DIY Review + Tutorial: Milky Sweet Facial Scrub

I've been doing a lot of research on various homemade facial scrubs for exfoliating purposes. I have tons of websites bookmarked full of various homemade remedies. When it comes to making your own scrubs, you don't have to follow the recipes exactly. Your scrub needs an exfoliant and a hydrator. It is also beneficial to have a soother. My favorite scrubs use sugar, because it is such an easy product to have around. My current favorite facial scrub is actually one that I put together myself. It features sugar, coconut oil, cocoa powder, and cream.

Product Benefits

• Sugar: Sugar contains glycolic acid, an alpha-hydroxy acid that is crucial for maintaining healthy skin. The natural glycolic acid in sugar not only helps condition and moisturize skin, but protect it from toxins. Sugar can act as a natural exfoliator, can help minimize acne, can help restore the skin's natural oils, and will not clog pores. It can be used by all skin types, but if you have sensitive skin you might consider using brown sugar instead, as it will be gentler.
• Coconut Oil: Coconut oil is an amazing moisturizer. It's loaded with Vitamin E and fatty acids (such as lauric acid, myristic acid, capric acid, and more) which are anti-fungal, anti-oxidizing and anti-bacterial. It's a fantastic beauty product. It absorbs into your skin and hair faster than most other oils, making it ideal for hydrating and softening your skin to keep you looking younger.
• Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder is great for your skin because of the huge collection of antioxidants. These compounds, called flavonoids, work internally and externally to repair skin damage from the sun, smoking, pollution, and stress. They can even help prevent future damage. Flavonoids also help to prevent cancer, heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol, and can lower blood pressure. There is a reason why they say an ounce of dark chocolate a day is good for you! While cocoa powder works better when eaten, it can be used in skin care products as well.
• Cream: Milk and cream have vitamins A, D, and E and are high in protein. When applied topically, it is very hydrating and soothing. Milk is great for soothing itchy dry skin, rashes, sun burns, and can help diminish the appearance of scars and burn marks. Milk is also a great cleanser and removes dirt and excess oil from your skin. Try putting some on a cotton pad and wiping your face clean.

DIY: Milky Sweet Facial Scrub

Gather the following ingredients:

• Milk or cream
• Coconut oil
• Unsweetened powdered cocoa
• Sugar (I used brown sugar)
• A tablespoon
• A microwave safe bowel

Follow these steps.

1. Put 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil into your bowl and microwave it for 30 seconds.
2. Add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 4 tablespoons sugar, and 1 tablespoon milk/cream and stir well. The mixture should be creamy, like brownie batter. If it is too thick, add a bit more milk/cream. If it is too runny, add more sugar.
3. Gently wet your face. I usually take the mixture with me to the shower so I can exfoliate my scars and underarms as well. Place some of the mixture on your skin and use your fingertips to massage gently.
4. Massage the mixture onto your skin for about 30 seconds, then rinse off.
5. Finish with a good moisturizer.

My Review

★★★★☆ The mixture is messy, but effective. My skin was effectively exfoliated about the same as commercial scrubs, but I wasn't left with that dry skin feeling. It is a lot harder to wash out if you get it in your eye though. It doesn't sting, it is just annoying so be careful!

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DIY Review + Tutorial: Green Tea Rice Toner & Rice Powder Mask

Wandering around on YouTube, I discovered a DIY tutorial on making a Rice Water toner. The benefits of rice water are exceptional. It can help soothe, lighten, and soften your skin when used regularly. I had to try it! I followed the video, made my toner, and used it after taking off my makeup and washing my face every night for a week. I noticed my skin would feel softer and smoother.

But why stop there? I had recently given up my Southern Style Sweet Tea in favor of a lightly sweetened iced green tea in efforts to drink more green tea since green tea has so many health benefits. I was also wanting to cut back on my sugar intake, and my iced green tea calls for less sugar per gallon than the sweet tea does. If drinking green tea is so good for you, wouldn't putting it on your skin be great too?

DIY: Green Tea Rice Water Toner

Alrighty, to make this toner you will need the following:

• 2-3 tablespoons of organic rice (color/type doesn't matter)
• A coffee mug/microwaveable safe glass
• About 3/4cup of water. Distilled/purified preffered.
• 1 teabag of green tea
• A small bowl
• A chopstick or spoon to stir with
• A container for your toner.

Gather all your materials together and follow these steps.

1. Pour your water into your coffee mug and place it in the microwave for about 80-90 seconds. You want it to be too hot to drink, but not boiling. If you prefer, you can also warm your water on the stovetop.
2. Place your green tea teabag into the coffee mug and steep for 10 minutes. Remove the teabag. The water should still be warmer than room temperature, but not hot.
3. Place your rice into the bowl and cover with the tea water. You want to cover the rice, but don't fill it up more than an inch above the rice.
4. Stir the rice in the green tea water for about 2 minutes. The water will take on a cloudy look.
5. Pour the water into your toner container, leaving the rice in the bowl.
6. You now have green tea rice water! This water will last about 3 days at room temperature, or up to 6 days in the refrigerator.
7. To use your green tea rice water: apply some of the water to a cotton ball or cotton pad and wipe it across your face after you have removed your makeup and cleansed your face. Be sure to use it before your night cream.

This really doesn't have a very long shelf life, which is why I say to use so little rice. If you want to make it without the green tea, then you can use more rice and just make it in the same fashion. Make sure the water is warm when you add it to the rice. Afterwards, you can save the rice for eating. I use so little at once so I don't waste any. Since I add the green tea water to it, I don't want to eat it afterwards. I actually keep the rice that I use for my toner and make a face mask with it! I use this mask twice a week.

DIY: Rice Powder Facial Mask

For this you will need the following:

• The leftover rice from your toner
• A food processor or a mortar and pestle
• Some milk. Any kind is fine, but organic is best. I like to use organic almond milk.
• Vitamin E oil (optional)
• A bowl for mixing

Gather your materials and follow these steps:

1. Drain any remaining water from your rice and set it on a papertowel to dry for at least 15-20 minutes.
2. Grind the rice into a fine powder with your food processor or the mortar and pestle.
3. Put the powder in your bowl. Add two drops of vitamin e oil (optional) and then add just enough milk to make a fine paste. Add a little at a time, stirring as you go. You can always add more milk later!
4. Rub the mixture on your freshly cleansed face and let it sit for a half hour.
5. Wash away with lukewarm water and pat dry. Be sure not to rub at your face! You want to treat your skin gently.
6. Enjoy your soft smooth skin. Add a night cream to help seal in moisture while you sleep.

My Review

Green Tea Rice Water Toner

★★★★☆ The toner really did smooth my skin, and I noticed it looking better right away. I didn't care for the smell though. It didn't smell bad, but it wasn't exactly a great smell either. I could just smell the starches a little more than I had hoped to. A drop of essential oil solved this, but seemed like a waste of oil considering I was having to make the toner twice a week to keep it from going bad.

Rice Powder Facial Mask

★★★★★ The rice was really easy to turn into a powder thanks to my Magic Bullet. Leaving the milk slightly chilled felt great on my skin.

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Project: Beautifully Healthy

I've been thinking about making a beauty blog for a while. I wanted a place where I could share things that I try with others. I am nearing Thirty and, no offense to her, I don't want to have my Mom's skin in 20 years. I want my skin to look healthy and young. I want my hair to be smooth and soft. I want my body to be generally healthy.

I have been trying to change my lifestyle around for most of the year. I've added more vegetables to my diet, reduced my fat and sugar intake, and started taking better care of myself. I want to stop using to many chemical heavy products and save money on my hair and skin care products.

My Goals

• Hair health: I want to improve the texture of my hair, allowing it to feel softer while protecting it from as much damage as I can since I like to heat style it often. I also want to stop tying it back so much so I can combat the thinning I am starting to see at my temples.
  
• Skin health: I want to soften and moisturize my skin. I would like to see a more even complexion, lighter dark circles, and fewer breakouts.
  
• Nail health: I want to find a way to keep my nails from breaking so easily. I feel like they are incredibly brittle. I can't seem to grow them out at all without them breaking the second they have no polish on them.
  
• Physical health: I would like to start toning my arms and legs and slowly drop some of the weight I have on my body. I gained a lot of weight a few years ago and I have struggled to get rid of any of it ever since. I would like to tone and strengthen my arms and lose at least 15 pounds by my birthday.
  
• Natural products: I want to decrease the amount of chemical heavy products that I use, and instead reap the benefits of natural items.
  
• Find my style: I am just about to be 30, but I still dress like I am in my early 20s. I don't care about being really stylish, but I would like to find clothing that makes me look more my age. I don't want to look frumpy, but I want to be able to look old enough so that I am taken seriously.

So, I plan to chronicle things as I try them to tell what worked for me, what didn't, what was too much effort, products that I fall in love with. I will be doing blog posts and also video posts as well. I am actually really excited to do the vblogs and actually make use of my youtube account.

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