By Ali Jardine, author of The Colour of Health-Food for Life
Eating nourishing, natural, organic food is an inner beauty treatment in itself, and many of these foods can be used to make low-cost external beauty treatments. Here are a few of the natural organic beauty treatments I use.
NATURAL SALT
I use Himalayan salt because it has 84 minerals, magnesium and calcium, and is anti-ageing!
As a re-hydrating drink: 1 Teaspoon in 1 Litre of drinking water
As a skin softener: 1 Tablespoon in a relaxing bath.
For exfoliation: 1 teaspoon mixed with 2 Tablespoons of a solid coconut oil (butter) makes a natural salt scrub.
Mouth cleanser: 1 teaspoon in a cup of warm water.
Foot soak and detoxification: 1 Tablespoon in a bucket of warm water. The feet hold many toxins, which the salt water can cleanse and detox.
Our bodies need salt, and I use Himalayan salt for rehydration because it absorbs and maintains the water we drink. We’ve been warned against consuming salt because most of us eat the wrong type in highly processed foods. The salt in those products is over-processed, which is why it’s best to use natural salt. If we stick to natural food sources we cannot go wrong.
LEMONS
Lemons regulate the PH of the body. They are a great liver cleanser and help with digestion.
Internal cleanser: ½ lemon in a glass of warm water, twice a day.
Balance the PH of the gums: Biting on a lemon wedge brightens the teeth and balances the PH of the gums
Facial treatment: Massaging lemon on the face, acts as a great astringent, skin brightener and toner.
Skin tightener: Slices of lemon placed on the face will refresh and tighten the skin.
Nail brightener: Polish nails with a fresh lemon to cleanse and brighten.
After using lemons as a beauty treatment, rinse the area with water.
COCONUT OIL (BUTTER)
A high quality organic coconut oil that has been kept in the fridge and has become solid makes a great moisturiser.
Night cream: Massage 1 teaspoon of coconut oil into the face and neck area at night.
Makeup remover: A small amount massaged around the eyes removes any residual makeup.
Teeth brightener: 1 teaspoon rolled around the mouth twice a day (spit out into a tissue) will absorb toxins and brighten the teeth. Spit this oil onto a tissue. Do not dispose of any oil down drains, as this will block them.
Hair moisturiser: Massage 1 Tablespoon into medium to dry hair.
Hand and nail moisturiser: Massage 1 teaspoon into hands and nails on a regular basis for moisturising.
NOURISHING FACEPACKS
To save cash on face packs and masks, make your own.
Avocado face pack: Mash ½ an avocado, use as a facemask, leave on for 20 minutes, and then rinse off. Full of magnesium, an avocado nourishes the skin.
Banana face pack: Mash ½ a banana, apply it to the face as above. Leave on for 20 minutes before rinsing off. Bananas contain Vitamins A, B, E and potassium.
Nourish and tighten skin: Mix ½ a cup of porridge oats with warm water to form a paste. Leave on for 20 minutes then rinse off.
If we really want to get creative, we can chop up some herbs such as basil, mint or parsley. These can be mixed with coconut butter for use as a face pack. The herbs are cleansing, antibacterial and feel cooling on the skin.
More information and recipe ideas about natural foods and treatments are available in my consultations and workshops.
Further information: M: 0448 516 015;
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