Good Enough to Eat: Our Top 3 Delicious DIY Skin & Hair Care Recipes
May 28, 2020
By The Grace & Green Team
Written by Lucy Noon, edited by Jenna Thompson
With most of us working from home, the concept of a beauty routine has somewhat gone out of the window. After all, there isn’t much point in perfecting your lipstick if the only admirer is your cat. However, self-care in any form is so vitally important, regardless of who can see it—it’s called ‘me time’ for a reason!
Upping your at-home beauty routine doesn’t have to mean buying hundreds of products online. In fact, we have put together three sustainable, zero plastic, zero packaging pamper options that we bet you already own. Oh yeah, and you’ll find them in your kitchen. Each treatment only uses just two ingredients, so get ready for these humble kitchen staples to become your new DIY beauty kit.
Nothing but good skin in the land of oats and honey
Porridge oats have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which makes them an amazing substitute facemask. Combining oats with honey, which is antibacterial and antiseptic, gives you a soothing, moisturising facial treatment that helps calm stressed and spot-prone skin. It’s a pretty simple recipe—if somewhat messy!
Method:
- Soak a quarter of a cup (~20g) of oats in water overnight (ground oats work better than whole)
- Drain the excess water and add 1 tbsp of honey
- Apply over the face and leave for 10 minutes
- Wash off and apply moisturiser
Smooth and silky hair mask
The cosmetic use of coconut oil has been fundamental across numereous cultures, with a history spanning hundreds of years—and for good reason. Coconut oil contains linoleic and oleic acids, which stimulates the growth and strength of hair and eradicates dandruff. It also contains polyphenols, which studies have found to boost circulation to the skin, thus stimulating hair growth.
There are so many different uses for coconut oil, but our go-to is a hair mask.
Method:
- Melt 4 tbsps of coconut oil
- Add a couple of drops of rose oil (or essential oil of your choosing)
- Using your hands and a comb, massage the oil through your hair
- Leave on the hair for a few hours/overnight
- Wash thoroughly—it can take a while to remove all the oil
Rise and shine coffee scrub
Making a fresh coffee in the morning has become a ritual for many of us, and using the leftover coffee grounds as a scrub means it can be extended to your beauty routine. Coffee is a great exfoliator, as well as acting to reduce puffy black circles under the eyes thanks to its caffeine content. It also contains antioxidants, which have been found to have anti-aging properties that calm the skin. Combined with olive oil, which is antibacterial and contains vitamin K, E, D and A, this morning face scrub will have your skin glowing.
Method:
- Combine equal parts coffee grounds and olive oil
- Gently massage over the face in small circular motions (too vigorous exfoliation can be damaging)
- Rinse and apply moisturiser
