Table of contents:

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Oil

Why I use it:

Oil softens, nourishes the skin, and reinforces the skin barrier functions. 

What I use it for: 

• As a base for making herbal infusions. 
• For oil cleansing
• As a moisturizing body oil
• To make salves, and body scrubs. 

What I recommend you get: 

Use supermarket oils, like almond, grape seed, avocado, hazelnut…
Look for unrefined, cold-pressed, or virgin oils. These are minimally processed and retain more of the plant’s nutrients. 

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Honey

Why I use it:

Honey is nutritious for the skin, antimicrobial, and has a cleansing effect that also promotes healing. It improves functions of the skin (cell turnover) which has a brightening effect.

What I use it for:

• As a base for making herbal infusions 
• For face cleansing
• In facial masks

What I recommend you get:
Local honey, direct from a beekeeper, often found in farmer’s markets. Or in supermarkets, look for raw honey which is not heat processes and retains its nutrients

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Apple Cider Vinegar

Why I use it

Vinegar is acidic, and helps to restore/maintain the pH of the skin. It supports the integrity and functions of the skin’s acid mantle. *It’s important to dilute the vinegar before applying it on the skin: 2 tbsp vinegar /1 cup of water

What I use it for: 

• As a base for making herbal infusions 
• As a facial toner (at night, to prevent issues with sun exposure) 
• As a weekly, clarifying hair rinse. Scalp care. 

What I recommend you get: 

Apple cider vinegar with the mother is what herbalist use to make internal herbal remedies, and it’s what I use for external remedies too.

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Salt & Sugar

Why I use it

The grains provide a physical exfoliation for the skin.

What I use it for:

• Body scrubs only. I do not recommend salt and sugar grains for the face.

What I recommend you get:
You can use the cheapest, generic salt and sugar from the baking section. This is a wash-off ingredient, it only provides the physical texture we need (its not for skin nourishment).

Choose a fine grain, which is more gentle on the skin.

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Rolled Oats 

Why I use it

Oats are, in my opinion, the best skin care I’ve used. It’s an all in one: cleanser, moisturizer, deep nourishment, exfoliator….

I always grind oats into a fine powder, wether I’m using it in a bath, for a facial mask, or a scrub – it needs to be ground.

What I use it for: 

• Powdered oats is my secret ingredient for scrubs.It makes the scrub creamy when applied over wet skin! 
• Facial cleanser and exfoliator 
• Face and body masks 
• Bath blends 

What I recommend you get: 

Whole, rolled oats are more shelf stable than buying pre-ground oat flour. I like to grind my oats fresh, before using it in a recipe. Get any brand of whole rolled oats, but not instant oats.

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Herbs, dried and fresh

Why I use it:

Herbs are the superfoods of the plant world, rich in nutrients. Learn about your herbs, so that you can know how to pick the best herb for what you’re making.

When it comes to making skincare – any herb that you drink as tea, you can use topically.

What I use it for: 

• I choose specific herbs for their therapeutic/emotional benefits. 
• I use herbs in pretty much all of my skincare recipes.
• Baths, hair rinses, skin washes

What I recommend you get: 

When preparing herbs for topical use, we need to grind it into a powder.
I prefer to buy whole herbs, its more shelf stable than buying pre-powdered herbs. And then I grind it as needed.

Get what you have access to: whether it’s herbal tea bags, bulk dried herbs, or fresh herbs that you dry and dehydrate at home.

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Cacao Butter

Why I use it:

Cacoa butter is an occlusive, it helps to protect and condition the skin. Used to prevent stretch  marks.

What I use it for:

• I add a touch of butter to my salves, to thicken the consistency, and enrich the feel on the skin.
• In bath recipes, I like to grate cacao butter and add it to salts, and bath bombs.

What I recommend you get: 

Look for unrefined cocoa butter, sold in health food stores and sometimes in the baking section of supermarkets.

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Freeze-dried Fruit

Why I use it:

Freeze-dried fruit are full of skin-beneficial nutrients (lots of vitamins, antioxidants, and gentle acids) It also adds color, and scent to recipes.

Because the fruit is completely dried, it can be ground into a powder, and has a long shelf life (as long as you store it properly)

I wrote more about using freeze-dried fruit here: link

What I use it for:

• I powder them, and add them to scrubs, bath bombs and facial/body mask
• I infuse freeze dried fruit into oil, vinegar and glycerine.

What I recommend you get: 
In some supermarkets, you might find freeze-dried fruit either in the produce section, or the snack section next to things like nuts and dried fruit.

Freeze dried fruit is different from “dried fruit” Make sure it says “freeze dried” which is completely bone-dry, and can be ground into a powder.

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