Budget Beauty - 13 Natural Skin Care Tips

Bee Cleansed
The day I learned I could cleanse my face with honey was a happy day for me (slightly sad, I know). I love beauty treats that are edible and that are already in your home. I thought honey would leave me in one big sticky mess but you just need to splash your face with a little water before applying a dollop of organic honey to the face and then carry on as you would with a normal cleanser. Honey is wonderful for the skin due to its antibacterial properties and it is often used to heal burns and wounds.
Image: Manuka Honey - Daylesford Organic £5.95




What Kate Said...
Kate Beckinsale reportedly uses a hot towel with a few drops of lavender oil on her face as a soothing treat for the skin (and a little pore pampering) - as mentioned in InStyle.




Eye Makeup, Be Gone!
You don't need a special eye make up remover to wipe away stubborn mascara, eyeshadows, concealer and eyeliner residue. A swipe of sweet almond oil or coconut oil will do just as good a job, if not better and it is much more gentle and nourishing for the skin. You could apply the oil to an organic cotton pad to remove eye makeup or to be even more eco-friendly, apply the oil to the eye area with your fingers (careful not to drag the delicate skin under the eye) and then gently remove with a moist flannel or cloth.
Image: Organic Sweet Almond Oil - Culpepper £5 - 100ml





To Tone or Not To Tone
That is the profound question many girls ask themselves as they go through their daily beauty routine of cleanse, tone (will I, won't I?) and moisturise. Some people think toner is like bottled water in a restaurant (completely unnecessary) while others believe toner is great for removing the last traces of makeup or grime. Whatever your thoughts, there can be no harm in trying organic Apple Cider Vinegar as a toner and seeing the benefits it has on your skin. This is potent and rather 'on the nose' stuff but hey, us girls are used to suffering in the name of beauty and this product is so pure and beneficial to the skin, that it is worth it. Just dilute the Apple Cider Vinegar with equal parts distilled water or green tea and then apply as you would a normal toner.
Image: Higher Nature Organic Apple Cider Vinegar - Goodness Direct £6.30


Mist Before Moisturising
This a new beauty tip I recently picked up and it will help your moisturiser absorb better into the skin and basically help your moisturiser, 'do it's thang!' Just spritz your face with your own spray bottle filled with distilled water and favourite essential oil or the chilled peppermint tea, as mentioned last week.




Moisturise with Oils
You may think oils will leave your skin too shiny or greasy if you use them as a moisturiser but try and experiment with various skin-friendly organic oils such as:

• Pomegranate
• Argan Oil
• Sweet almond oil (apparently a favourite of Liz Hurley)
• Coconut oil (which I heard was a wrinkle fighter so I've started applying this to my eyes, mouth, neck and decolletage).

As I've written before, I've been loving Akamuti's Raspberry Seed Oil of late and have found it to be a great day moisturiser for my skin. Once you find an oil that suits your skin, you'll realise you don't always need a store bought moisturiser with numerous ingredients when a pure and simple, organic oil can be just as beneficial.

Image: Organic Pomegrante Seed Oil - Akamuti £3.95




Fuss-Free Masks
One area of your beauty routine that you can really save money on is your weekly face mask. You can be resourceful and use what is already in the kitchen but I like to keep it super simple, as I don't have the time or inclination to blend exotic fruits, nuts, oils with a sprinkle and a dash of 15 essential oils I do not own! So here are two easy masks for dry and oily skin.

Dry: Mashed avocado
Oily: Mashed banana (honey and / or lemon optional)

Before you toss the avocado and banana skins away, remember to swipe them over your face. I've tried this with a banana skin and your face feels really taught and terrific afterwards.




Exfoliate with Three Ingredients!
You should ideally exfoliate your face 2-3 times a week to remove dead skin cells and all that lovely stuff. This is another simple, easy to whip together beauty recipe that only calls for organic oats, honey and an oil (such as sweet almond oil). These three ingredients create an ideal exfoliant that is gentle, moisturising and nourishing. I have also heard of using bicarbonate of soda as an exfoliant but I have yet to try this one!

Image: 1kg of Organic Oats - Goodness Direct £2.13






Feeling Spotty
Rather than reaching for a teeny bottle of spot-zapping liquid with an ingredient list that is usually bigger than the bottle it comes in, try something simple, natural and equally effective - lavender oil. I usually apply a bit of this neat to the offending area and it helps sort things out.
Image: Organic Lavender Essential Oil - Akamuti £6




Eye Spy...
'Puffy' and 'dark circles' are not the words you want to use to describe your eyes but if these two traits are problems for you, you may want to try some natural remedies.

Tea bags
Before you toss your teabags into the compost bin (I know you have), whip them into the fridge to chill and then place them over the eyes for a de-puffing delight! Try chamomile for soothing or peppermint for cooling.
Image: Clipper Organic Chamomile Tea

Cucumbers
An oldie but a goodie (especially when you've just tossed together a delicious salad and have leftovers). A slice or two feels lovely and cooling for sore, irritated eyes.

Potato, Avocado and Aztecs
I believe potato slices are good for reducing redness under the eyes, while avocado slices are used to reduce puffiness (a treatment reputedly used by the Aztecs). I also read an Ayurvedic recipe and idea that suggested applying sweet almond oil and honey nightly for several weeks to improve dark eye circles.




Ice is Nice
Here I go again, rattling off something I read or saw in a magazine. This time, my beauty tale comes from O Magazine where I read how this lady plunged her face into a sink of ice cubes each morning. As fun as that sounds to someone like me who can still feel chilly during a hot summer's day, the picture of this ice-loving lady's face was proof enough. Her skin was positively sparkling! I've also heard of people sliding an ice cube all over their face and loving the results. Either way, I think it's safe to say that ice is nice.


Sweet Lips
If you need to exfoliate your lips, try some brown sugar and honey!




Healing Hands
If like me, you are queen of the dish washing in your house, you may find that your hands are beginning to look like they belong to someone 'more mature' than you. If that's the case, try and exfoliate your hands several times a week with a bit of olive oil and sea salt. It's so easy to quickly reach for these two ingredients after you've done the dishes and your hands will look and feel lovely afterwards!