National Relaxation Day: How To Pamper Your Skin At Home

Keeping up a beauty regime needn’t cost a fortune – in fact, you can make some of your favourite products at home without spending a penny.

To celebrate National Relaxation Day (Aug 15), we’ve scoured the web for our fave do-it-yourself beauty recipes, from a DIY collagen-boosting face mask, to a homemade coffee scrub and organic lipbalm.

Aging skin… DIY anti-wrinkle cream

The secret ingredient in this wrinkle-busting oil is the Rosehip seed oil – the best oil on the market for anti-aging and regeneration of skin cells.

Ingredients:

2 tsp jojoba oil

1 tsp coconut oil

3 tsp apricot kernel oil

3 tsp Rosehip seed oil

1.5 tsp beeswax pastilles

6-10 tsp rose-water

Method:

Place beeswax, jojoba, coconut, rosehip and essential oils in a stainless steel pan Melt on a low heat for about 5-8 minutes and stir well.

Cool ingredients for a few minutes and then place in a blender, adding in the rose water a little bit at a time.

Pulse the blender a few times and you will have a nice fluffy cream.

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Saggy skin… DIY collagen-boosting face mask

Avocados contain vitamin E and healthy fats, while carrots contain beta carotene – combined they help to boost collagen and firm the skin’s texture.

Ingredients:

1/2 carrot, cooked and mashed

1/4 avocado, mashed

1 tbsp heavy cream ( avoid if you have oily skin)

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together to form a smooth paste, before applying all over your face with an old foundation brush.

Leave it on your face for about 15 minutes to half an hour, wash off with warm water, splash with cold water and pat dry your skin.

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Dry lips… DIY lipbalm

The tea tree oil in this homemade lip balm gives it a refreshing, tangy scent and antibacterial protection.

Ingredients:

1 cup shaved beeswax  (a cheese grater is easiest)

3 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp vitamin E oil

2-3 drops tea tree oil

Method:

First, melt the beeswax in a bowl rested over a pan of boiling water.

Add the coconut oil and stir until melted – remove from the pan.

Add vitamin E and tea tree oil and mix them in while it’s still hot.

Pout into little containers and leave to cool down.

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Tired skin… DIY coffee scrub

The caffeine in this homemade scrub improves circulation – while applying it all over your body can help fight cellulite.

Ingredients:

4 tbsps natural yoghurt

2 tbsps finely ground coffee beans

2 tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl

Apply to your face with a brush (we recommend an old, flat foundation brush)

Massage it in and rinse off immediately

This can also be used as a face mask. If so, wait until the mask is dry (around 15 minutes) before rinsing off with a wet washcloth.

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Itchy skin… DIY body moisturizer

There’s no need to spend a fortune on expensive body creams and butters when you can make your own at home for a fraction of the price.

Ingredients:

20ml jojoba oil

5g emulsifying wax

5ml glycerine
 
1ml preservative

20 drops essential oil of your choice (lavender oil works well)

70ml water

Method:

Get two saucepans of boiling water ready and rest two bowls on top of them.

Mix the glycerine and the water in a jug and pour into a bowl, rested on top of a bowl of boiling water.

Pour the emulsifying wax into the bowl on top of the second saucepan and mix with jojoja oil.

Test the temperature – both should be 75-80 degrees. Mix ingredients all together.

Add the essential oil and pour lotion into a bottle. Lotion should start to thicken, give it a good shake.

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Heavy eye make-up… DIY eye make-up remover

Store-bought eye make-up removers can be jammed full of nasty chemicals that irritate sensitive eyes. This homemade version has just two ingredients instead.

Ingredients:

2 oz witch hazel

2 oz olive oil

Method:

Mix ingredients in a clean container, shake and pour a little on a reusable soft cloth or cotton wall ball.

Wipe across your eyes to remove every last trace of eye make-up.

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Tried these recipes? Got some more? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter, now.

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