic, tonic, and vulnerary. Helps with Acne, amenorrhea, arouses memory, arteriosclerosis, arthritis, asthma, baldness, bronchitis, , cirrhosis, colds, colitis, constipation, coughs, dandruff, debility, dermatitis, diarrhea, dysmenorrhea, eczema, enhances circulation, epilepsy, fainting, flatulence, flu, fluid retention, general weakness, gout, greasy hair, hangovers, headache, hepatic disorders, hypotension, hysteria, increases the secretion of bile, insect repellant, jaundice, leucorrhea, lice, mental fatigue, migraine, muscle pain and spasms, nervous disorders, neuralgia, palpitations, rheumatism, scabies, sinus problems, sore muscles, stimulating (mind, body, adrenals, and memory), tonic (heart, liver, and gallbladder), varicose veins, whooping cough, and wounds

Blends well with - Basil, bergamot, black pepper, cedarwood, cinnamon, citronella, clary sage, elemi, eucalyptus (all), frankincense, geranium, grapefruit, labdanum, lavandin, lavender, lemon, litsea cubeba, mandarin, marjoram, niaouli, olibanum, oregano, peppermint, petitgrain, pine, ravensara, tea tree, and thyme



Chamomile- Acne, arthritis, asthma, boils, broken capillaries, burns, chilblains, colic, cuts, dermatitis, dysmenorrhea, dyspepsia, earache, eczema, hair care, headache, indigestion, insect bites, insomnia, menopausal problems, menorrhagia, menstrual disorders, migraine, muscular pain, muscular spasms, nausea, nervous tension, neuralgia, rashes, rheumatism, sensitive skin, skin allergies, sprains, stress related complaints, teething pain, toothache, and wounds

Blends Well With: Benzoin, bergamot, chamomile roman, clary sage, cypress, frankincense, geranium, grapefruit, jasmine, labdanum, lavender, lemon, marjoram, naiouli, neroli, patchouli, pine, ravensara, rose, rosemary, tea tree, and ylang ylang.



LemonGrass - Analgesic, antidepressant, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiparasitic, antipyretic, antiseptic, antiviral, astringent, bactericidal, carminative, deodorant, depurative, digestive, febrifuge, fungicidal, galactagogue, insecticidal, nervine, sedative, tonic, and vasodilator, Acne, athletes foot, cellulite, colitis, digestion, excessive sweat, fevers, gastroenteritis, headaches, infectious disease, insect repellant, muscular pain, nervous exhaustion and stress-related condition, open sores, pediculosis, poor circulation, scabies.

Blends well with -: Basil, bergamot, black pepper, cedarwood, clary sage, coriander, cypress, fennel, geranium, ginger, grapefruit, lavender, lemon, marjoram, orange, palmarosa, patchouli, rosemary, tea tree, thyme linalol, vetiver, and ylang ylang




Grapefruit - Antidepressant, anti-infectious, antiseptic, antitoxic, astringent, bactericidal, depurative, digestive, diuretic, restorative, stimulant (lymphatic, digestive), and tonic. Acne, cellulitis, chills, colds, congested and oily skin, depression, flu, gall bladder, hangovers, headaches, herpes, hot flashes, induces euphoria, menopause, menstrual problems, muscle fatigue, nervous exhaustion, obesity, performance stress, PMS, promotes hair growth, relieves performance anxiety, stiffness, tones the skin and tissues, and water retention

Blends Well With: Bergamot, black pepper, cardamom, clary sage, clove, cypress, eucalyptus (all), fennel, frankincense, geranium, ginger, juniper, lavender, lemon, mandarin, neroli, palmarosa, patchouli, peppermint, rosemary, thyme linalool, and ylang ylang