You don’t have to spend a lot of money to look after your skin – try some of these simple recipes made from everyday ingredients to nourish and restore the skin.

Ingredients:

  • Aloe Vera gel – the inner gel from the aloe vera leaf is cooling, soothing and healing to the skin
  • Baking soda – A white powder that foams slightly in water, giving a highly cleansing effect
  • Coconut oil – fat derived from the coconut is highly moisturising and heaven to dry skin
  • Beeswax – softens the skin without clogging pores
  • Glycerin – mineral based skin softener, it helps to draw moisture from the lower layers of the skin to the surface
  • Honey – antibacterial and skin restorative properties
  • Clays – help to draw impurities from the skin
  • Infusion – mixture of herbs and water allowed to steep and then strained
  • Yoghurt – softening to the skin as well as having a cleansing action due to the live bacteria
  • Apple cider vinegar – softens and helps restore the natural acid balance of the skin (use diluted)
  • Witch hazel – distilled witch hazel helps to tone the skin and close open pores
  • Lemon juice – good for oily skin

Dried or fresh herbs:

  • All skin types: Chamomile, comfrey, elderflower, linden flower, nettle
  • Normal or dry skin: Ladie’s mantle, marshmallow
  • Normal or oily skin: Fennel, lemon balm, rosemary, parsley
  • Oily skin: Sage, mint yarrow

Herbal Witch Hazel Cleanser

A light, cleansing lotion, great for wiping away daily grime and make-up. Soak a cotton ball in the lotion and wipe gently over your face.

Ingredients:
  • 1 tsp dried or 1tbsp fresh chosen herb
  • 100ml boiling water
  • 4 tbsp witch hazel
  • 2 tbsp glycerine
Directions:
  1. Place herb in a bowl, pour over boiling water, cover and leave to cool. Strain with a fine sieve or muslin cloth.
  2. Pour 2 tbsp of the infusion into a sterilised bottle or jar. Add witch hazel and glycerine. cover tightly and shake well.
  3. Store in the fridge and use within 10 days. Shake well before use.

Oatmeal Scrub for Blackheads:

Yoghurt acts as a skin food and a cleanser, leaving your skin feeling smooth, while the oatmeal and lemon juice clean the pores. Olive oil softens the blackheads so that they can leave the skin easily. You can use this as a mask also, leaving it on for 10 minutes.

Ingredients:
  • 2 tbsp fine oatmeal
  • 4 tbsp plain yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
Directions:
  1. Mix ingredients together in a small bowl
  2. Spread some paste over your face, rubbing in for 5 minutes
  3. Rinse off mixture with tepid water
  4. Splash your face with cold water or a herbal astringent and leave to dry naturally
  5. Keep covered in the fridge for up to 5 days

Grapefruit and Parsley Face Mask:

This mask will leave your skin feeling new and refreshed. Parsley is particularly good for oily skin.

Ingredients:
  • 3 tbsp fine oatmeal
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • Juice of 1/2 large grapefruit
Directions:
  1. Place oatmeal, parsley and enough grapefruit juice to make a spreadable paste
  2. Let soften for 5 minutes
  3. Spread mixture evenly over your face
  4. Lie down and relax for 15 minutes
  5. Rinse off with tepid water. Pat dry, tone and moisturise

Baking Soda Scru

This mix is particularly suited to oily skin, removing dead skin cells and leaving your skin fresh and clear. As it is dry it will keep well for quite a while in a sealed container.

Ingredients:
  • 2tbsp baking soda
  • 2tbsp ground rice (finely ground)
  • 1tsp finely grated lemon peel
Directions:
  1. Mix all ingredients together in a container or jar
  2. Apply in small handfulls and rub gently all over the face excluding the delicate eye area
  3. Rinse and pat dry gently, following with a toner and moisturiser