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Cucumber juice is a natural astringent. It also works as a natural tonic for sunburns.

Here’s the Home Made Recipe for a fabulous, Cucumber Skin Toner

(This recipe is good for all skin types.)

1/4 cup of fresh cucumber juice (Puree cucumber in blender and strain juice.)
2 tbsp of witch hazel
2 tbsp of distilled water
1 tbsp vodka.
(No tasting - you put that vodka right into the mixing bowl with all the other ingredients, you hear!)

Mix all ingedients together, blending well. Let sit for 15 minutes in the refrigerator or a cool place before using.

Apply with a cotton ball, gently rubbing the mixture on your face, or sunburn.

Let dry naturally.

This recipe makes about 4 ounces. You can store the remaining mixture in a clean container in your fridge.

There are so many natural, home made recipes for skin care cosmetics. This facial skin toner made from fresh cucumbers is perhaps one of the nicest skincare products you can make yourself in this lovely summer season using fresh produce straight from you garden or market.

This quick and easy facial mask works well for all skin types.

Simply mix 1 tablespoon of small-pearl tapioca with 2 tablespoons of water.

Let the mixture soak for several hours before applying. (You can also use Instant Tapioca - the instant form does not need to soak quite as long - about one hour should be sufficient.)

Then stir the mixture into a fine paste and gently massage the mixture onto your face. Let dry for about 10-15 minutes then rinse with warm water.

This simple face mask will leave your skin soft and smooth. It works perfectly for all skin types, too!

One of the quickest and best facial masks you can use is plain old yogurt.

Yogurt is mildly acidic. This makes it perfect for removing surface impurities. It also helps to restore the skin’s protective acidic mantle.

Just spread the yogurt on your face in a thin layer; let it sit for about 20 minutes, then rinse with warm water and pat dry. Use your favorite moisturizer to finish up!

Note: Don’t let the dog near you while you are ‘curing!’

You like Champagne. Your better half likes Beer.

If you combine Champagne and Beer, you actually make a popular (well, in Britain anyway) drink known as Black Velvet.

Did you know that by combining the two you will also have the perfect recipe for the perfect hair rinse?

Black Velvet makes an exceptional hair rinse that will leave your hair shiny and with lots of body and bounce. The alcohol in the liquid serves to remove any leftover soap residue after shampooing. You won’t find a better natural, homemade hair rinse anywhere. No commercial product even comes close.

To make your rinse, combine about 1/2 cup of Beer (Stout beer is best, but any beer will work) and 1/2 cup of Champagne. Blend gently and pour over your hair after your shampoo. (And don’t worry if the beer or champagne has gone flat; the effectives of the alcohol will still leave you hair shiny and with lots of bounce.)

Do you want to change your hairstyle? The easy way, that Is?

Here is a link to a fun site that allows you to do exactly that. You can play with the models and hairstyles in on the virtual hairstyle website, or you can upload a picture of yourself and study the effects of different hair cuts and colors before you visit your stylist. Lots of fun AND a great way to experiment!

Virtual Hair Styles

Home made cosmetics are so easy to use, and some common, every day fruits and vegetables available in the local supermarket yield some remarkable ingredients for natural skin care products.

If you have oily skin, one of the best homemade facial masks you can use is tomato juice. Because it is quite acidic, tomato juice acts as an astringent to tighten pores. It is also an excellent product to use to cure and remove blackheads.

Simply use a clean cotton pad to lightly pat the tomato juice evenly over your face and neck. Let sit on your skin for 10-15 minutes, then rinse with tepid water.

If you have sensitive skin, squeeze the juice from yellow tomatoes, as they are slightly less acidic than the red varieties.

It’s amazing what you can accomplish with natural, homemade cosmetic recipes made with ordinary, everyday ingredients!

Natural lip gloss is one of the best products you can use to moisturize dry lips in the cold, winter season. Natural lip gloss also makes a wonderful gift for that special friend or person in your life. Men like it, too!

Vanilla Lip Gloss Recipe

1 tbsp. Grated Beeswax
1/2 tbsp. Coconut oil
1/8 tsp. Vitamin E Oil
1/8 tsp. Vanilla Extract
(Be sure to use Vanilla Extract rather than Vanilla Flavoring.)

Yield: About 1 ounce.

Mix the beeswax, coconut oil, vitamin E oil together and place in a small, oven proof container. Heat the mixture until the wax softens and can be blended gently with the oils. Add the vanilla extract to the mixture, stir gently, and pour into a small, clean container. Enjoy!

Your facial skin cells regenerate about once a month, so a good facial at least once during this time frame is a good way to maintain a healthy, glowing complexion. A properly done facial takes at least an hour to complete. Your skin will thank you and reward you with a nice glow and soft touch.

There are basically two types of facials. One for oily skin, and one for dry skin. Determine your skin type then proceed accordingly.

The first step in giving yourself a facial is to gently was your face with a mild cleanser, then pat dry. Then fill the bathroom sink with hot water. Make a tent with a nice thick towel to cover your head, then leave over the sink and let the steam rise over your face for about ten miinutes.

Steaming helps open and clean the pores. A touch of fragrant essential oil in the water is a nice touch.

If you have severe acne you should not steam your face, since the heat could further aggravate angry oil glands.

For dry skin, the next step is to gently massage the skin in a soft circular motion for about 5-10 minutes.

Oily skin should be briefly massaged so as not to create more oil in the pores of the skin.

PERSIMMON HOME MADE FACIAL MASK RECIPE

For dry skin, a facial mask should contain egg yolk or banana.

For oily skin, make an astringent mask using egg whites or aloe vera gel.

One of the best ingredients for making a home made facial mask is a slightly over-ripe persimmon. The bright orange, pulpy persimmon fruit contain the same acid level as normal, healthy skin. They can be used to make a facial mask for both dry and oily skin.

For both oily and dry skin, mash the persimmon into a smooth consistency.

For oily skin, mix some cornstarch or the white of an egg into the mixture before spreading on your face.

For dry skin, mix an egg yolk and 1/2 tsp. of almond oil into the mixture.

Spread the mask over our face and neck. Massage well into the skin using your fingers. Avoid placing the mixture on or around the delicate skin around your eyes.

Leave the mask on until it dries completely.

Once dry, first rinse your face gently with warm water to remove the mask. Then apply a cold water rinse for about one minute. The cold water will help close your pores.

Pat your face dry with a soft towel.

When your face is nice and dry use your favorite moisturizer and gently massage the cream into your face.

Voilah! Your finished. Your face should be soft and glowing and you can go and enjoy a cool drink while you enjoy some well earned rest and relaxation.

NOTE: If you have dark pigmentation spots in your skin you might want to take a minute to learn more about Meladerm’s advance pigment reducing complex - Meladerm Skin Lightener - Natural skin lightening products for fading age spots, sun damage, skin discolorations and hyperpigmentation. Try it risk free for 30 days!

Warmest Season’s Greetings to all my special readers and customers!

May each and every one of you find ways to peacefully and joyfully celebrate Christmas. If you do not celebrate Christmas, may you also experience happiness and enjoyment other religious or non-religious activities that take place at this special time of the year.

Before I post this great moisturizer recipe, I want to inform the spammers who are frequenting this site that the comments function has been turned off for all posts on the Cosmetics21.com website. Perhaps in the new year you might want to consider spending your time and energy in honest pursuits rather than trying to ride on the coat-tails, or destroy the efforts of others. Harsh words for this time of year, but alas, necessary ones. Spam hurts everyone, including the Spammer. So please stop.

Now, on with the show…

Winter is harsh on our delicate skin, especially the delicate skin on our hands and faces. Commercial moisturizers have their place, but I find the homemade ones so much better and more effective.

Here is a recipe for a nice ‘Christmassy’ lubricating lotion for your face AND your bath water:

Eggnog Lotion

2 egg yolks
1/2 cup of heavy cream or half and half coffee cream
1 tablespoon of rum. (Better make that two - one for you while you conjure up this amazing lotion, and one for the recipe!)
1/4 cup of light oil (canola, almond, walnut oil or any other light, aromatic oil will do)

Mix the egg yolks, cream and rum in a blender.
With the blender still running, dribble the oil into the mixture until it is well blended.

Pour the creamy mixture into a clean container and store in the fridge.

You can apply this mixture to your face or body, and you can also add one or two tablespoons of the Eggnog lotion into your bathwater.

And since it IS the Christmas season, you just might enjoy a glass of eggnog while you soak in this skin nourishing, relaxing bath.

Note: Egg Yolks are rich in natural lecithin. Lecithin in nature’s emulsifier, which works to hold together two ordinarily unmixable liquids such as oil and water, giving the resulting mixture a smooth, creamy texture.

Enjoy, and God bless!

Now that the air is getting cooler and drier, especially indoors at this time of year in the Northern Climate, your lips have a tendency to become dry and cracked if you don’t use an ointment to keep them moisturized.

It is very easy to make an all natural balm to keep your lips moist and supple.

Simply mix together 2 tablespoons of melted beeswax (beeswax melts quickly if you grate it first, then heat it gently in the microwave on low for about 30 seconds - depending on the power of your microwave, of course) and 1/2 a tablespoon of coconut oil.

Mix well then pour into a small container (a little metal pillbox or cleaned base of a tea-light works well for me) and allow to cool before using.

This mixture works wonders on chapped lips and lasts a lot longer than most commercial preparations.

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, winter is fast creeping up on us. The bitter cold and wind can wreck havoc with your skin. Nothing, and I do mean NOTHING, is nicer that a wonderful soak in a warm tub after a cold day in the great outdoors, especially if you have added a fragrant, skin-soothing bath oil to your bath water.

Here is an idea for the ‘Perfect Cosmetic Christmas Gift’ - Bath Cookies!

Yes, cookies.

You bake them, wrap them, use them and give them - the perfect Christmas gift for that hard-to-buy-for person on your Christmas list.

Here’s the Recipe:

2 cups finely ground sea salt
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup of cornstarch
2 tablespoons of light oil
1 teaspoon of ‘Vitamin E’ oil
2 eggs
5-6 drops of Essential Oil of your choice
10 cups of Warmth, Goodwill and Cheer!

Mix it all together.

Preheat your oven to 350 ‘F.

Take about 1 tbsp of dough and roll dough into a dainty balls.

Arrange the balls on a cookie sheet.

Decorate the balls with sweet spices such as anise seeds, clove buds or dried citrus peel for added fragrance.

Bake them for about 10 minutes until they are firm and lightly browned. Don’t worry about under-baking them - you’re not going to eat them, after all! Just a nice light brown color is what you want to achieve.

And Voila! You have made some wonderful, homemade Bath Cookies!

Now, I know they look tempting, but whatever you do, DON’T EAT THEM! And do keep them away from kids and pets. And MEN! Especially men, as they are probably not too attuned to the merits of putting cookies in your bath water!

Now, fill your bathtub with warm, luxurious water, jump in, drop a bath cookie (or two) into the water and relax. The cookies will dissolve and you will enjoy the fragrant and soothing benefits of these amazing, skin softening, bath cookies!

You can also wrap some up in a pretty basket for a special friend. What a thoughtful and heart (and body) warming gift for this cold and harsh time of year!