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! 

Homemade Tea Tree Oil Spot Treatment for Pesky Pimples

I've been playing around with different spot treatments to get rid of pimples fast since my skin has started to break out again after pregnancy. It still is not bad, but the occasional blemish is showing up. I do not like it! 

The benefits of using a treatment on top of your normal skin care routine are that you can help to eliminate acne faster. It also helps to minimize the appearance of pimples. They shrink faster! It just takes a few minutes to kill the bacteria and suck out those toxins that are messing with your beautiful complexion.

So, drink lots of water, exercise, eat well, and try this homemade tea tree oil spot treatment to help keep your skin absolutely clear. 

You will need:

• 1 teaspoon clay powder
• 1 teaspoon milk
• 1 drop tea tree essential oil

Add the tea tree oil to the milk. Then mix the milk and tea tree with the clay powder to make a paste. Cleanse first and make sure your skin is completely dry. Coat your blemish with the spot treatment. Leave it on for at least 10 minutes. I still moisturize the rest of my face. It would dry out if I waited for my spot treatment to be over. 

The clay works to draw out impurities while the tea tree kills any germs on your skin. Tea tree is strong, so don't use more for a stronger effect, you will probably just irritate your skin. 

If you have a few pimples that you are trying to get rid of quickly, increase the recipe to 1 tablespoon of the clay powder and milk. Use two drops of the tea tree oil. 

What do you use to make sure your skin stays clear?

The Best Essential Oils for Oily Skin

Balancing, toning, and cleansing, these are the best essential oils for oily skin. Add them to your homemade face masks and DIY skin care recipes to help control a greasy complexion, cut down on breakouts, and help reduce large pores. Oily skin is hereditary, not a side effect of poor skin care habits, and it is a particular problem during hormone shifts ( the teenage years, the menstrual cycle, and stressful times of life). Aromatherapy skin care does not get rid of oily skin, but it can help to keep your skin under control.

The following are my five favorite essential oils for oily skin:

1. lavender — great for acne, oily skin, and even dry skin, lavender is the amazing skin normalizer, add to facial steams and masks to help balance your complexion.
2. clary sage — awesome on its own or in combination with lavender, clary sage essential oil balances oily, greasy skin, calms, and tightens skin tissue with gentle astringent properties.
3. geranium — another balancing essential oil, geranium is a gentle astringent that helps to keep skin clear and smooth. It can be irritating to very sensitive skin.
   
4. cedarwood — a skin astringent, cedarwood helps to clear congested, oily skin, this is one essential oil that can be irritating so only use one or two drops when adding to recipes.
5. petitgrain — this calming and cleansing essential oil treats oily, greasy skin while also fighting blemishes, it comes from the leaves of the orange tree

Add three or four drops to face mask recipes to enhance their effect. For a basic mask, combine alcohol-free witch hazelwith clay powder. Add three drops of your essential oils of choice, such as one of cedarwood and two of clary sage. This is a great at home treatment for oily skin. Try using it two or three times a week for a huge difference in this not-so-easy to deal with skin condition.

Five Amazing Essential Oils for Dry Skin

Adding three or four drops of essential oil to your favorite face mask recipe doesn't just add a unique fragrance to your skin treatment. Essential oils have amazing benefits for your skin, especially for a dry complexion. Try these essential oils for dry skin to help balance, moisturize, and protect your skin. Add them to any hydrating skin treatment. Substitute them for one another in custom face mask recipes. They are that little extra touch that can turn a basic honey or clay mask into an incredibly therapeutic treatment for your skin.

The five best essential oils to use for dry skin problems are:

1. patchouli — a tonic for the skin, promoting tissue regeneration and a great astringent
2. lavender — calms inflammation while also normalizing skin conditions
3. rose — gentle astringent, calms the skin, has a hydrating effect
4. sandalwood — skin moisturizer, perfect for mature skin
5. ylang-ylang — balances overly dry skin, or overly oily skin, a good choice for dry, combination skin

For a basic dry skin face mask with the essential oils  use:

• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 1 tablespoon coconut milk
• 4 drops essential oils of choice

Stir together all the ingredients. Try combining the oils for a dynamic moisturizing effect, such as two drops of rose and two of sandalwood. Apply to a clean face and leave the mask on for 15 minutes. Rinse, pat dry, and follow with your hydrating cream.

Use the same oils in your next bath for a soothing, moisturizing soak. Try 10 drops in a cup of milk. Sit in your aromatherapy bath while wearing your mask. It's an instant home spa for dry skin. 

Exfoliating Oat Face Mask to Remove Dead Skin

With dried oats you can easily put together a homemade exfoliating facial to help
scrub away the surface layer of the skin, encouraging new cell growth. This face mask to remove dead skin combines oats with yogurt, honey, and patchouli essential oil to nourish, moisturize, and renew, as well as exfoliate.

The lactic acid in the yogurt also has an exfoliating action, helping to release old skin cells. Honey (use raw, organic honey!) is anti-bacterial and it helps to keep the skin soft and supple with humectant properties. Patchouli is the perfect essential oil to enhance this homemade mask. It is great for promoting healthy tissue regeneration, stimulating new cell growth. Patchouli has a balancing, toning effect on the skin and it is good for all skin problems, from acne to dryness.

To make this oat face mask to remove dead skin, you will need:

• 3 tablespoons dry oats, crushed or lightly ground
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 3 drops patchouli essential oil

Stir together the yogurt and honey. Add the patchouli and then stir in the oats. Wash the face with warm water and then put on the mask. Leave it on for five minutes. Then, scrub the mask into the face using fingertips. Rub in a circular motion, focusing on the forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin for about two minutes. Rinse well (try rinsing over the kitchen sink to minimize the mess). Pat dry and put on your moisturizing lotion.

Collagen-Boosting Egg and Cucumber Face Mask

If you want great skin then you want more collagen. Is there any way to support
collagen production with a homemade facial? There are myriad ways with nutrient-rich facials, one of the best being the egg and cucumber face mask. This facial combines some of the key ingredients for collagen production, including vitamin C, silica (if you use the cucumber skin) and the amino acid proline. Add some frankincense essential oil to promote cellular regeneration, and you have a great recipe for helping the body create new, gorgeous skin, no expensive pills or beauty supplies required.

Cucumber not only supplies vitamin C, silica, and even organic acids to help with collagen production and skin toning, but it is also cooling, soothing, and anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is something you do not want, not only is it a sign of too much free radical production and not enough antioxidants to balance the destructive process, it also in itself is putting a toll on your complexion. Let fresh cucumber reduce the inflammation, tighten pores, and help the skin produce more collagen, naturally.

A basic egg white mask is a staple beauty treatment. Why? Because as whipped egg white dries on your face it refines pores, tightens the skin, and increases circulation. Egg whites are also a source of amino acids, including proline. These amino acids are necessary for the formation of new collagen, which is a protein found in all connective tissue.

To make this egg and cucumber face mask for increased collagen production (among so many other beauty benefits) you will need:

• 2 inches of fresh cucumber, with skin
• 1 egg white
• 2 drops of frankincense essential oil

Whip together the cucumber and egg whites in the blender on the lowest setting until you have a nice froth. Pour into a glass or ceramic bowl and add the frankincense. To really maximize the benefits of this homemade face mask, start by gently massaging your face to get the blood flowing. This will help the skin to absorb more nutrients. Rinse with warm water and then apply the mask. Leave on for fifteen minutes, rinse, and pat dry. Keep up the excellent skin care with a nutrient-rich moisturizing face lotion. Also, don't forget to really boost your diet with vitamin C and healthy sources of amino acids, such as eggs, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes.

Sandalwood and Carrot Face Mask to Brighten and Rejuvenate

A lot of the best skin care creams contain vitamin A because it protects tissue, promotes regeneration, and acts as an antioxidant. To get this same skin repairing and protecting effect at home, try a homemade carrot face mask made with fresh carrot, raw honey, and rejuvenating, moisturizing sandalwood essential oil.

Carrot is excellent for the skin, whether you are dealing with acne, wrinkles, or both. It promotes skin repair and healing, and is absolutely essential when caring for sun-exposed skin (who doesn't go out in the sun? ). Rich in vitamin A and enzymes, this nourishing veggie is going to help brighten your complexion while also helping the skin overcome blemishes and regenerate to slow the inevitable skin aging process.

Mix carrot with honey and you get a face mask that will not only nourish and repair, but also moisturize. Honey is nature's sweet, sticky humectant. When used in skin care products and homemade recipes, it helps the skin hold in moisture, preventing dryness. Dry skin is prone to developing wrinkles and fine lines.

I also add a small amount of grape seed oil for more antioxidants for the skin as well as for this oil's great softening properties. Grape seed is easily absorbed by the skin and is a wonderful anti-aging treatment on its own. It also adds consistency to this carrot facial. Sandalwood essential oil is moisturizing and it has antiseptic properties. It also has a lovely woody smell when paired with earthy, sweet carrot.

To make this sandalwood and carrot face mask you will need:

• 1 medium carrot, sliced
• 1 teaspoon carrot juice
• 1/2 teaspoon grape seed oil
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 2 drops of sandalwood essential oil

Mix all ingredients in the blender for thirty seconds. Do not worry if the carrot is not completely pureed, just break it down as much as you can with your blender. After cleansing the skin, take your time to rub the mask (it will be slightly slushy) into your skin with your fingertips, applying more and more of the carrot 'slush' to get as much of this vitamin-packed mixture into your pores as possible. Leave it on for twenty minutes. Rinse, dry, and put on your favorite anti-aging face lotion.

The Best Homemade Face Mask for Blackheads — Clay, Lemon, and Rose

What is the best homemade face mask for blackheads? It is a face mask that will pull toxins, oil, and waste from the skin with a vengeance, while refining pores. A powerful, impurity-sucking clay mask, made with the natural astringent action of fresh lemon juice and rose is the ultimate in homemade facials for blackheads. Leave it on long enough and it will pull blockages from your pores, while then tightening the skin and reducing pore size so more blackheads are less likely to form.


It may seem like clay powder is just too basic to really reduce acne problems, but clay is one of the best solutions for skin problems, especially blackheads. First, clay is rich in minerals for the skin. I always use Bentonite clay, which is rich in silica to help form new collagen. Once it has a chance to dry on the skin, it pulls out dirt, dead skin cells, and anything else that is clogging pores and leading to blackheads and other blemishes. Using a clay mask is so strong, that after two masks, I had a small dark blemish that had been in my skin for months simply slide out with a pinch from my fingertip (although I don't recommend pinching the skin to remove blackheads as this can do more harm than good!).


Clay powder can be mixed with distilled water or apple cider vinegar, but when it comes to a strong astringent and refining and brightening the skin, go for lemon juice. Lemon will shrink pores, help the clay remove impurities, and promote skin renewal with alpha hydroxy acids. Lemon is not a good choice for sensitive skin. Also, be sure to use sunscreen after use if going outdoors. I suggest wearing this mask in the evening, not before you are about to go out and enjoy a sunny day. Alpha hydroxy acids and sun exposure do not mix! Rose essential oil acts as a secondary toner, and it also will calm the skin.

To make this homemade face mask for blackheads you will need:

• 3 teaspoons of clay powder
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of water
• 3 drops of rose essential oil

Add the clay powder to a glass or ceramic bowl. Add the lemon, water, and rose oil and stir. Add more water as needed to make a paste. Prepare the face with warm water to open pores. A relaxing way to do this is to get a clean wash cloth wet with hot water. Place it over the face for one minute, this will feel wonderful. Very gently pat the face dry, it does not have to be completely dry. Smear the mask over your skin. Let it set for fifteen minutes. The mask will dry and the face will become really tight, but don't worry. This means it is working! Wash the face clean, dry, and then use a moisturizing face lotion to finalize this ultimate skin care treatment.

Homemade Winter Hydrating Face Mask with Honey and Sage

There are two things that you should do in the winter to relieve seasonal dry skin — drink lots of water and try this homemade hydrating face mask. During the winter my skin becomes extremely dry, which does not lead to a lovely, soft complexion. When the climate is arid it is time to give your skin a little extra moisturizing care. This winter facial combines the astringent action of sage with one of nature's best moisture protectors — honey. Round this mask off with some apricot kernel oil and you have a potent natural solution for dry skin in the winter.

Sage smells beautifully and is a great herb to use for roasting winter vegetables and holiday meats. It is also great for your skin, especially in the winter. Sage has astringent properties, acting to reduce pore size and to relieve itchy, dry skin. It also has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, which helps if you have any acne in addition to the seasonal dryness. One important note, sage essential oil may be the powerhouse ingredient in this homemade hydrating face mask recipe, but it should be used with care. Only use a tiny amount, one to two drops. Sage should be avoided if pregnant, if you have high blood pressure, or epilepsy.

Honey, and I mean raw, organic honey, is loaded with nutrients for the skin. It is also naturally anti-bacterial and it helps the skin to hold in moisture, a must for a dry complexion. Apricot kernel oil is going to give this dynamic hydrating treatment another moisturizing angle by smoothing the skin and protecting against moisture loss.

To make this honey and sage face mask you will need:

• 2 tablespoon of raw honey
• 2 teaspoon of apricot kernel oil
• 1 or 2 drops of sage essential oil

Whip all ingredients together until you have a super-softening, gooey, aromatic paste. Smear it over clean, dry skin with your fingertips. Leave it on for twenty minutes and then rinse clean with tepid water. Even though your skin feels soft and supple, still put on a moisturizing face lotion after the facial. Try this one out if you suffer from dry skin in the winter and let me know what you think.

Honey and Yogurt at Home Facial for Dry Skin

This is a great natural treatment for dry skin. It is a deep nourishing and moisturizing experience that your skin will love, whether you have seasonal dry skin or you deal with this skin type on a regular basis. Use this honey and yogurt at home facial for dry skin twice a week until you transform a dull, dry complexion into that soft glow of perfect skin.

Honey, with its humectant properties, will help the skin retain moisture. This is one of the best ingredients to use in face mask treatments for dry skin, especially if you have any problems with acne. Honey also has anti-bacterial properties. Go for a high-quality raw honey for the highest content of organic acids, vitamins, and minerals for your skin.

Yogurt is rich in nutrients to help soften skin, including fatty acids and lactic acid. Lactic acid also helps to loosen dry skin cells so they can be washed away. Add a little sandalwood essential oil for its moisturizing properties and to encourage cell renewal and you have the ultimate at home facial for dry skin. To make this treatment you will need:

• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon plain yogurt
• 2 drops sandalwood essential oil

Stir all ingredients together. As essential oils degrade quickly, be sure to make this face mask right before use. Cleanse the face with warm water and dab the skin with a towel to dry. Put on the nourishing mask, gently rubbing the ingredients into your skin. Let it set for ten minutes before washing. Be sure to put on your face lotion when you are finished to help keep your skin moist. Drink lots of water, use this softening facial, and voila, go from dry and plain to smooth and radiant!

Lavender and Honey Face Mask for Combination Skin

Do you have oily skin that is prone to breakouts and dry skin at the same time? Hello combination skin, one of the most difficult skin types when working for an even skin tone and a glowing complexion. Skin that is dry and has pimples may be difficult to manage, but not if you use the right skin care ingredients. Using natural, raw honey and pure lavender essential oil, you can make the ultimate face mask for combination skin.

Honey is one of the best homemade face mask ingredients. It has natural anti-bacterial properties, which makes it excellent for preventing breakouts. You may think of honey simply as a source of sticky sweetness, but this golden goo is actually a rich source of nutrients for the skin, with amino acids and antioxidants. Anti-bacterial and nourishing, honey is an ideal ingredient for natural skin care for acne, but it also has another attribute that makes it perfect for dry skin. Honey is one of nature's humectants. It encourages the skin to retain moisture, promoting soft, supple skin.

Add lavender to your honey face mask and you get double the benefits for treating acne and dry skin. Lavender helps to fight bacteria and it reduces inflammation, a winning combination for pimples. The calming properties of lavender are gentle enough for managing acne with dry and sensitive skin.

To make a homemade lavender and honey face mask for combination skin you will need:

• 2 tablespoons of raw honey
• 1 teaspoon of hot water
• 3 drops of lavender essential oil

Add the hot water to the honey to make it more pliable. Add the lavender oil and stir together. Spread the face mask over your skin with fingertips. Rinse well after at least ten minutes. You may want to use a warm wet wash cloth to clear away any sticky residue. Pat dry and apply a light moisturizer on your intensely clean and softened skin.