Homemade Brown Sugar Scrub

This is one of my favorite scrubs to make.  I mainly use it on my face, but occasionally use it all over my body.  It is so great for exfoliation without dryness afterwards.  When I first made this it looked kind of thin in consistency, but when I used it.... WOW!  It gave my skin a great "scrub".  I use it first, and then follow with a vitamin E or tea tree based soap.  Then I use my homemade toner.  I will share that recipe with you later.

Now, let's make it!
Mix together:
2 tablespoons grape seed oil
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1/2 teaspoon vitamin E oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
15 drops tea tree essential oil
15 drops ylang ylang essential oil
15 drops clary sage essential oil
15 drops lime essential oil
***you can substitute the grape seed and avocado oil for 3 tablespoons of any oil you like***

Now I add enough brown sugar until it is the consistency of a caramel sauce.  Today I used about 5-6 tablespoons of brown sugar.
Here is the finished product.  Like I said, it may not LOOK like a scrub, but just WAIT!  You will be surprised!!! ENJOY!!!!

My Green Smoothie Base

I love green smoothies.  I buy them pre-made ALL THE TIME.  I figured I should be able to do something similar at home.  I went to the market and was overwhelmed in the produce section.  If I don't have a list with me I get sensory overload lol.  I forgot my list at home, but remembered a couple ingredients and then got creative with others.  Everything is organic.  Here is what I used:

4 kale leaves, chopped
1 cup of parsley, chopped
1 bosc pear, chopped
1 kiwi
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups of water

I put the kale, parsley and water into the blender and set to liquefy.

Then I added the pear and kiwi.

Next I added the bell pepper.

Then I transferred to a plastic container.  I added a couple of drops of lemon juice to the container, too.

So that is my green smoothie base!

Here is the smoothie I made with it after:

It was really yummy and had a nice kick to it!  I can't wait to get a juicer, because the only thing I didn't like was the bits of bell pepper skin.  I will be having this every morning!

For this I used:
1/2 cup smoothie base
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1 frozen banana
1 cube frozen crushed garlic
1 cube frozen crushed ginger
2 tablespoons flax seed meal
1 serving whey protein powder
1 tablespoon chia seed
2 tablespoons local honey

My FAVORITE Homemade Deep Conditioner

As you will come to find out, I LOVE making my own products.  As a matter of fact, I am working on my own business making natural hair and body products.  I am always telling people about my favorite homemade deep conditioner (DC).  Here is the recipe and the regimen I *usually* follow on the days I DC my hair.

My ingredients are:

1. Avocado
2. Coconut Milk
3. Honey
4. Water
5. Castor Oil
6. Tea Tree oil

First I scoop the avocado into the blender.

***I forgot to continue taking pictures of my process, but it is really easy.  I blame my anxiousness to use my fave conditioner on my forgetfulness. :)***

Next I microwave 2 tablespoons of honey with 3 tablespoons of water just until they are warm.  I add that to the blender and begin blending.  I use the "Puree" function.  Make sure you don't close the lid tightly because the warm water/honey mixture can cause it to pop off.  

After that is blended I add 1/4 cup of coconut milk and 2 tablespoons of castor oil (you can use any oil you want) and blend until smooth.  Then move the mixture to a container and I add 10 drops of tea tree oil (you can use any essential oil you want or omit it all together).

Mix it very well to make sure the essential oil is evenly distributed.  

Here is the final product.  Smooth, shiny and silky!

Now I just apply evenly through my hair, put on a plastic shower cap or conditioning cap and wait at least an hour.  Here it is on my hair.

This is my hair after rinsing out the DC and shampooing using Shea Moisture's Argan Oil & Raw Shea Butter bar soap.

I bought this product today at Walgreen's and decided to use this to condition.  Also here is a picture with it on my hair.  I put on a plastic cap again and will leave it on for 45 minutes.  

Here is my hair after detangling and rinsing.  The bioinfusion didn't allow for super easy detangling that some of my other products have.  It did feel good while I had it on and after I rinsed it out.

***Usually on days I DC with this mixture I also do my ACV rinse after this second conditioning.  I planned on doing it, but forgot.  I don't know what's wrong with me today. haha***

Then I sealed with a little Carol's Daughter Hair Balm:

I had planned on twisting it, but I am tired.  I think I will try dry twists tomorrow. 

I decided to add a little of Carol's Daughter Hair Milk after it dried some.

Try this homemade DC and I bet you will fall in love with it!

Clarify Hair Naturally (Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse)

One of my favorite ways to treat my hair is by giving it an apple cider vinegar (ACV) rinse. Most people use an ACV rinse to remove product buildup in place of a clarifying shampoo. Clarifying shampoos strip hair of its natural oils and that can cause excessive drying and who wants that?  I initially used an ACV rinse only to help remove buildup.  I fell in love with it after seeing that it also made my curls more defined, bouncy, shiny and fluffy!  YAY ACV!  After that I had to find out what other benefits ACV rinses have besides removing buildup.


BENEFITS OF AN APPLE CIDER VINEGAR RINSE

• Closes the hair cuticle to protect the inside of the hair shaft from damage
• Removes buildup (cheaper and with less damage than clarifying shampoos)
• Can restore the pH balance of the scalp and hair
• Give hair a healthy sheen
• Promote blood circulation of the scalp
• and I am sure more that I don't know about

Please keep in mind that ACV is an acid and overuse can cause degradation to your hair shaft.  I have not seen any adverse side effects and will continue to use it 2-3 times a month.  I use it AFTER washing and conditioning since it is hard for conditioner to get through closed hair cuticles after using the rinse.

HERE IS HOW I MAKE MY APPLE CIDER VINEGAR RINSE:

Some people use plain water.  I had to be a little extra of course :)  I boil water and then let dried rosemary, black (English breakfast) tea and peppermint tea seep for a while.

I don't have a particular brand of apple cider vinegar I use, but for this batch I used Target's brand:

I use a 64 ounce container and filled it with 48 ounces of the rosemary/tea water and 16 ounces of ACV.  For me this is enough for 3 rinses and I keep it in the refrigerator.  I like to use it cold.  I don't know why, but it works for me.  When I first started using ACV, I used less and suggest anyone doing it for the first time to use less also to see how your hair reacts to it.

Once it is cool I add a1/2 tablespoon of an essential oil.  I usually use tea tree oil, but I used peppermint oil this time.