DIY Face and Body At Home

Ok, we have established the hair DIY. Next comes face and body at home!

I often think, we are so blessed to have indoor plumbing in this day and age... a real luxury in itself for so many people past and present! So surely, we can find ways to pamper at home? I much prefer it anyway... I have set myself up pretty well to ensure I have all the elements required for a relaxing day spa (or in my case, evening!).

It's not hard and not expensive. In fact, one of my favourite tried and true treatments is made of items in your own pantry! Then of course there are store bought products. But I just want to touch here on the importance of not using products containing certain additives.

Personally, I have an aversion to anything containing Parabens and SLS (Sodium Laurel Sulphate). I found this out purely by accident! I had an awful rash on my skin after having my children, it was brownish where my skin wasn't exposed to sun, but was white where my skin was exposed! The doctors assumed psoraisis or a fungal skin rash. It seemed to get worse as the weather and humidity rose.

One day, I met a mother of a luekemia patient. She explained her son had a similar reaction when exposed to chemicals - chemical overload. I couldn't believe it, it seemed so simple! Long story short, I managed to get rid of my skin condition purely by watching what I put on my skin, so I have been seeking products that do not contain Parabens or SLS. In fact, Parabens have been linked to Breast Cancer of all things too, all the more reason to avoid them! But, as with anything, when you try to avoid it, you learn it is EVERYWHERE!!! I recommend reading this article from the FDA about Parabens to learn more about what they are and why to consider steering clear.

So anyway, I needed to totally throw most of my accumulated beauty products out and opt for more natural choices for my skin, basically starting over. Your beauty regimen daily is basically three steps... Cleanse, Tone, Moisturise. At least twice a week, I like to have a scrub as well (face and body), and once a week I have a soothing body mask, followed by a bath soak & face mask. Sounds expensive? Well, it isn't!!!

For cleansing, a simple soap can be ideal (depending on your skin, of course!), I highly recommend goats milk soap and the delicious cleansers from Aussie brand, Moo Goo.  Their delicious soaps and moisturisers are staples in my home now. You can buy them either online or from health food stores like Go Vita.

You can also make a simple home recipe for cleanser from natural yogurt & honey! As simple as a teaspoon of Greek-style yogurt and a dab of honey, apply to your face and rinse off! Ta-dah!

For toning, I LOVE Sukin's organic toner (in fact, I love the entire Sukin range!). The smell is just divine, and I feel like my face is purified and refreshed immediately. However, a homemade option for a toner using Witch Hazel & cucumber juice, is just as refreshing and toning! Simply grate the cucumber to juice, (a teaspoon is enough) and a teaspoon of Witch Hazel. Apply with cotton buds.

Moisturiser options are everywhere, and it can be so confusing to find one that best suits your skin and needs. For me personally, I have quite oily skin, so I prefer to use either light sorbolene with some lavender, or a little aloe vera straight from my garden!

When it comes to masks and scrubs, I have also bought Sukin's facial mask and scrub. But another paraben/SLS free scrub I love is from the Yes To ranges. The scrubby-grainy bits are so fine and soft, with a great smell... afterward my skin feels so soft and buttery!

However, I made a fabulous home scrub & mask that gives just as great a feeling for next to nothing. As simple as a teaspoon of pure icing sugar (or superfine castor sugar) & a teaspoon of honey (Manuka honey is a bit better for skin, but if you haven't got it on hand, regular honey is fine)... stir into a paste, wet your face and apply. Rinse off with a warm face washer. Immediately, stir a teaspoon of Bi-Carbonate Soda into half a teaspoon of water, to make a thick paste. Apply all over face and leave to dry for 5-10 minutes. Rinse off, to the softest, silkiest skin ever!

I have made big batches of this recipe to use all over my body, with FABULOUS results. I start with a dry body-brushing (ideal for cellulite!) in the bathroom using The Body Shop Cactus Body Brush. Followed by the sugar & honey scrub recipe above, I rinse off in the shower and rather than apply the Bi-Carb, I dissolve half a cup full into a bathtub with a tablespoon of powdered skim milk. Then I pop into the bath with either a good book or a glass of Cabernet Merlot (or both!) for half an hour of bliss!

If you prefer, the Body Shop Milk Bath is a great alternative to my homemade option. The scent is lush, and a little tub goes a long way.

Another great, refreshing bath soak is green tea! As simple as popping a few teabags into your bathtub for a refreshing, anioxidant soak!

Body moisturising is just as important as your face and on occasion, I do like to use self-tanners. Avoiding Parabens & SLS daily also helps to keep your tan looking fresh and new as well! One of the best paraben-free fake tanners I found is the Fake Bake range. A little bit more time consuming than the spray-and-gon instant tanners, it is best used if you are putting it on before bed and not washing it off till the morning.

Another brand of paraben-free sunless tan I like is Johnson's Holiday Skin, although I find the smell a bit overbearing. The colour comes out nice, not too dark, and the moisturising is great.

For all body moisturising, daily I prefer sorbolene, but after a silky soak in the bath, the Body Shop Manoi Oil. It is an excellent massage oil too, if your partner is so inclined!

The wonderful massagers from the Body Shop are also staples in my home... On occasion I pay the kids 50c to give Mummy or Daddy a massage!!!

So there you have it, some great ideas for pampering at home that cost next to nothing... who said being stylish & pampered was expensive???