DIY: Pumpkin Facial

Fall is finally here! We’re ditching that summer heat and welcoming some cool weather. When this time of year comes around pumpkin and warm spices are the first things that come to mind. I thought I’d kick off the beginning of the season by sharing two cool fall recipes. They’re not for eating, but your skin will sure be happy. ;)

I’ve been experimenting in the kitchen to create a pumpkin scrub and face mask. After a lot of testing, I finally have two awesome recipes to share with you. Check them out:

Pumpkin Face Scrub

Ingredients

1/4 cup canned pumpkin, pureed

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

splash apple cider vinegar (optional, for oily skin)

How To

1) Combine all ingredients into a small bowl and stir. 2) Gently massage onto face, using a circular motion. Avoid the delicate eye area. 3) Splash face with warm water to rinse.

Note: This recipe makes enough scrub for a few uses. Store what’s leftover in a tightly sealed container and refrigerate. Use within 5 days.

After you’ve used the scrub, give the face mask a whirl! Oh, and don’t freak out when you’re starting to remove the scrub or mask. Your skin will look slightly orange for a sec when you start removing, but it will all get rinsed off. Orange skin would not be good. I really scared myself…lol. ;)

Pumpkin Face Mask

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canned pumpkin, pureed

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon milk

2 cucumber slices (optional)

How To

1) Mix all ingredients together. 2) Apply to face using gentle circular motions and avoid the area around your eyes. 3) Place cucumbers over eyes. 4) Leave the mask on skin for around 10-15 minutes. 5) Use your fingers to gently scrape as much of the mask off as you can. Then, splash your face with warm water, and pat dry. 6) You can follow up with a moisturizer if you’d like.

Note: This recipe makes one mask.

Why should you use pumpkin on your skin?

Pumpkin is full of antioxidants, enzymes, and vitamins C + K. The powerful enzymes in pumpkin rejuvenate, strengthen, and soften the skin.

Say goodbye to those dead skin cells! That’s right. Pumpkin removes dead skin, leaving you with a glowing complexion.

This orange fruit’s antioxidant power helps our skin big time! Constant exposure to pollutants in the environment and sun, stress, and an unhealthy diet can all lead to skin needing an antioxidant boost.  

My thoughts after using the pumpkin scrub and mask:

I absolutely loved it! My black heads have almost completely disappeared after only one use! Yay! I’ve been trying to get rid of those pesky dark holes for a long time now. My pores are visibly smaller and my skin feels tighter. My skin feels so soft and totally renewed. I’ve tried other facial scrubs and masks and have never seen these kinds of results. I’ll definitely be whipping up these pumpkin beauty recipes for the rest of this season!

My pumpkin face mask and scrub are cheap, easy to make, and seriously good for your skin. Try them out! Your skin will thank you!

Photo Credit: boise.dealsaver.com

Lemon Essential Oil, Your New Study Buddy

Hey girls! :) Hope you’re all having an awesome Sunday.

I wanted to take a moment to share an interesting study tip with you. Since everyone is back to school, a lot of study action is going on as we prepare for tests. We’re all trying to cram in tons of information and sometimes it’s hard to remember it all.

You may not believe the study tip that I’m about to share with you. It’s pretty, well, wow! Drum roll please…

Lemon essential oil can amp up your test scores! That’s right. This essential oil is known to increase your memory and cognitive function. It’s also been proven to help with focus and concentration when studying. If you study while smelling lemon scent, you’ll most likely do better on those upcoming tests. Awesome, huh?!

Want to know the science behind this cool study trick? Researchers have found that memory power doubles when a past event is associated with a scent. I’m sure you’ve smelled a scent before that has brought back memories. Like when you smell pumpkin pie baking in the oven, you may be reminded of fall and past holidays.

Ready to try out this study trick? Here’s what you need to do:

• Smell lemon essential oil while you study for a test or during a class.
• Then, when you need to remember that information, smell that same lemon fragrance.
• Lemon essential oil is very strong and can cause burns if applied directly to skin undiluted. Eek, not good! :( So, I’d recommend adding a few drops of lemon oil to a spray bottle (filled with a little water) and shake it up. Then, spray a little bit of the diluted lemon oil on your sleeve or somewhere where you can easily smell it while in class or during a test.
• Another option, is simply putting a few drops of the essential oil on a tissue. Then, bring the tissue with and take a few whiffs during class.
• When you’re studying at home, try this out: Place a drop or two on a small unscented tea candle. Light the candle and let the lemon aroma burn into the air. Just be careful to keep your books and papers away from the flame!

If you’re interested in making lemon essential oil your new study buddy, you can find a bottle on Amazon for $6.43. Check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/Lemon-Essential-Undiluted-Therapeutic-Grade/dp/B005V4ZRNA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1379891400&sr=8-2&keywords=lemon+essential+oil

Good luck with your upcoming tests! ;)

Photo Credit: www.flickr.com

Limit Your Sweet Stuff

 

We all love sweet, sugary foods. I mean who doesn’t. I have to admit, I totally have a sweet tooth. ;)

It’s okay to eat sweets, but only in moderation. There are numerous studies that show that sugar slowly damages the body.

And get this; studies show that sugar consumption can lead to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and many other serious health problems! Not to mention, weight gain, blemishes, and exhaustion, just to name a few. So, it’s not a good idea to be eating sweets all day long. But, it is okay to indulge here and there. I found that setting limits on my sugar consumption was really helpful. You should try to do this, too. Try thinking about it like this:

1) If you have an out of control sweet tooth or eat more than one sugary food a day, I would suggest trying to eat just one treat each day. You’ve gotta start somewhere, right?

2) Ready to limit yourself further? Then, pick two to three days a week where you allow yourself to indulge in something sweet.

3) This is another option that works for a lot of people: Try eating sugar free for 6 days a week. Then, choose one day a week that you let loose and eat whatever sugary stuff you want (don’t get too crazy though). If you do this, then try not to worry about reading package labels on day seven.

Setting limits on your sugar intake will help you in so many ways. One of the big bonuses to eating less sugar is weight loss. Not everyone needs to lose weight, but I know someone who lost weight fast. She lost 8 pounds and all she did was stop eating sugar for 6 weeks! Nothing else changed with her diet! She was a size 6 or 8 before and now she’s a 4 or 6. Amazing, right?!

Here’s an example of what my sugar consumption is like during the week: Last week, I ate homemade chocolate chip cookies on Tuesday and Saturday. The other five days I didn’t consume any cane sugars. If I got a craving for something sweet, I would add a little honey (1 tsp or less) to my Greek yogurt or lightly drizzle some over a banana. I always sprinkle cinnamon on my banana…so good!

I feel awesome since I’ve started limiting my sugar. I have WAY more energy now. And guess what else? My skin is so much clearer. Diet plays a huge role in pimple production. Limit your sugar consumption today. Don’t start tomorrow or next week. Start right now! YOU can do this!

Photo Credit: www.tumblr.com