Lavender Vanilla Facial Scrub

I would like to take a moment to talk about one of my best selling products in my etsy shop! My Lavender Vanilla Facial Scrub! Why do I love this scrub! Because the quality ingredients leave my skin feeling so fresh, clean, and moisturized while making my skin look radiant! How does it do this? The scrub gently gets rid of rough dry, dead skin that is just sitting on your face (yucky) with cleansing brown sugar and soothing lavender buds and moisturizes at the same time with the quality ingredients of vitamin e, sweet almond oil and honey.
Lets take a deeper look into the qualities of these key ingredients;

Honey was used by the great Cleopatra in ancient times. It is wonderful for anti-aging, it attracts moisture to your skin and is also antibacterial and it has been said that honey helps in removing skin blemishes. ( I like to do a honey mask once a week along with this scrub!)

Sweet Almond Oil is so gentle it is good for virtually any skin type. Its great for helping improve circulation and has been said that it make skin glow. It is a wonderful moisturizer, it soothes irritation and inflammation and leaves your skin feeling smooth and soft.

Brown Sugar is full of glycolic acid, an alpha-hydroxy acid that is crucial for maintaining healthy skin and is usually a key ingredient in pricey products. The natural glycolic acid in sugar not only helps condition and moisturize skin, but protect it from toxins. Brown sugar is gentler than salt and other sugars , making it ideal for super-sensitive skin.

And we all know how great Vitamin e oil is for our skin! Vitamin e is great for anti aging, scar reduction, helps prevent and minimize the appearance of age spots and strengthens the skin!

Using Olive Oil For Skin Care

Olive oil can be used in a skin care regiment in a number of ways.

• As a bath oil. Substitute regular bath oil with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.
• As a skin moisturizer. Apply olive oil to dry skin on any body part (face, elbows, feet, etc.) to help the skin regain its natural oil balance. Olive oil can be added to many of the natural facial home recipes that exist. When combined with some sugar, olive oil makes a great hand exfoliant and moisturizer.
• As a night cream. When combined with vinegar and water in equal proportions, olive oil will soften and moisturize the skin as you sleep. The vinegar acts to lighten skin discolorations and helps to exfoliate the skin.
• Olive oil has antioxidant properties and thus protects the skin from those harmful and damaging free radicals. It is beneficial in slowing the aging signs such as fine lines and wrinkles.
• Olive oil can be used as a lip balm, hair moisturizer, nail soak, dandruff treatment, etc.
• Some research has indicated that applying olive oil on the skin after being in the sun may help reduce the damage caused by sun exposure.
• Other potential benefits of olive oil as an olive oil skin care product include: treatment of - minor skin wounds, eczema, and psoriasis.
• The vitamin E in olive oil makes it a great overall skin care product.

Why Use Handmade Soap Vs. Commercial

First lets talk about what true soap is. True old fashioned soap is created by a chemical reaction between oils, water and lye. Although lye is used to make soap there is no lye after the saponification process is complete.
Now lets talk about commercial soap. The fact is that most "soaps" that you buy at the stores are not soaps at all but detergents. Detergents are petroleum based and tend to leave your skin dry and itchy. They contain preservatives and chemicals which are harmful. Your skin is the largest organ in your body so it is not only important what you but in it but also what you put on it because it can be absorbed into your skin.
So what are the benefits of handmade soap? Well one of the main benefits is the glycerin content. In most commercial soaps the glycerin is extracted and sold as a byproduct to be used in high priced lotions and creams. The glycerin remains in handmade soap and absorbs water from the air which makes it a key factor in keeping your skin soft and healthy. We also do not add any artificial preservatives or chemicals and only use natural essential oils in our soaps. Check out our etsy site for a list of handmade soaps we have available!

Etsy.com

For those of you that haven't heard: Etsy is the place to go for all things handmade, vintage items and they also have some supplies for craft lovers there to! It is a great place to shop! You can find me there with my Woods Edge Creations site by typing in NickiB86.etsy.com! Can't wait to see you!

Recipe Of The Week

Moisture Mask

Mix 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 teaspoon of plain yogurt, and 1 capsule of vitamin e oil ( prick a small hole in it and squeeze) mix well. Apply to face and leave on for ten min. before rinsing off.
This mask is wonderful! It will leave your face feeling soft, smooth and moisturized!

Moisture Mask
Mix 2 tablespoons honey with1 teaspoons plain yogurt and 1 vitamin e capsule( prick a hole in it and squeeze the oil into the mixture) mix well. Smooth over face and throat. Leave on for 10 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I want to wish every one a happy new year!!!! Does anyone have any cool new years resolutions to share?

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)

Comfrey is in my veiw a wonderful herb that has been used for centuries. Comfrey's genus name, symphytum, means to bring together, and comfrey is an amazing wound healer, being high in allantoin, a constituent that encourages cell regeneration.
Used externally, comfrey is completely safe, even for babies, and it is in its use as a wound dressing that comfrey's magic shines through. It is a popular addition to herbal salves and ointments, which can be used for bruises, sprains, eczama, swellings and burns. We have used comfrey salve for years and are now offering it for sale! We have used it on burns, dry skin, diaper rash, for our dogs hot spots, for any sores or cuts on us and our animals! This is defiantly something to keep in your medicine chest!