Homemade Face Mask

Last night, my boyfriend’s 12 year old daughter, Jaylen, and I decided we were going to make a tutorial video of the face mask we were making.

The video (our first tutorial video) was quite hilarious. We had so much fun and I decided to keep in a lot of the funny parts. Because, well… who wouldn’t want to watch a hilarious tutorial video!?

Both informative AND funny.

The mask is a homemade face mask using the following ingredients from your kitchen:

(coconut oil, 1/2 cucumber, 1 egg, 1 ripe banana, and 2 lemon slices)

Here is the fun tutorial we made:

If you choose not to watch the video (which you should) then here is how to make the mask:

• Take the ripe banana and peel and chop it up and put it in a food processor or blender.
• Peel and chop the cucumber and add it to the food processor.
• Mix these two ingredients until smooth.
• Now, add crack the egg into the mixture, add a couple spoonfuls of coconut oil and squeeze in your two lemon slices.
• Mix until smooth.
• Put mixture onto face and allow it to sit for 20 minutes then rinse with warm water.

(Jaylen and I waiting our 20 minutes so we could rinse.)

Hope you all have as much fun as we did making this face mask!

The Multiple Uses of Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil is the edible oil extracted from the “meat” of the coconut. It has been used for generations upon generations in food, beauty, and health.

Today I’m going to list you 50 uses for virgin coconut oil even though there are SO many more!

1. Moisturizer for your face, body, and neck.
2. Helps with diaper rash (with no chemicals).
3. As an eye cream. Placing under your eyes will reduce puffiness, wrinkles, bags, and dark circles.
4. As a pre-shave. It will help prep your skin for shaving.
5. As an aftershave. Helps heal the skin without clogging your pores.
6. Makeup remover– even for mascara!
7. Deodorant– alone or with baking soda.
8. Chapstick. Has an SPF of 4. (I’ve been using this as chapstick for a while and my lips stay so soft!)
9. Mix with sugar (or salt) for a natural body scrub. You can even add in some yummy smelling essential oils!
10. As a body cream for stretch marks to reduce their appearance.
11. Nipple Cream. For nursing mothers, this will help with the dry, cracked nipples between feedings.
12. As a sexual lubricant. All natural, but can damage latex condoms so do NOT use with latex.
13. As a daily conditioner. Uses on the bottom half of your hair and rinse like normal.
14. For a deep conditioner. Apply all over and leave on for 20 minutes, or even place a shower cap over it and leave it overnight for an even deeper conditioning.
15. Insect repellent. Mix with a little peppermint oil (or catnip or rosemary) and apply on skin.
16. For cat and dog health. At a teaspoon to their water bowl daily. (I’d check with a vet before doing so)
17. Goo Gone. Mix with baking soda to create a paste and allow to sit on sticky area then remove.
18. Gets gum out of hair! Put all over the stuck gum, leave in for 30 minutes, then roll gum between fingers. Should come out without having to cut!
19. Polishes bronze.
20. Toothpaste. (I’ve showed you how to make the toothpaste with coconut oil HERE.)
21. As oil in cooking. Has a 350 degree smoke point. Great for baking, stir-fry, etc.
22. As a coffee creamer.
23. Taken as a supplement for daily energy.
24. To lighten age spots. Just apply directly to the spots.
25. To prevent stretch marks during pregnancy.
26. Supports healthy thyroid functioning.
27. In homemade lotion recipes.
28. Topically to kill yeast or yeast infections.
29. As a massage oil.
30. Dab a little into your hands then into your hair to cure frizzy hairs.
31. Intensive nighttime facial moisturizer.
32. On feet to fight athlete’s foot or toe fungus.
33. Helps sooth eczema and psoriasis.
34. If ingested, could help prevent or reverse Alzheimers.
35. With apple cider vinegar for a natural lice treatment.
36. Rub a little inside your nose to help with allergies.
37. Can help improve insulin levels.
38. Blend a tablespoon into some hot tea for a speedy cold/flu recovery.
39. As replacement for vegetable oil in ANY recipe.
40. Helps reduce appearance of varicose veins.
41. Helps speed up the healing of a sunburn.
42. If applied daily, can help reduce cellulite.
43. Reduces the itchiness of bug bites, chicken pox, and poison ivy.
44. Can help reduce the appearance of acne if used regularly.
45. Rubbed into scalp to help hair grow faster.
46. Helps relieve pain of hemorrhoids if taken topically.
47. On cuticles to help nails grow.
48. Clears up cold sores.
49. In children’s ears to help with a speedy ear-infection recovery.
50. As an anti-aging moisturizer.

You can find coconut oil in almost any grocery store!

GO BUY SOME TODAY AND ENJOY ALL THE BENEFITS COCONUT OIL HAS TO OFFER! 

How-To Make Your Own Toothpaste!

A few weeks ago, I decided I wanted to eliminate some chemicals from my life that weren’t necessary. I researched “chemical-free alternatives to everyday essentials.”

The first thing I could think of that I used daily was my toothpaste.

So, how can you make your own toothpaste cheaply using household items?

• Rummage through your kitchen and grab the ingredients for this easy-to-do recipe.

You’ll need: baking soda, coconut oil, salt (optional), a small jar, and some essential peppermint oil, and a bowl for mixing.

• Step One:  Place about 4-5 big spoonfuls of the baking soda into a bowl. 

• Step Two: Set aside this bowl of baking soda and grab a microwave-safe cup (this part is optional, but makes mixing a LOT easier) and put about 3 big spoonfuls of your coconut oil into it. 

• Step Three: For easier mixing, place the cup of coconut oil into the microwave for 20 seconds, or until almost fully melted.
  

• Step Four: Take out your melted coconut oil and add it to the bowl of baking soda.

• Step Five: Mix these two ingredients thoroughly and then add about a 1/2 teaspoon or so of peppermint oil (for taste).
  

• Step Six: (Optional) Add a couple shakes of salt for a more abrasive paste.
  

• Step Seven: Pour liquid into a small jar. (I bought a pack of 4 from Walmart, but baby food jars work perfectly!)

• Step Eight: Label the jar so friends and family won’t mistake it for something else– although this smells exactly like toothpaste, so hopefully they won’t get confused!
  

There you have it. A cheap, chemical-free, alternative to toothpaste.

A couple tricks:

1. I should warn you, it does NOT taste good. I’ve been using this toothpaste for 3 weeks now and my trick is to avoid brushing my tongue (or getting it on my tongue) until the very end of brushing.
2. It seems very liquid-like when you pour the mixture into the jar, don’t worry– this will harden up quite a bit.
3. Something you should know about coconut oil– when it is above room temperature, it melts. So, when you’re ready to brush your teeth, soak your toothbrush in hot/warm water THEN dip it into the jar to help the toothpaste come out of the jar easier.

This toothpaste works great!

Not only does it clean your teeth, but I’ve noticed my teeth getting much whiter too!