Green Eco Services » Beauty

Eco Friendly Homemade Acne and Blackhead Cures

Cathy — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:46:26 +0000

How to Make Homemade Acne Products — powered by eHow.com

We consumers spend thousands of dollars a year in cosmetics and facial cleaners to have the perfect skin. One of the most irritating and self esteem demoters is acne. Acne effects about 80% of the population, mostly in teenagers. A good article on Acne tells you more about the causes and some treatments.

Bottom line-you can just go to your kitchen and find eco friendly acne treatments, that will not only save the environment and the green in your wallet!

Below are listed several very easy to make acne treatments for all ages!

Top Herbs Used for Acne Treatments

Tea Tree Oil- (melaleuca) natural alternative that reduces acne.
Licorice Root Extract-
Green Teas Extracts
Aloe Vera Extract- contains anti-inflammatory agents which boost removal of acne and scar marks of the face
Olive leaves-
Red Clover- good for chronic skin conditions.
Yellow Dock

Apple Cider Vinegar

Use apple cider vinegar to keep your skin’s pH levels balanced. Combine 10 parts water with 1 part apple cider vinegar and apply the liquid combination to the acne areas

Citrus Blackhead Treatment Removing blackheads can easily be done with lemon. Citrus is naturally exfoliate, which makes lemon useful when it comes to fighting blackheads

Cut the lemon in half then rub it directly on your face before going to bed.
Extract lemon juice with a citrus reamer, remove the seeds and then add 2 tablespoons of rosewater. Mix the lemon juice and rosewater together and your tonic will be more fragrant.
To loosen blackheads, combine equal parts baking soda and water in your hand and rub gently on your skin for 2 to 3 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

Acne Mask This really works for all types of skin mostly for acne.

1/2 tooth paste
1/2 water, add more if not creamy
egg yolk (optional)
regular lotion
food coloring (optional)
grated apples
baking soda
sierra mist (optional)

Acne Cure

1/2 a cup of baking soda (or flour)
1/2 a cup of water (add more if it isn’t creamy enough)
1/2 a cucumber, grated
2 slices of cucumber or apple
1 Tbsp. of honey

Acne Mask

1 1/2 cup (instant) oatmeal oats
1 egg white
2-4 Tbsp. honey
1/2 Tbsp. baking soda (optional)
1-2 Tbsp. corn starch (optional)
A couple drops of milk
2 Tbsp. butter (natural works best)

Mix all ingredients and let sit in bowl for about 10-15 minutes or until it is up to your desired thickness. The thicker, the better so it will stick to your face. Then apply, and let it sit on your face for 15 minutes to an hour. It doesn’t matter how long you keep it on, as long as you keep it on for at least 15 minutes.Similar Posts:

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ReVive Your Skin with Homemade Skin Cleaners

Cathy — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:57:33 +0000

Commercial vs. Homemade Face Cleanser Costs — powered by eHow.com

Just ran out of Witch Hazel, which I normally use as a facial cleanser. It’s cheap and easy to use- but thought I would see what other non-toxic-eco friendly beauty products that I have available to use in my kitchen.

11 Very Easy Skin Cleansers

Astringents

1/2 Lemon, sliced thin
1/2 Orange, sliced thin
6 fl. oz rubbing alcohol

Put lemon and orange slices in blender- add rubbing alcohol. Blend for about 1 minute.
Strain and will keep in refrigator for about 6 months.

Chamomile Astringent

1 3/4 pint of purified water
8 Tblsp chopped fresh mint
2 Tbsps dried chamomile flowers crumbleds

Place all the ingredients in saucepan and boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and steep for 5 minutes.
Strain into jar.
Apply with cotton balls
Will keep for 2 weeks refrigerated.

Clogged Pores

1 tsp milk
1 tsp honey
1 Tbsp ground almonds.

Combine all ingredients in small bowl. Apply mixture to face and scrub lightly. Rinse with clean water.

Pore Cleanser

2 pints of boiling water
1/2 Lemon juice
1 or 2 Tbsp dried thyme or mint.

Combine boiling water, lemon juice and dried thyme or mint.
Place face about 12 inches about the mixture and steam for 10 minutes.
Rinse with cold water.

Normal skin:

Mix organic milk with sea salt, dab on face, and let it dry for 2 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water.

Oily skin:

Juice a lemon (organic of course) and puree half of a cucumber, apply to face, and rinse with cold water. Pores will tighten, and your skin will stay cool for hours

Lemon Juice

Cut Lemon in half and rub in circles over face. It helps to remove the dust and oild.

Yogurt

Massage yogurt over the face and wipe your face with towel. Can add mashed strawberries to yogurt to make a paste- apply and wash off after 10 minutes.

Vinegar

Dip cotton in vinegar and apply to face. (avoid eyes). After a few minutes wash face with warm water.

Rose Water

Apply rose water over face and neck. Wash after a few minutes.

Dry skin:

Organic cream, milk, and dried chamomile flowers should be heated on the stove for about half an hour. The concoction is left to cool, then used to relieve super-dry skin.

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Make Your Own Self Tanning Recipes

Cathy — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:56:02 +0000

I didn’t even know you could make your own tanning products- why not, you can make your tattoo, hair colors and more, all with products readily available in your kitchen! I just love these two-fers!

Self Tanning Recipe #1 Tea

3/4 cup water
3 tea bags
1/4 cup lanolin
1/4 cup sesame seed oil

Boil the water and brew a strong tea
Pour 1/4 cup tea into a blender with the other ingredients and blend at a low speed. Slowly add the rest of the tea while blending.
Test out your results on a small, not usually visible spot on your body. Use sparingly.

Self Tanning Recipe #2 Cocoa

Mix 1/4 cup of cocoa with natural white lotion- Mix to desired color. Spread it evenly over body or face. Put in lotion pump bottle to reuse. Tan will last until next shower.

Self Tanning Recipe #2 DHA

Mix together a teaspoon of water with a pinch of hyaluronic acid and 10 to 12 granules of DHA. Stir until the DHA powder is dissolved, and then spread the blend evenly over your skin, massaging it in. This amount is enough for the face. You can substitute the teaspoon of water with a teaspoon of a water-based moisturizing lotion.

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Eco Friendly Tanning

Cathy — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:29:54 +0000

Sevin-Nyne Tanning Mist by Lindsay Lohan

I am trying to get over this- wearing shorts without having a tan. My past history has caught up with me- skin cancer, aging skin, wrinkle and more. So what can you do- in a sustainable, eco friendly way to get that summer tan, without polluting your body and the environment?

I Just Gotta Tell Ya

National Institute for Health recommends 5-30 minutes of sunscreen free exposure at least 2x per week for Vitamin D
According to the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, the National Cancer Institute found that between 1980 and 2004, annual cases of melanoma (the deadliest form of skin cancer) have increased by 50% among young women between the ages of 15-39
30 million Americans tan indoors annually—more than 1 million on an average day. Studies show that exposure to the UV radiation emitted from indoor tanning beds and booths increases the risk melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer.

What to Look For in a Natural Self Tanner

Paraben Free
Avoid 1,4 Dioxan
Choose tanners with plant based oils rather than chemical fragrences
Go Organic
Go Leaping Bunny- (no animal testing)

Ingredients in Non -Toxic Self Tanners

Nontoxic self-tanners use Dihydroxyaceton, or DHA (found in sugar beets or sugarcane) or minerals to provide natural looking color and are packed with vitamins and flower extracts to soothe and protect the skin.

Where and What to Buy

Lavera Sunless Tan – Self Tanning Lotion, 5 oz ($27.50 from Amazon) uses DHA, includes moisturizing jojoba oil and rose water
Sevin Nyne Tanning Mist ($35 from Amazon- about the same cost as a spray in a salon) Lindsay Lohan new spray is reusable and should save you about $140 from a salon. Ingredients-caramel, Goji berry extract and Chardonnay to help add antioxidant and moisturizing. Not used on animals. A portion of the proceeds to skin cancer awareness charities.

Alba Botanica Sun Sunless Tanning Lotion, Golden Tan , 4-Ounces (Pack of 2) ($13- from Amazon)ontains green tea, ginkgo biloba, aloe vera, and chamomile to soothe your skin while it turns you into a golden gal or guy in under three hours. This self tanner is paraben-free, contains 100 percent vegetarian ingredients, and has no synthetic colors. No animal testing either.
Instant Sunless Tanner – w/Walnut Extract, 4 oz (about $8- from Amazon) ingredients include aloe vera gel, green tea extract, walnut shell extract, and mango-nut fragrance oil. No animal ingredients, artificial colors, or animal testing.
Nature’s Gate Self Tanning Cream-ingredients are paraben-free and are made with Certified Organic botanicals. Nature’s Gate products don’t contain animal ingredients or byproducts

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How To Make Your Own Eco Friendly Fake Tan

Cathy — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:59:22 +0000

How to make your own Eco Friendly Fake Tan, using natural ingredients, good for the skin, good for overall health, and best for the environment. Similar Posts:

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Eco Friendly Sunscreen Rating and Reviews

Cathy — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:23:36 +0000

I just Gotta Tell Ya

EWG’s Sunscreen Investigation found that of nearly 1,000 name- brand sunscreens, only 1 of 5 provided adequate protection from both UVA & UVB radiation with few ingredients linked to known or suspected health hazards.
After 30 years of delay, the government has failed to set mandatory, comprehensive sunscreen safety standards to protect consumers’ health. In August 2007 FDA proposed first-ever UVA standards for sunscreen, but the rules are not yet final. In the meantime, companies are making misleading claims about product quality, and ineffective products crowd store shelves

Eco Sun Screen Product Reviews

Grist Mill Review of 7 Eco Sunscreens
Environmental Working Group List of Top 10 Sunscreens

1. Blue Lizard (anything without oxybenzone)

2. California Baby (anything with SPF 30+)

3. CVS with zinc oxide

4. Jason Natural Cosmetics Sunbrellas Mineral Based Sunblock

5. Kiss My Face “Paraben Free” series

6. Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Sunblock

7. Olay Defense Daily UV Moisturizer (with zinc)

8. SkinCeuticals Physical UV Defense

9. Solar Sense Clear Zinc for Face

10. Walgreens Zinc Oxide for Face, Nose, & Ears

Or Try Theses

From Exclusively Green Market-

3 oz. WeatherShield SPF30 $14.80
(3oz) TerraSport SPF 30 environmental sunscreen $8.99

From

UV Natural Sunscreen $14.95 Chemical-Free Sunscreen – Ranked by EWG
UV Natural Baby Sunscreen -about $15.95

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Homemade Eco Friendly Sunscreens

Cathy — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:23:15 +0000

Toxic Sunscreen

What is so funny about sunscreen- we cover ourselves with chemicals and potential carcinogens to protect our skin against skin cancer and damage. Then it absorbs into our skin for hours before we rinse off all the chemicals that then get flushed back down a drain right into our environment.

I just Gotta Tell Ya:

Sunscreen lotions used by swimmers around the world are contributing to coral bleaching,
4,000-6,000 tons of sunscreen are released annually in waters around coral reefs
25% of the ingredients on the skin are released into water over the course of a 20 minute swim
A study carried out by scientists in Ohio has reported that nanoparticles now being added to cosmetics, sunscreens, and hundreds of other personal care products may be harmful to the environment by negatively affecting beneficial bacteria.

Toxic Ingredients in Sunscreens-

Benzophenones (dixoybenzone, oxybenzone)
PABA and PABA esters (ethyl dihydroxy propyl PAB, glyceryl PABA,
p-aminobenzoic acid padimate O or Octyl dimethyl PABA)-potential carcinogen and is possibly linked to cardiovascular disease. BothAvobenzone and Ecamsule are also possible carcinogens found in many sunscreens.
Cinnamates (cinoxate, ethylhexyl, p-methoxycinnamate)
Salicylates (ethylhexyl salicylate, homosalate, octyl salicylate)
Avobenzone (butyl-methyoxydibenzoylmethane; Parsol 1789)
Digalloyl trioleate
Menthyl anthranilate
Propylene Glycol: Called a humectant in cosmetics, it is industrial antifreeze, and the major ingredient in brake and hydraulic fluid. Material Data Sheets on Propylene Glycol warn to avoid skin contact as it is systemic and can cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage. If anti freeze is spilled on your garage floor and a dog or cat drinks one lick, it will kill them.
Titanium dioxide, or Ti02, has been found to form harmful free radicals that react with skin cells, resulting in intracellular damage, including damage to DNA. On absorption of UV light, photo-generated titanium dioxide particles create singlet oxygen, superoxide anions (O2-) and hydroxyl radicals (OH-) that are potent free radicals. This damage can lead to the development of mutant cells and skin cancers.
Dr. Gordon Ainsleigh in California believes that the use of sunscreens causes more cancer deaths than it prevents

What Can You Do?

Try Using Natural Sunscreens

Vitamin E helps to prevent skin damage
Sesame oil resists 30% of UV Rays
Coconut, peanut, olive oil and cottonseed oil block about 20% of UV Rays
Edible Sunscreens Foods-

Try Making Your Own Sunscreen

Homemade Sun Screen #1

3 tbsp. Grated Beeswax
3 Tbsp Shea Butter
1 Tbsp Avocado Oil
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1Tbsp oil
1 tbsp Canola oil
3 tbsp aloe vera gel
3 tbsp lavender hydrosol
1/2 tsp borax powder
1 Vitamin E Gel Cpalet

Take beeswax, shea butter, avocado, coconut, sesame, canoloa oil and melt in double boiler. Add Viteamin E to the melted mixture. Warm Aloe Vera Gel, Lavender and borax powder in separate bag until powder is mixeed wll withthe other 2 ingredients. Mix with melted oils and buter. Whick until you get a creamy texture. Store in airtight container and keep refrigeation

Recipe #2 From Natural Beauty Natural-Protection Cream

3 tbsp. unrefined sesame oil
1 tbsp. unrefined avocado oil
1 tbsp. unrefined jojoba oil
1 tbsp. walnut or almond oil
1 tbsp. shea butter
2 tbsp. cocoa butter
1 tsp. beeswax
1 tsp. soya-lecithin
2 tbsp. aloe-vera gel
2 tbsp. rose or lavender water
1/2 tsp. borax powder
20 drops carrot-seed essential oil
3-5 drops coconut fragrance oil (optional)

Melt the first 4 oils, butters and beeswax in a double boiler over medium heat until just melted. Add the soya-lecithin, and stir to blend. Remove from heat.
In a small saucepan, gently warm the aloe-vera gel and rose or lavender water, and stir in borax powder until dissolved. Remove from heat.
When the oil and water mixtures are still warm to the touch and about the same temperature, set the small saucepan into a bowl of ice. Drizzle in the oil mixture while mixing rapidly with a small whisk; a cream will quickly form.
Add carrot-seed essential oil and coconut fragrance oil if desired; blend thoroughly.
Store in a clean, airtight jar or bottle, and refrigerate.

Recipe #3 Peppermint Suntan Lotion Recipe

2 tbsp organic coconut oil
4 tbsp organic sesame oil
1/3 cup lanolin
4 drops peppermint essential oil
Blender
Rubber spatula
Resealable container

Blend the coconut oil, sesame oil, lanolin, and peppermint essential oil in a blender on a low speed.
Store in a sealed container no longer than a week.
You can add whatever essential oil that you would like to give it a scent.

Resources

Nova Magazine
Harmful Sunscreen Ingredients and Ratings
The Chemical Sunscreen Health Disaster

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Edible Sunscreen in Food

Cathy — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:27:01 +0000

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Everybody is Free To Wear Sunscreen

Cathy — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:19:40 +0000

Wear Sunscreen is the common name of an essay, (actually called “Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young”) written by Mary Schmich and published in the Chicago Tribune as a column in 1997. The most popular and well-known form of the essay is the successful music single released in 1999, accredited to Baz Luhrmann.

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Eco Friendly Hair Removal- Sugar Waxing

Cathy — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 14:32:16 +0000

For those who like the video on how to make the sugar paste for eco friendly hair removal-

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