What are some of your favorite homemade beauty treatments?

If you don’t already have a jar or two of coconut oil in the house, run out and get one because this stuff rocks. It is hands-down one of the most diverse products you can buy. Not only is it a nutritious ingredient for cooking, baking and smoothies, but a luxurious skin and hair product. A rich emollient, coconut oil makes an excellent skin moisturizer, massage oil, eye makeup remover and hair conditioner just to name a few uses. Unlike comparable commercial beauty products that contain water, petroleum and a bunch of chemicals, coconut water delivers pure, deep moisture to your skin and hair. Look for extra virgin, raw and organic coconut oil to get the maximum benefits of this all-purpose goodness.

Raw honey is a simple, natural and effective spot treatment for blemishes. It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that can help diminish the size of a pimple and prevent new ones from forming. When I see or feel something emerging, I apply a very small amount of honey to it with a q-tip. I leave it on for at least 15 minutes and sometimes even overnight. If it’s your first time using honey on your skin, try it for a shorter time to be sure you’re not allergic or sensitive to it. If it’s all good, you can even use honey as a face mask to hydrate, smooth and nourish the skin. Be sure to choose raw or Manuka honey, since the benefits of honey are destroyed when it is processed and heated.

You may have enjoyed healthy and delicious chia pudding, but have you tried a chia face mask? Yes, this ancient Aztec superfood delivers its beauty blessings from the inside out. Packed with omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants and phytonutrients, applying chia to the skin can help soothe inflammation and provide much-needed hydration. By adding water and a couple more gifts from nature, you can create a power packed beauty mask that helps calm redness, heal scarring and lessen dark pigmentation. Here’s an easy recipe I created for the book Superfoods for Life, Chia by Lauri Boone. Grab a copy of the book if you would like to learn more about amazing chia seeds.

Soothing Chia Beauty Mask

1 tablespoon (12.5 g) chia seeds

½ cup (120 ml) warm water

1 tablespoon (20 g) raw honey OR 1 to 3 teaspoons aloe vera gel (optional)

Combine the chia seeds, warm water, and honey or aloe vera gel and stir well.  Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes, until thick.  When the mixture turns to a gel, apply 1 to 2 tablespoons to your face, avoiding the eyes, and leave on for 10 minutes.  Rinse with warm water and pat dry.  Store in a sealed container (a small mason jar) in the refrigerator.

Yield: Makes a little over ½ cup (120 ml)

Enjoy these homemade beauty treatments! What are your favorites? Please share in the comments below, I would love to hear from you!