Anna Nuttall

There is an expression that goes ‘mother knows best’, but when talking about natural cosmetics, it is Mother Nature who really knows best. With so many synthetic cosmetics on the market, it can be difficult to separate what is all natural and what is only being sold as natural when in fact it is filled with tons of preservatives and chemicals. Over recent years there has been a boom of natural cosmetic companies such as Lush, The Body Shop and Bomb all laying claim to being as being as natural as possible without any chemical preservatives which will affect your skin. However, there are a few rules and laws when cosmetics claim to be all natural, it must be listed on the packaging as not to mislead the consumer while also be listed in the ingredient list as this is all down to strict European law.

It’s ironic in a way, as we spend thousands of pounds in the development of man-made cosmetics as well as research to find new innovative skin care that will cure all our problems. In fact, to solve all our problems, you need only to look at what Mother Nature has provided us to know what would take care of our skin. For example, Strawberries are packed with tons of vitamins c which is an ingredient used to make homemade facial masks as it cleans away all the dead skin cells, while helping anti-aging. Another example is cocoa powder which is extremely high with antioxidants which fight radicals that causes skin and tissue damage and fight against premature ageing, which sounds perfect for any chocoholic. There is a theory that in the rainforests across the world there is a cure for every disease known to man, and this also applies to natural skin cosmetics.

With that in mind, in recent times there has been a rise of homemade cosmetics, a DIY approach to making your skincare in your kitchen. With the advent of the internet, finding new recipes and experimenting in your home has never been easier and the popularity of products like bath bomb making-kits has soared.

So here is a few of my favourite homemade DIY natural cosmetic recipes that I have been cooking up a storm, these are perfect for a girl’s night in with your mates as well as quiet night pampering yourself.

Strawberry Face Cream:

2 Strawberries

2 table spoon of double cream

1 spoonful of runny honey

2 table spoon of ground almonds.

Chop up the strawberries into tiny chunk, pour in the tablespoons of double cream, runny honey and then sprinkle in the ground almonds. Wisk or blend it together until it is all liquefied. With a spoon or make-up brush gently apply it to your face for 15 minutes.

Chocolate Face Cream:

2 tablespoon of coco powder (organic)

1 spoonful of runny honey

1 spoonful of cream

Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl and Wisk or blend it all together. Then apply to face with a spoon and leave in face for 15 minutes.

The Facial Fest:

½ bananas (over ripe)

¼ avocado pear (over ripe)

1 teaspoon runny honey

1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil

Mash the bananas and avocado pear together until they are completely blended, then add the honey and olive oil and mixed till it a smooth paste. Apply the smooth paste onto the face with a spoon or a make-up brush and leave on face for 15 minutes.

Sweet Honey Pie

1 Tablespoon of runny honey

1 egg yolk

¼ teaspoon of borage oil

Whip the egg yolk until creamy then add all the other

ingredients until it completely smooth. Apply on face with a spoon and leave on face for 15 minutes.

All these recipes are from by Elaine Stavert