Natural Organics » Homemade beauty recipes

Blueberry Nutrition in a Candy World

Natural Organics — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 23:45:40 +0000

I watched a lot of television and movies growing up, but one movie I did not see was Willie Wonka and The Chocolate Factory until I was in my 20s. Shocked? I know, most of my friends were! This is a classic movie, especially for a chocolate fiend like myself. When I was a kid, I adored candy. I remember my mom would take us for breakfast at this local “greasy” spoon, The Garden Grill, and in the front they had a counter selling all sorts of magnificent candy. My choice was candy cigarettes…remember those? It was gum shaped like a cigarette. Of course, back then I didn’t realize how they were promoting smoking to me, a precious little 6 year old! It does bring back fond memories. Nowadays, my tastes run to a healthier fare such as antioxidant rich dark chocolate. But when I first watched Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, I was in amazement at one scene in particular, since I’ve had a love affair with gum since my adolescent days. Do you know which scene I‘m speaking of? It’s the one where Violet sneaks a piece of Wonka’s blueberry bubble gum even though he warns her it’s not ready for consumption. She does it anyway and her result is she blows up like a blueberry! As she continues to expand, Wonka replies, “They all become blueberries…” Hilarious! I’m sure many of you grew up with this movie and still find it funny. (Don’t forget to check out the movie clip after you read the post!) You may be wondering, what the heck does this movie have to do with the post? Well… read on and find out.

Blueberries health benefits are numerous.

Today’s post is about the versatile, nutrient dense, and tasty blueberry! I’ve always known about the incredible health benefits of blueberries and wanted to share it. I also discovered you can use them topically (keep reading to find out how) to get even more benefits from this spherical little fruit.

Blueberry Nutrition

First, blueberries are one of the most nutritious fruits to eat and are high in antioxidants. And…what’s the big deal about antioxidants? Well, they eliminate the effects of free radicals and help maintain the skin’s youthfulness. Blueberries are low in calories yet high in nutrition. They contain life enhancing Vitamins C and E, fiber, and manganese. Blueberries literally are a powerhouse fruit in a tiny package. With phytonutrients called anthocyanidins, blueberries neutralize free radical damage to cells. While this is incredibly beneficial inside the body, when applied topically they can also have amazing benefits just make sure to choose organic. Why? Blueberries can be highly contaminated with pesticides. It might cost you a little more, but you’ll be healthier in the process. Here are a few more of blueberries health benefits:

Helps protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia

Protects against colon and ovarian cancer

Better elimination

Boosts immune system

Anti-depressant

Fantastic fitness food as it reduces belly fat

Alleviates redness (tightens and protects capillaries)

Just in case you don’t feel like whipping up your own blueberry beauty mix, you can always look for products containing blueberries, such as 100% Pure’s Organic Blueberry Shower Gel. With this fantastic shower treat, you get all the blueberry benefits with none of the mess!

Click here to visit Purity Cosmetics USA

This kind of evidence as to the rich gifts blueberries give made me want to smear it all over my face! I immediately went to my local organic farmer’s market (which is right across the street from the beach, great excuse to go to the beach too!) and bought some blueberries. I used some to add to plain yogurt with a little stevia (yum!) and used the rest for my Blueberry Delight facial mask. This mask recipe is for people who love using food for beauty yet don’t want to spend 20 minutes mixing up a mask and searching for 10 ingredients. Here are the ingredients for the Blueberry Delight Antioxidant Facial Mask:

Blueberries (how’s that for maximum skin benefits with minimal ingredients?)

That’s it! And, you don’t need to put them in a blender or food processor because I found you get the most juice from just crushing them yourself. If you have a mortar and pestle it’s even better. Here’s what you do: Pour some blueberries in a bowl and crush with a spoon or better yet, your fingers (just make sure your hands are clean!) Apply to a clean, dry face. Yes, it will be a bit messy and you may have some blueberry skin dripping down your face….no one ever said beauty was pretty. Also if some drips into your mouth, that’s ok, go ahead and eat it. Leave it on for a few minutes.. but not too long or it’ll start feeling itchy. About 10 minutes will do. Then rinse and you’ ll be amazed at the results. Your skin will be glowy, soft, and smooth. Oh… don’t forget to moisturize! I am using this fabulous therapeutic essential oil serum right now (review coming soon!) Do this simple mask regularly and you should start seeing results.

Now you know some amazing blueberries health benefits. What an incredible, edible berry! Nothing is stopping you from reversing the hands of time….be sure to indulge in blueberries both internally and externally to maximize the benefits. Just thought of something….dark chocolate covered blueberries…..oh my….but that’s for another post….;-)

Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!

I am a Crunchy Betty!

Natural Organics — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 20:56:47 +0000

This week I had the ultimate pleasure of guest posting on my (other) favorite eco-blog, Crunchy Betty. For those of you who don’t know, Crunchy Betty specializes in fantastic homemade recipes for beauty and home which make your life easier and help you save money. As an added bonus, you also get to play with your food. So if you have not yet had a chance to check it out, please do so now and read my post “Say Bye to the Dry.” It’s about a very easy facial mask which will combat dry, irritated winter skin. This subject comes just in time as many of us are currently suffering from the winter skin blues. So gear up for an easy, moisturizing mask, come back and tell me how it turned out!

A natural facial mask your skin will love. See my guest post at CrunchyBetty.com!

Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!

Stupendous Strawberries

Natural Organics — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 22:00:22 +0000

Growing up, I was never into fruit. Yup, I was one of those kids who chose junk food over fruit! When I got home from school, I went for the “Cheetos” and “Funyuns (that was a fave of mine.) Of course, due to my bad eating habits, I was overweight. I finally made the commitment to eating better and exercising when I reached adulthood. I started eating more fruit and vegetables and feeling better. What a concept! I even got creative with my fruit. I researched and found many smoothie and dessert recipes which were quite delicious and completely guilt-free! (Smoothie recipe and video coming soon!) One of my favorite fruits are strawberries. They make a great snack in the summer and all through the year. What versatility! Not only can you eat them, but you can use them on your face and for your teeth! Intrigued? Read on…

Mash ‘em on Your Face

We love our "skrawberries!"

When I was little, I liked to play with my food. I still do, I guess, because I love using food on my face. Strawberries contain healing antioxidants and phenols which protect your cells and prevent oxidation (a.k.a ANTI-AGING!) These little red gems are also chock full of phytonutrients. What the heck are phytonutrients? They help protect against cancer. They also help treat inflammation, sometimes better than aspirin and keep your peepers (eyes) healthy. Whew! So do you think strawberries should be your new best friend? I think so! Here’s an awesome strawberry face mask which brightens dull skin (from my favorite book, Babushka’s Beauty Secrets):

1/2 cup fresh strawberries
1 Tbsp. oatmeal
1/4 Tsp honey (you may want to increase, I found it to be too little)

Mix ingredients in a blender. It will look like a smoothie (yum.) Apply to face and leave for 15 minutes. You will feel it cooling and tightening as it dries. Wash off with warm water and apply moisturizer.

Your skin will show an immediate glow!

“Skrawberry” Delight

What else are strawberries good for besides eating and putting on your face? They’re fantastic natural teeth whiteners. Yes, I am not joking. The enzymes in strawberries whiten and cleanse teeth. Use once or twice a week for best results. You can do it in a few different ways:

Crush a strawberry and rub the pulp on your teeth (I’ve tried this and it’s quite messy and the pulp slides right off.) This method gets an “F.”
Just rub a cut strawberry all over your teeth (good method.)
Crush a strawberry or two and mix with a bit of baking soda for extra whitening and cleansing. In this manner you are almost making a “paste.” Dip your toothbrush in the mixture and brush away! You can make enough for a few weeks and store it in a little container in the fridge. (I love those teeny Rubbermaid containers for this.)

Attention visual learners: watch the You Tube video below. It really explains how to do this process quite simply and correctly. Actually the video is a MUST WATCH if you’re going to try this out. So break out the “skrawberries” (that’s what the kids in my kindergarten class call them.) and beautify your smile!

Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!

The Beauty of Homemade Deodorant

Natural Organics — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 01:13:44 +0000

What’s up Toxic Beauty readers? I was planning a post on nail polish remover, to go with my post earlier this week about toxic nail polish…but I just had to share this with you. By now, you all know my favorite deodorant is made by Real Purity. It is truly one of the most pure and safe deodorants you can buy. I recently ran out and was wondering what to do. I’ve always wanted to try to make my own homemade deodorant, but I still hadn’t taken the time to do the research. With barely anything left in my Real Purity bottle, I had a deodorant emergency! I needed something quick and it’s tough to find an effective safe deodorant in most stores. I decided to give the homemade variety a try. I found many recipes, but nothing clicked with me until I found one that was so simple I had to try it! It took me about 5 minutes to mix it all up. I applied it later that night and again in the morning. After almost 12 hours, it was still working. I did not sweat and I did not have any odor at all! You cannot get any more natural than when you concoct your own beauty recipe. It only has 3-4 ingredients, 2 of which you probably already have in your pantry. I have already shared the virtues of the third ingredient with you in previous posts. So without further adue, here is the simple deodorant recipe:

1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup cornstarch
6-8 tablespoons coconut oil
10 drops of lavender or fennel essential oil

Combine the baking soda and cornstarch in a small container. Little by little, add the coconut oil until you have a paste. Finally, add the essential oil of your choice. Apply to underarms with your fingertips.

Many essential oils have anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, making them an ideal addition to your deodorant mixture. Baking soda has so many uses, especially odor absorbing while cornstarch has been used for years to absorb moisture. Coconut oil is especially beneficial for so many reasons (see this post for more on coconut oil!)

So after one day, this at home mix proved to be better than most commercial, aluminum filled toxic deodorants on the market today. Be safe with your deodorant and save money in the process. Do you have any simple homemade deodorant recipes you can share? And if you try this recipe, I’d love to hear your results. Thanks for reading and until next time, stay natural, stay beautiful…Robin.

Update: I had been using this deodorant for a week. It was the best deodorant I have ever used…no odor, no sweat…simply amazing! Until after the first week…I started getting bumps on my underarms! So I decided that maybe I got the formulations wrong or put too much baking soda in it. I now see that making your own beauty products is a trial and error, learning proccess.

I decided to turn to a fellow natural beauty blogger, Michelle Singh. She has a great blog: greengirlorganics. She recommended using cosmetic grade cornstarch (I bought mine from the grocery store) and using less essential oil. She also recommended a few natural deodorants by Miessence and Weleda. Thanks, Michelle!

Amazing Oils

Natural Organics — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:58:00 +0000

Sometimes the best cures exist right in front of our eyes. I have previously posted about how wonderful it is to use the foods you can find right in your refrigerator to create the most lovely beauty recipes. Now I want to turn my attention to another natural beauty aid, oils. All of the oils I am going to talk about can be used for cooking. The benefits are endless.

My favorite oil to use on the face is almond oil. We all know how healthy almonds are when ingested, but now we can also reap the benefits externally. Almond oil soaks in and manages to keep your face soft, smooth, and glowing. It moisturizes, works as an anti-aging tonic, and can even relieve irritated skin. I primarily use this at night (sort of as a night serum) but it can also be used in the day. I use almond oil to moisturize my cuticles too. Almond oil is rich in many nutrients, including Vitamin E and D, magnesium, and calcium. As an added bonus, it can be used as a massage oil and a carrier oil when mixed with essential oils, such as lavender or bergamot.

For the body, I prefer to use coconut oil. I usually will purchase a large container of organic virgin coconut oil and place it into a squeeze bottle. This makes it very convenient for application to the entire body and it usually lasts a long time. Coconut oil is a wonderful moisturizer and can improve the skin’s elasticity, which may become a problem as you age. Coconut oil is full of healthy lauric acid, which helps the body fight viruses and bacteria. It can help heal skin irritations, like almond oil. It is also a miracle hair product, providing moisture, treating damaged hair, and promoting hair growth. Of course, you can also take it internally, which helps you lose weight!

Please visit From Nature With Love where you can purchase almond and coconut oil as well as 1,750+ natural ingredients for use in homemade beauty recipes.

Unlike mineral oil, these healthy oils do not lay on the skin, or clog pores, giving the skin a chance to breathe. They are easily absorbed into the body and are safe, natural moisturizers. Does anyone out there use any natural oils? If so, I would love to hear about it. Please leave a comment on the blog. Also, please don’t forget to sign up for RSS updates and for automatic updates by e-mail. Thanks for visiting the blog!