Posts Tagged ‘recipes’

Aloe Vera Juice Recipes

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Aloe vera is healing both inside and out. The juice of the aloe plant has been used since ancient times for internal, medicinal, and topical treatments.

Aloe treats sunburn, moisturizes dry skin, hair, and scalp, fights stretch marks and aging skin, aids in digestion and gum disease, treats acne, insect bites, psoriasis, eczema, blisters, bruises-the list goes on. It’s essentially a cure all for skin issues and is often used internally* due to its anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and anti-oxidant properties.

2GENTLE Combine 4 tablespoons of partially ground oatmeal with 2 tablespoons of aloe vera juice and 2 tablespoons of honey. Apply to clean face and neck, using gentle circular motions and avoiding the eyes. Leave on for a minute or two then rinse with warm water and pat dry. The oatmeal will have exfoliated away dead skin while the honey cleansed your pores and the aloe moisturized your skin.

3gentleMix 1 tablespoon of aloe vera juice with 1 tablespoon of the juice of a lemon, lime or orange. Apply to a clean face using a cotton ball or your fingers. The citrus juice will tighten the pores while the aloe moisturizes and both ingredients cleanse oily skin. Be sure to wash your face if you are going out in the sun as the citrus juice will cause your skin to burn.

Don’t know how to juice an aloe plant? Check out this video. It gives a little history and explains internal usage as well.

*Always consult a health care professional before beginning any internal regimen.

Ingredient Spotlight: Beeswax

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Uses & Skincare Recipes
There are a hundred uses for beeswax including polishing, lubricating, and preserving household items as well as various art and craft purposes. In soap and bath product making, beeswax is the perfect natural ingredient for hardening butters, balms, and soaps. It’s a great emulsifying agent, bringing together and binding both melted hard oils and carrier oils into a stable product. A little goes a long way in your recipe, the more beeswax you use, the thicker and harder the consistency of your finished product.

bees2So, how much beeswax is too much? Consider these tips when creating your own beeswax recipe:

  • For butters and lotions, mix in ratios of 4oz carrier oil (like olive or sweet almond) to 1/2oz of beeswax.
  • For a lip balm, try 1:3:1 beeswax: carrier oils: and another oil that is solid at room temperature like mango butter, shea butter, or coconut oil.
  • To make a solid perfume, combine beeswax and carrier oil at a 1:1 ratio.
  • In soap making, beeswax helps harden a bar, but can take away from the lather if used in high quantities. Make sure beeswax is no more than 2% of your entire soap recipe.

Benefits
Adding beeswax to your recipes not only thickens or hold together your recipes it also has benefits for your skin too! Beeswax is naturally an antibacterial and is rich in vitamin A.  It helps lock in moisture while protecting skin from outside elements or irritants.  So if you’re like us and have a Chicago winter coming your way combat those high cold winds with products rich in beeswax!  Your skin will thank you.