Purchasing skin care products at big merchant stores can be expensive, not to mention the harsh chemicals used in their products.  Here I'm going to share with you seven of the best home remedies, I have personally used, that can be made with just a few items from your kitchen.

So here we go, first, I'll mention coconut water!   This is nature's sports drink and besides the hydration factor that it provides, it is loaded with potassium! Potassium is a vital electrolyte for the functioning of all your cells. It helps control the amount of water you retain and keeps your blood at a healthy pH level.  It is known as a super mineral that can enhance the moisture and feel of your skin.  I pick up five cartons and try to drink one liter a day through the week. 



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How many of you have spent hundreds of dollars on skin care products that were so-so? The beautiful reality is that a few simple ingredients from your kitchen, or the store, could give you the gorgeous, youthful skin that all the other products promise. And, for much less money. 

*Please note that I wear makeup, like most women, and typically use a makeup remover/eye makeup remover before starting this skin care regime. You want to avoid the eye area when washing with this formula, so removing eye makeup beforehand is advised.

First, for the face wash, I typically use a mason jar to store my mixture in. Take 4-5 tablespoons of honey, add the juice of half a small lemon and add 2 teaspoons of Epsom salts. Mix the ingredients well together.  Wet face with warm water and take a small amount of the face wash and rub it gently onto your skin in circular motions, avoiding the eyes.  Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

Secondly, you can either use aloe vera leaf or apple cider vinegar as your toner.  You slice open the aloe leaf and rub the inner gel all over your face.  Or put some ACV on a cotton ball and gently apply to your skin in circular motions.  If you have sensitive skin just stick with the aloe, or dilute the ACV with water. 

For the third and final step, we have nature's youthful skin serum, Coconut Oil.  And no, this does not mean you have to walk around or go to bed with a super oily face. With coconut oil, it doesn't take much! I use coconut oil as a daytime moisturizer!  I apply a very small amount so that I'm not greasy. But at night, you can apply a little bit more, allowing it to absorb into your skin before bed.  Prior to washing your face, you can use coconut oil to remove any eye makeup you are wearing. Coconut oil also conditions your eye lashes, making them feel healthy and thicker. 

You can use the Manuka honey as a moisturizer too! Gently rub a small amount in circular motions onto your face. Allow the honey to be absorbed into the skin. This is a fabulous over night moisturizer and is one I prefer to use a couple times a week. It makes my skin feel so, so soft and knowing all the nutrients that it is infusing into my skin makes it even that much better!

With the face wash, you can make as little or as much as you would like. Store in a jar in your bathroom, with a spoon to scoop a little bit out at a time to use. 

Epsom Salts- These crystallized salts exfoliate the skin, leaving it softer and smoother. They help moisturize the skin, while the minerals increase your skins magnesium levels.

Manuka Honey-  This honey is antimicrobial, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.  It contains amino acids that slough away dead skin cells, balancing the skin's pH.   It also oxygenates pores to draw out bacteria, improving acne prone skin. Dry skin is healed quickly with this power moisturizer.  Add in all the vitamins and minerals (over 80) and you have a youthful-face salve that's potent and healing. 

Lemons- Rich in vitamin C and citric acid, lemons can lighten and brighten your skin if used continuously.  They are also antibacterial and can aid in healing acne prone skin. 

Aloe Vera-A systematic review for burn healing, performed in South-East Asia, found that Aloe Vera speeds up skin cell reproduction by as much as eight times and penetrates the epidermis (the outer layer of skin) four times faster than water!  The skin healing properties of Aloe Vera are beyond most other plants. When you rub fresh gel from the inner leaf into your skin, you are rubbing enzymes, amino acids, vitamins A,C,E, B1, B2, B3 (niacin), B6 and B12 into your skin. You are also laying on the minerals, which include calcium, magnesium, zinc, chromium, selenium, iron, potassium and manganese.  All of which are essential for skin health and elasticity. 

Apple Cider Vinegar-ACV contains high amounts of alpha hydroxy acids, which remove dead skin cells from the surface of your skin.  It helps balance the skins pH and can help oily or acne prone areas of the skin.  

Coconut Oil-Coconut oil contains proteins, vitamins and essential fatty acids. The proteins help repair skin cells, while the saturated fat helps retain the moisture content of your skin, helping it appear and feel smooth. The essential fatty acids, capric-caprylic-lauric acids, have strong antimicrobial properties. The high vitamin E content helps prevent premature aging and helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles. 

All of these natural skin care remedies can really help clear up and even out skin tone, along with aiding in the repair of your skin cells.  If you have sensitive skin, or any known allergies to any of the ingredients above, please avoid using them.  Otherwise, enjoy the benefits of these wonder healers!

Resources:  https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/manuka-honey
                     https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17499928
                      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15725565
                      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16373990
                     http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814606009356

Epsom salt is wildly popular in the holistic health community and for good reason.  People have recently began to learn about the benefits, internal and external, of this wonderful "salt".  I quote that word because Epsom salts aren't really salts at all, but rather a naturally occurring, pure mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate.  There have been several studies that show that magnesium and sulfate are highly absorbable through the skin.  This is why Epsom salt baths are so popular and a great way to experience the benefits of this Earthly wonder. 

Let's take a look at the several benefits of Epsom salt:
​* Reduces inflammation of muscular and skeletal systems
* Sulfates help absorb nutrients
​* Flushes toxins from the body
​* Relieves constipation when taken orally with water
​* Detoxes heavy metals when used in a bath
* Helps regulate 325 enzymes found in the body
​* Can be used to fertilize houseplants, gardens and yards, growing lush green plants
​* Can be used as an insecticide
​* Helps relieve stress by relaxing muscles and mind, readying you for a good night's sleep
​* Will help clean out the gut when taken orally, balancing the guts pH

​There are several uses for Epsom salt, but I'm going to focus my post on Epsom salt baths.  If you do decide to try to take Epsom salt orally, use a small amount (1 tsp) and drink a lot of water with it.  Continue drinking water all day to help push everything out of your system. This is the natural answer to constipation. Oh, and please beware, it tastes NASTY!  Now onto baths...

How To Take An Epsom Salt Bath To Get Maximized Benefits
With Epsom salt baths you want to get the water as hot as you can handle it. This is important as it really helps relax the muscles and opens up the pores of your skin as large as they go, allowing for the magnesium sulfate to easily be absorbed and for toxins to easily be released from the body.  For maximum results, when it comes to relaxing the muscles and relieving inflammation, pour no less than 4 cups of salts into your bath!  Let these salts get in there, do their job and go beyond the call of duty!  Be sure to soak no longer than 40 minutes.  

​If you have young children who have a hard time falling asleep, you can run some warm/almost hot water in the sink and add 2 cups of Epsom salts.  Then take a wash cloth and let the salt water absorb into the cloth.  Wring out and wrap warm cloths around your kids feet (may take two cloths).  You can also have them put their feet in the sink, if you prefer. This will help relax your child and help them fall asleep. You can do this for yourself as well, followed by a light foot scrub with a scrub brush will help release toxins through the feet.
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​Source: “Report on Absorption of magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts) across the skin,” Dr. R.H. Waring, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT, U.K.