Homemade Coffee Coconut Facial Scrub

Yes I am experimenting with coconut oil again! Here is my latest homemade face scrub recipe with nourishing coconut, coffee, and frankincense. It is super easy to make, great for evening out skin tone, and it uses some of my used coffee grounds! 

This coffee coconut facial scrub combines the exfoliating action of coffee grounds with the moisturizing, antioxidant benefits of warm coconut oil. I also add frankincense essential oil, which is one of the best essential oils for skin care in my opinion. It encourages new cell growth, making it great for aging skin, while also toning. 

To make your DIY face scrub, you will need:

• 1 tablespoon used coffee grounds
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil, melted
• 2 drops frankincense essential oil

Add the frankincense to the coconut oil. Stir into your coffee grounds and head over to your bathroom to give your skin a sweet, exfoliating treatment. This recipe makes enough for two uses, and you don't have to worry about saving it at room temperature as coconut oil doesn't degrade. If your house is cool, the oil will harden for your next use. Simply rub in between your hands to soften. Your body heat is enough to easily melt coconut oil. 

Rub into clean skin. You took the time to make your own facial scrub, take the time to use it! Massage for about a minute, which will help to stimulate blood flow to your skin cells. A little facial massage never hurt, in fact it may make your skin glow! 

7 Beauty Uses for Coconut Oil

Virgin coconut oil is my favorite natural beauty ingredient. Sure, it is rich in vitamin E, has great antioxidant properties, and moisturizes like no other. I also love the way this nourishing oil feels, gentle and soothing. I adore the sweet aroma. Another plus of coconut over other natural moisturizers is that it doesn't degrade with heat. It melts easily into your skin. You can warm and melt it to make different natural skin care recipes without taking away any of the beneficial properties. 

What exactly can you do with coconut? Here are my top beauty uses for coconut oil. 

1. Lip balm. Rub a dab into dry, chapped and peeling lips for a sweet, soothing lip treat.
2. Anti-wrinkle oil. Take a small amount and rub it into the areas of your skin that could use a little natural plumping like around the corners of your eyes and mouth.
3. Moisturizing facial oil. Especially in the winter when my dry skin flares up, I rub coconut oil into my face, neck, and decolletage. It is great for keeping your skin supple and young-looking.
4. Hand cream. You guessed it, nothing works for dry, chapped hands like a little coconut oil.
5. Foot cream. After a soothing foot soak, try rubbing coconut oil into your skin to soften calluses. 
6. Hair mask. Coconut oil is the best nourishing skin care oil to use to make a homemade hair mask. Heat up a few tablespoons of the oil until melted. You can add a couple drops of lavender, peppermint, or rosemary essential oil if you want. Coat your hair with the oil and let it condition your hair and moisturize your scalp for about twenty or thirty minutes, keeping a towel over your head to hold in the warmth.
7. Mouth rinse. Coconut oil is antibacterial, great for gum health. Swish some in your mouth in the morning for five or ten minutes to help whiten your teeth and keep your mouth healthy and fresh. 

I use coconut oil for all of these beauty uses regularly. I also use it in my skin care recipes, which I'm sure you've noticed. Yes, it may seem like I must be constantly doused in the stuff! Keep a jar in your house. See for yourself how much coconut can keep your hair and skin in great condition.

Can Virgin Coconut Oil Save Your Super Dry Skin?

It is winter and my skin is dry. I mean really dry. I usually keep it in good condition, even during the arid winter months by going into overdrive with great moisturizers, lots of water, and a healthy diet. This year I had a curve ball thrown at me. My solution - pure, simple coconut oil.

I bought a new, unscented night cream, which totally destroyed my skin. I must have been allergic to one of the ingredients - strange as this was one of my favorite natural skin care brands, it was even unscented! Anyway, within one night my skin was itching, puffy, red, and absolutely parched. No moisturizing cream was going to fix this problem. My skin was at the point of sensitivity where anything irritated it, even my normal go-to creams.

So, I went to plan B, totally natural. I smeared a small dab of organic, virgin coconut oil over my entire face three times a day. Instantly the itching went away. Coconut is incredibly soothing. With antibacterial properties, it is also great for keeping your skin clean. It still took three days for my skin rash to completely clear up, but the coconut oil worked.

I know I talk about the benefits of using coconut oil for your skin quite a bit, but it has really proved to be one of the most remarkable natural skin care tools. Seriously, keep a jar in your cupboard. It is not only perfect for hydrating face mask recipes (and for hair masks!), but it is also your best back-up for dry skin emergencies. Don't forget to try it on for dry, chapped hands too!

7 Simple Home Remedies for Smooth Skin

Large pores, dryness, blemishes, redness, the list of skin imperfections is daunting. There are a few perfectly pure and simple home remedies for smooth skin that you can use to combat all these issues from a holistic standpoint. I do not recommend giving them a try. I suggest making them a part of your regular beauty regimen. Infuse them into your daily life. Make them your beauty mantra. They are natural, well within any skin care budget, and they work.

1. Coconut oil. A jar of virgin coconut oil is a must have for any natural beauty recipe cupboard. I love this stuff. It is rich, smells like soft, creamy clouds (what I would imagine them to smell like), and it melts into your skin creating a perfect, moisturized surface. Coconut oil is high in vitamin E and antioxidants that your skin will love. Use it in coconut face mask recipes, rub it into dry, chapped hands in the winter, massage your feet with it after a foot bath, or give your neck and decolletage an easy smooth skin treatment. 
2. Milk baths. You will love making this home remedy for smooth skin a regular beauty ritual. Milk baths are great for keeping your skin soft and glowing. The idea behind this home beauty treatment? Milk helps to exfoliate your skin, while also nourishing and moisturizing with minerals and fatty acids. A creamy bath with three or four drops of lavender essential oil is also great for stress relief at the end of the day!
3. Your loofah. Use your loofah sponge. If you don't have one, get one for your body and try the facial loofah pads for your face. Why should you loofah, aka exfoliate your skin, to keep it smooth? Exfoliating will get rid of dead skin while also boosting circulation to the surface of skin, bringing nutrients to help replenish cells. Don't loofah daily, too much will dry out dry skin and can rev up your oil glands leading to more breakouts if you have an oily complexion. I suggest a weekly, very gentle scrub down as a general rule of thumb. 
4. Wonderful water. If you read beauty blogs and books then I am sure you've already heard this one. Drink water for clearer, smoother skin. Water will help flush out impurities so your skin never has to deal with them. I always thought of myself as a good little water drinker. Then a friend of mine, yes she has gorgeous skin and is a couple years older than me, told me I needed to drink even more (she was recommending a 3 liter minimum, which is a tough goal). Three days of her water drinking habits and it was amazing how much better my skin looked. Clearer, less redness, softer. I don't think there is any reason to stress out over your fluid intake, but when you think of it, drink a glass of water or herbal tea. Try to have a glass when you wake up, whenever you come home, that sort of thing. If you build up the habit, improving your skin with good old H2O will seem effortless. 
5. Nuts and seeds. Eat them for the minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Thank them for their healthy fats. For plump, smooth skin you need good fats, the kind you find in nuts, seeds, and coconut. 
6. Clay masks. No secrets here, I think clay masks are one of the most powerful home face masks that you can use. They are also incredibly inexpensive if you buy clay powder in bulk. Try out different kinds, mix your clay powder with water, milk, flower waters, essential oils, you name it. They really suck debris out of those pores, refining your skin at least temporarily, while also boosting circulation. Mountain Rose Herbs has a great selection. I am an affiliate, if you want to support me, then check them out at the bottom of my blog. You can also get clay powders at Whole Foods or any health food store.  
7. Green and white teas. Drink more tea. Green and white tea are loaded with antioxidants that will help to keep your skin healthy and young-looking. Antioxidants also means anti-inflammatory, which is a huge plus for sensitive and dry skin. 

What are your favorite home remedies for smooth skin? What works for you? 

3 Amazing Coconut Face Masks for Different Skin Types

I love the way that coconut makes my skin feel — plump, soft, and supple. While ideal for dry and aging skin (virgin coconut oil is great for smoothing wrinkles!), even acne-prone skin can benefit from a coconut face mask. Try one of these homemade skin care recipes, whichever one is best for your skin type. Also, try adding coconut milk to smoothie recipes (coconut milk, cocoa powder, banana, raw honey, and ice is a personal favorite) and using nourishing coconut oil in place of butter for baking. Coconuts have vitamin C and E as well as zinc, all important beauty nutrients.

For a coconut mask for dry skin and for defeating fine lines use:

• 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
• 1 inch of a ripe banana, mashed
• 3 drops of frankincense essential oil

Whip all ingredients together with a fork or spoon and apply to a clean face. The banana adds some antioxidant action while the frankincense is good for cellular regeneration. Rinse off after 20 minutes, pat dry, and moisturize.

For a coconut face mask for acne, combine the anti-bacterial action of virgin coconut oil, raw honey, and tea tree.

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 2 drops tea tree essential oil

For a powerful mask, use extra virgin coconut oil and manuka honey. Manuka is expensive, but it has strong anti-bacterial properties and plenty of amino acids and other nutrients to feed the skin and promote healing.

For sensitive skin use,

• 1 tablespoon of pure (not light) coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon oat flour (or enough to make a soft paste)
• 3 drops of lavender essential oil

Stir all the ingredients together. Start by gently cleansing and patting the face dry, then apply. Leave the mask on for 10 minutes, letting your skin drink in some serious coconut milk moisture. Oat and lavender both act to calm and soothe. Rinse with cool water and put on your facial moisturizer. Remember, for all coconut face masks, make sure your milk or oil is at room temperature before preparing.

Jasmine and Coconut Oil Face Mask for a Super Moisturizing Treatment

If you have dry skin, at all, then a coconut oil face mask is for you. It is rich, loaded with moisturizing, softening fatty acids, and it smells like heaven. Combine with jasmine essential oil, one of the best essential oils for the skin, and you have a simple but potent skin smoothing facial. Anyone with dry skin or who wants to help smooth out fine lines can benefit from a homemade coconut mask. For oily skin or serious acne, this facial can feel too heavy.

So what's the scoop on coconut oil for skin care? Well, first, the fat. The fatty acids in coconut oil are different than what is found in other vegetable oils such as sweet almond or olive oil. They are mostly medium chain fatty acids, which form a barrier to slow moisture loss and to protect the skin from bacteria. Even eating coconut oil (try it as a natural sweetener for your tea or coffee) can help to plump and soften the skin. Anti-microbial and intensely enriching, this tropical oil is a great asset when it comes to protecting and softening your skin. Soft, supple skin is much less prone to developing fine lines and wrinkles. Aside from the fatty acids, coconut oil is a nourishing source of vitamin E, which is an antioxidant and a key nutrient for skin healing.

Jasmine essential oil is a perfect complement to coconut. It helps to relieve dry skin, while also cleansing and toning. Jasmine also has a wonderful sweet floral smell that goes well with coconut and it is very uplifting to the psyche.

To make this moisturizing jasmine and coconut oil face mask, you will need:

• 3 tablespoons of coconut oil, extra virgin highly recommended
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 3 drops of jasmine essential oil

Soften the coconut oil by placing in a pan over boiling water. Then add the coconut, honey, and jasmine to a bowl and stir together. Apply to a clean face. Leave on for twenty minutes. Rinse well by wiping with a warm wash cloth and then splashing the face with cool water. After a coconut oil facial you really don't have to use a moisturizing creme as with other face masks. Use once a week if you have very dry skin, rosacea, or if you are beginning to see fine lines.