Homemade Pampering Recipes

The book “Bodyworks” is packed with homemade pampering recipes, and the following are just a sample of what you will find inside.

Milk and Honey Cleanser

All skin types

This is a quickly stimulating cleanser. It removes dead skin, oil and grime.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon dried milk powder
1 teaspoon finely ground almonds
2 teaspoons runny honey
1/2 teaspoon rosewater (optional)
3 drops sweet almond oil

Method

Mix all the ingredients together well.

To use, pat the mixture from the base of the neck up to the hairline (do not apply to the skin around your eyes). Massage gently into the skin. Leave for 10 minutes, then wash off with warm water.

Green Tea Toner

All skin types

A light spritzer full of anti-oxidants to protect and smooth the skin.

Ingredients

1 pot freshly brewed green tea leaves, using 1 teaspoon leaves (2 teabags can be used if leaves are not available)
1 teaspoon honey
4 drops ylang-ylang essential oil (lavender or jasmine essential oil can be substituted, if preferred)

Method

Strain the tea and pour into a bottle. Add the honey and ylang-ylang essential oil. Shake well.
Use morning and night.

Yoghurt and Avocado Nourishing Mask

All skin types

Ingredients

1 ripe avocado
1 ripe banana
3 tablespoons plain yoghurt
1/4 teaspoon vitamin E oil
3 tablespoons aloe vera juice

Method

Mash the avocado and banana to form a paste. Add the yoghurt and vitamin E oil and mix well.

To use, massage the mask into your skin. Soak a piece of gauze in the aloe vera juice and place the gauze over the mask to infuse the ingredients. Leave on for 10–20 minutes, then rinse off.

Honey and Vitamin Rich Night Cream

Dry skin

Ingredients

Phase A
80 ml (21/2 fl oz/1/3 cup) warm distilled water
1 teaspoon runny honey

Phase B
40 g (11/2 oz) lanolin
1000 IU vitamin E d’alpha tocopherol
1/2 teaspoon sweet almond oil
5 drops carrot seed oil
1/2 teaspoon liquid lecithin

Phase C
6 drops lavender essential oil
2 drops patchouli essential oil

Method

Gently melt the ingredients for Phase B together in the top half of a double boiler (prick the vitamin capsules and squeeze out the contents). Stir until all are melted but not overheated.

Combine Phase A ingredients and heat until the honey is melted and the temperature of the mixture is the same as Phase B. Slowly trickle Phase A into Phase B, stirring constantly and reheating gently if the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from the heat. Stir until the outside of the container feels just a little hotter than your hand. Add the Phase C oils and mix thoroughly. Spoon the cream into sterilized containers and store in the refrigerator.

 

Recipes from ‘Bodyworks’ by Murdoch Books, RRP$29.95
ISBN: 1-74045-823-0