Face Lift:

Combine a handful of strawberries, a handful of grapes, 1/2 pear, 1/2 apple and 1 oz. orange juice in a blender. Apply a thin layer of honey to face, then apply fruit mixture to face. Leave on for 30 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Finish with a rinse of the vinegar pH balancer.

Facial Cleansers/Toners:

pH Balancer Finishing

Use this cleansing, restoring rinse after your regular cleansing or after any or all of the skin treatments on listed.   Apply with clean sterile cotton balls or gauze or simply splash on, being careful to avoid your eyes:

Basic Balancer

• 3 cups distilled water
  1/3 cups apple cider vinegar

Combine water and vinegar. Pour into a clean decorative decanter and store in the bathroom.

Various essential oils or herb infusions (in place of the plain distilled water) may be added to the basic balancer for fragrance and/or therapuedic value:

For oily skin add one of the following oils or infusions

Calendula (marigold)
Geranium
Horestail herb
Sage
Yarrow

For dry, sensitive skin add one of the following oils or infusions

Borage
Cornflower
Houseleek
Lady’s Mantle
Marsh mallow (roots and leaves)
Parsley
Sorrel
Sweet Violet (flowers and leaves)

Kiwi Facial Cleanser (for dry or oily skin)

This recipe is courtesy of www.Spaindex.com

• 1 kiwi fruit
• 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon orange water
• 1 tablespoon apricot or almond oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon finely ground almonds
• 2 drops orange (or your favorite citrus) essential oil

Puree the kiwi fruit in a food processor until liquid. During processing, add yogurt, orange water, almond or apricot oil, and ground almonds. Process until thick and cream like. Add essential and stir to mix. To apply, massage gently over neck, face and décolleté to cleanse. Rinse well. Makes one application.

Thyme and Fennel Seed Cleanser (for normal skin)

This recipe is courtesy of www.Spaindex.com

Fennel has been used throughout history as an aid to digestion or as a slight diuretic. As an infusion, fennel seeds can be gently cleansing and toning for the skin, and they can help reduce puffiness and superficial irritation. Thyme, which is used in antiseptic preparations, is a good astringent. Because this cleanser is very gentle, it can be used each morning. Dab it on your face and neck with a cotton ball, and rinse.

• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, crumbled (or 1/2 T dried Thyme)
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• Juice of Half Lemon

Mix the thyme and fennel seed in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Add lemon juice and steep for 15 minutes. Strain the infusion and store the liquid in a jar, in the refrigerator.

Mint Skin Toner
To create a refreshing skin toner that will hydrate and clean your pores, mix 1 cup witch hazel, 1/4 cup white vinegar and 1/4 tsp. mint extract. For good measure, drop in a couple of fresh peppermint leaves. Dab on your face with a cotton ball and apply moisturizer.

Milk and Honey Cleanser

Mix 1 tsp warm honey with 1 tablespoon milk or cream. This recipe should be prepared fresh each time.

Sesame Oil Cleanser (For Dry Skin)

Apply sesame oil to face and neck. Remove oil and makeup with a washcloth that has been soaked in hot water and wrung out. Finish with a rinse of the pH Balancer.

Cucumber- Honey Toner

This recipe is courtesy of www.honey.com National Honey Board

• 1 medium Cucumber, peeled and cut up into pieces
• 2 tsp. Honey

Puree cucumber in a blender. Line a sieve with cheesecloth and set the sieve over a glass bowl or measuring cup. Pour the cucumber puree through the sieve and let it stand for 15 minutes for the juices to drip into the bowl. Pour the clear juice into a clean bottle and add honey.

To use, shake the bottle and saturate a cotton pad with the lotion. Sweep over face, neck and chest morning and night, and let it air dry (about 3 to 4 minutes). Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Makes about 1/2 cup.

Fascial Masks:

Apple Mask

This recipe is courtesy of Noreen Finneran “Incredible Edible Spa”

• 1 T Applesauce
• 1 T Wheat Germ

To Make: Purée apple in a blender or add applesauce to a small bowl. Mix in the wheat germ to form a paste.

To Use: Apply to washed, scrubbed, and steamed face. Allow mask to set for 10-15 minutes. Tone then moisturize.

Avocado Carrot Cream Mask

This recipe is courtesy of www.Spaindex.com

This mask combines avocados, which are rich in Vitamin E, with carrots, which are high in beta-carotene and antioxidants, and cream, which is high in calcium and protein. These ingredients will rebuild skin collagen, improve tone and texture, and fade age spots.

• 1 avocado, mashed
  1 carrot, cooked and mashed
  1/2 cup heavy cream
  1 egg, beaten
  3 tablespoons honey

Combine all ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Spread gently over your face and neck, and leave in place 10-15 minutes. Rinse with cool water and follow with your favorite toner.

Pumpkin Facial Mask

This recipe is courtesy of www.Spaindex.com

If you have visited spas and resorts in exotic locales such as the Pacific Rim, Bali, Hawaii, and Tahiti, you’ve probably seen a facialist select and mash fresh fruit in front of you for a fresh-on-the spot enzyme mask. It’s easy to recreate this mask at home — we’ve found a Balinese mask for you which will leave your face fresh and glowing.

• 2/3 cup fresh papaya, mashed
• 15 oz. can pure pumpkin
• 1 egg, beaten

1. Prepare the mask. Cut the papaya in half and scoop out the seeds. Scoop out the papaya fruit and mash it well to eliminate lumps in the mask. Beat the egg until it is frothy. Combine that with the papaya. Add the pumpkin to the egg/papaya mixture and whip together. You can also mix the ingredients in the blender or a food processor for an extra smooth mask.

2. Prepare your face. Wash with your daily cleanser and remove all residual makeup on your skin. Rinse with warm water. It’s very important to have clean skin to ensure you get maximum benefits from the facial.

3. Apply the Mask. Cover your entire face, being careful to avoid the immediate eye area. If you have sensitive skin, test the mixture on your hand before spreading it on your face. You’ll feel some tingling as the enzymes in the pumpkin go to work immediately — gently exfoliating your top layer of skin. It works like a scrub without being abrasive to your skin. Leave the mask on for 10 minutes.

4. Rinse Off Mask. After you’ve relaxed for ten minutes it’s time to rinse. The mask is fairly thick — head for the kitchen sink.

5. Apply Toner & Moisturizer.

SharAmbrosia Kelp Firming Masque

This recipe is courtesy of SharAmbrosia

This mask treatment will help to soften and firm your skin at the same time.

• 3 T Yogurt
• 1 tsp. Organic Powdered Kelp
• 1 tsp. Honey

Place 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt into a small dish. Add the powdered Kelp, stir well. Add the honey and stir until all three ingredients are blended into a smooth consistency. To use: Cleanse face, apply the mask all over face, neck and shoulder area. Massage lightly (the Kelp acts as beauty grains to promote exfoliation). Leave on for about 5-10 minutes. Remove with a warm washcloth. Use a tonic or hydrosol on a cotton ball for complete removal. Apply your moisturizer as usual. Kelp contains iodine, so those with iodine allergies should not use this mask.

Fruit Dry Skin Mask

1) Make a puree of 1 banana and 1 papaya, peach or avacado. Apply to skin. Leave on for at least 20 minutes then rinse with warm water, followed by a moisturizer of natural margarine or natural vegetable oil.

Dry Skin Mayonnaise Mask

Apply natural mayonnaise, either homemade or from natural foods store. Massage into skin, leave on for 15-20 minutes, rinse thoroughly with warm water.

Scrubs:

Strawberry Hand and Foot Exfoliant

This recipe is courtesy of www.Spaindex.com

• 8-10 Strawberries
• 2 tablespoons Apricot Oil (you may substitute olive oil)
• 1 teaspoon of coarse salt, such as Kosher Salt, or Sea Salt

Mix together all ingredients, massage into hands and feet, rinse, and pat dry. Strawberries contain a natural fruit acid which aids in exfoliation.

Lemon Mint Elbow Bleach

Jeanne Rose “Kitchen Cosmetics”

• 1/2 C Mint Water
• 1/2 Lemon, squeezed

To Make: Make a thick infusion of Peppermint, strain out the herb and to 1/2 cup of the liquid add the Lemon juice. Mix together.

To Use: While studying or working, apply this liquid with cotton pads to the elbows; let it dry and make another application. Repeat applications 3 or 4 times. Do not remove.

Why: The Lemon juice acts as a bleach, the Mint as a soothing aromatic astringent.

Almond Cleanser

Grind almonds to a fine powder in a blender. Wet face then rub on almond powder. Rinse. Store powder in a tighly sealed container.

Orange & Oats Scrubbing Grains

1 cup dried orange peel
1 cup cooked oatmeal
1 cup almonds
Place peels, oats, and almonds in food processor, blend until mixture is a fine powder. Place some in the palm of your hand and moisten with a few drops of warm water. Rub paste onto face with a gentle circular motion. Rinse with warm water.