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Natural fruit acids and enzymes are great for removing dead skin. The papaya is loaded with natural enzymes, especially papin, that not only aids in digestion, but also help to exfoliate dead skin when used as a facial treatment. The greener the papaya, the higher the enzyme content.

To make your own Papaya Anti Wrikle Facial ‘Fruit Peel’ you will need nothing more than a bit of mashed papaya and a small amount of aloe vera gel.

Facial Peel Recipe

2 tbsp. mashed papaya

1 tsp. aloe vera gel

Mix the ingredients together to form a smooth paste. Apply the paste to your face and neck and let sit for not more than five minutes.

Then rinse your face with cool water and use your favorite moisturizer.

NOTE: Don’t leave the mixture on your face for more than five minutes, as it can be quite drying to the skin if left too long.

Next post will have a recipe for making your own, soothing skin moisturizer.

Now off you go to pamper yourself. Take some time and enjoy both the process and the results!

In this day and age when cosmetics, perfumes and other apothecary concoctions are so numerous and expensive, it is wonderful to know that you can make most of your own cosmetics naturally, and every bit as nice, if not nicer, than the ones you buy in the stores.

To make your own perfume you will need some essential oils. Most essential oils must first be diluted in a carrier oil such a jojoba or sweet almond oil before they can be applied to the skin. Other pleasing essential oils include tea tree, lavender and peppermint oils.

It is a good idea to always test your product on a small area of skin before applying them to a larger area of your body.

Here is a nice recipe for a solid perfume with a beeswax base. Mix a larger batch then divide the larger batch into smaller tins, such as recycled lip-balm tins, etc.

1 1/2 tsp (7 ml) beeswax

4 Tbsp (60 ml) sweet almond oil.

8 drops of an essential oil of your choice.

In a small pot or saucepan, mix together the beeswax and sweet almond oil. Gently heat the mixture over a low heat until the wax melts.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the essential oil drops.

Pour the mixture into small tins and allow to cool.

You will have a lovely cake of perfume in a portable container to take in your purse or give to a friend as a gift. The mixture will soften from the warmth of your fingertips.

Apply the perfume to pulse points such as your wrist, behind your knees, or other warm spots on your body.

You can experiment with many different oils and scents and develop a lovely, refreshing scent that is truly ‘your signature’ scent!

Enjoy

Many people view manicures as a luxury procedure they either can’t afford, or don’t think necessary. But did you know that you can have beautiful hands if you incorporate a weekly manicure into your self-care beauty routine.

Here’s how you can give yourself a wonderful manicure using all natural products.

Start by removing any traces of nail polish or lacquer.

Soak your hands in warm water with a natural cleanser for at least 10 minutes.

Here’s a nice recipe for a lovely cleanser that will help soften your cuticles:

NATURAL HONEY CLEANSER

1/4 cup of honey
1 tablesppon of gentle liquid soap
1/2 cup of glycerin

Mix ingredients and pour into a squeeze bottle. Dispense about 1/8 of a cup into a bowl of warm water. Soak and enjoy!

Note: Honey gently softens and cleanses the skin and is great for dry skin. It’s not at all sticky. You can also use it as a facial cleanser or for a comforting bath gel.

After you have soaked your hands, massage a rich hand cream into your hands and cuticles.

Next, gently push back the cuticles with a q-tip. Never cut the cuticles.

Now, take a few minutes to carefully file your nails.

Once you are finished you can massage a rich hand cream onto your hands. For an extra bit of pampering, wrap you hands in a warm wash cloth and just sit and relax for about 10-15 minutes, letting the hand cream soak in and do its job. You can also put on a pair of cotton gloves, leave a nice film of hand cream, and head for bed, leaving the gloves on overnight.

Your hands will respond to this gently care. You will be proud of how they look, and will never have to deal with itchy skin, chapped knuckles, or ragged fingernails. Nicely manicured hands give you a gentle, professional appearance. They tell the world that ‘You Care.’ And as Martha Stewart would say: That’s a good thing!

Cosmetics sales reach into the billions of dollars in any given year. People are willing to pay a lot of money to make the most of their appearance.

But beauty is only skin deep, and no amount of goop applied to your exterior can take the place of enhancing from within, the natural beauty you were born with.

Everyone is beautiful in their own way. You might not look like the currently popular fashion diva or runway glamour queen, but you certainly are beautiful. You are beautiful even if you have some blemishes, less than perfect features or disfiguring wounds, injuries or birthmarks, etc.

How do I know? I know, because with all my heart, I know that “God Don’t Make No Junk!” Everyone and everything is beautiful in their own way.

Now, I’m not against purchasing cosmetics and smearing concoctions on my face, in my hair and whatever else part of my anatomy I can reach to plaster stuff on, but I’ll share a little secret with you if you promise not to tell anyone.

Real beauty starts on the inside and works its way out!

The other secret that I want to share with you, is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Like it says on the top of this website. And that is a universal, undeniable truth!

So how to you begin enhancing your natural beauty?

Here are 10 tips to point you in the right direction.

1. Get plenty of rest.

2. Exercise regularly.

3. Eat a balanced diet.

4. Take breaks to boost yur energy. Mediate, relax or take a short walk to unwind and reduce stress. Your face will thank you by relaxing its tense muscles!

5. Keep your skin and hair clean and full of moisture.

6. Use sun protection. (Unless, of course, you like the baked potato look!)

7. Brush and floss your teeth regularly.

8. Drink plenty of water.

9. Treat yourself to a monthly spa or total body treatment that you can do yourself, at home.

10. Whenever possible, create and use your own, natural beauty products.

If you set some time aside every day to practice these principles you will soon find that you are creating a new outlook about both your self and your daily beauty routine.

Relax, have some fun, and enjoy taking care of yourself!

The  new Canadian website, http://www.defineyourself.ca  ‘Define Yourself,” bills itself as being a website where women ‘tell it like it is’ about aging, self exploration and discovery.

‘Define Yourself’ is an online community where women talk about the issues of aging and what they are doing about it, with or without cosmetic surgery. You will definitely find lots of good reading here!

News Flash: Read what ‘Marketing Mag’ is saying about this project.

http://www.marketingmag.ca/daily/20070425/topstory.html