We cook what we eat.  So, why not try whipping up the products that get absorbed by your skin?

So many hair and body care products are not only overpriced but also loaded with chemicals. You’ll feel better knowing what’s in the stuff that goes on your skin—and we guarantee your skin will look and feel better, too.

“Almond meal … acts as a pleasing alternative to soap at any time. It softens, cleanses, and whitens the skin.”
–The 1916 Old Farmer’s Almanac

HOMEMADE DEODORANT

One of the best deodorants is plain old baking soda. You can pat it right onto your skin or mix it with a little cornstarch for extra staying power and moisture control.

• Take equal parts baking soda and cornstarch. It helps to add a few drops of coconut oil to make a paste.
• Some readers say that mixing in a few drops of anti-bacterial tea tree oil makes it even more effective.

HOMEMADE TOOTHPASTE

Washing your hands with toothpaste and water will eliminate fish odor.

Even today, baking soda remains in the lead ingredient for oxidizing stains and removing plaque without removing tooth enamel. A combination of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide lifts particles caught between teeth and kills bacteria.

Do not add anything to the baking soda to make it more abrasive. You may want to add an artificial sweetener for taste (which is essentially all some of those “natural” toothpastes do), but do not add real sugar which would promote tooth decay.

1.  “Bare-Bones” Toothpaste: Mix 1 teaspoon baking soda with ½ teaspoon hydrogen peroxide; make a paste; scoop up with your toothbrush and proceed as you normally would.
2. “Minty” Toothpaste: Mix together 6 teaspoons of baking soda, ⅓ teaspoon salt, 4 teaspoons glycerin, and 15 drops of peppermint or wintergreen extract. Depending on how much you use at a time, this recipe is good for 15 to 20 applications and should be stored in any appropriately sized container with a snug lid.
3. “Modern” Toothpaste: Mix baking soda with equal amount of coconut oil, creating a paste. Add an essential oil in mint or herb if desired (5 drops per tablespoon of paste). Add sea salt for taste (a dash for every two tablespoons paste).

Note: Check with your dentist before usage. The American Dental Association only accepts toothpastes containing fluoride and recommends fluoridation of community water supplies. This is a debated subject; we refer you to your respective health care provider for their professional recommendation.

Throughout history, people have relied on techniques and special formulas to enhance their attractiveness. Some were based on ingredients that were found in the home or in the barnyard (think boiled calves’ feet as an ingredient in facial cream).

Some extreme makeovers include:

• Women in ancient Rome rubbed the ashes of ground snails on their skin to get rid of dark spots, mixed soot with water and applied it to their eyebrows to darken them, and “shaved” off body hair by rubbing their skin with a pumice stone.
• Women of the 17th century cut small star or Moon shapes from velvet or silk fabric and pasted them on their faces to cover facial scars, which were often the result of smallpox.
• Women in the 18th and 19th centuries pasted strips of mouse fur on top of their eyebrows to enhance their allure, covered blemishes with mercury, dabbed white lead on their faces to attain a pale complexion, and ate small amounts of arsenic to brighten their skin and eyes.

Here’s an assortment of safe beauty treatments that you can make easily from items available in natural food stores or that perhaps you already have in your pantry.

HAIR CARE TREATMENTS

Aromatic Conditioner

• 6 drops lavender essential oil
• 6 drops bay essential oil
• 6 drops sandalwood essential oil
• 6 ounces warm sesame oil

Mix the oils together in a bowl until blended. Part your hair in sections, put a few drops of the blended oil on your fingertips, and massage into your scalp. Cover your head with a towel for 15 minutes, then shampoo. You may need to shampoo twice.

Herbal Conditioner

• 1 teaspoon burdock root
• 1 teaspoon calendula flowers
• 1 teaspoon chamomile flowers
• 1 teaspoon lavender flowers
• 1 teaspoon rosemary flowers
• 1 Tablespoon vinegar

Pour 1 pint boiling water over the herbs in a bowl and let them steep for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid into a second bowl and add the vinegar. Shampoo, rinse, then pour the conditioner on your hair. Comb the conditioner through evenly. Do not rinse.

These ingredients shouldn’t be too hard to find, so for more of a challenge, try these old-fashioned hair care treatments.

FACIALS AND WRINKLE RELAXERS

Regular cleansing removes surface dirt and oils, but facial masks clean out the toxins that are found deep in pores.

Fruit Facial

This nutrient-rich cleansing facial mask contains many of the same age-defying ingredients—such as alpha hydroxy acid (in grapes), vitamin B (in cranberries), and vitamin C (in grapefruit)—that are found in store-bought products. Gelatin, which is often used in commercial facial peels, dries and stiffens. When it is peeled off, it helps to remove dead skin and unclog pores.

• 1 cup crushed seedless red grapes
• 1 cup crushed fresh cranberries
• 2 teaspoons grapefruit juice
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl until they form a paste. Cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes to let the mixture thicken. Remove from the refrigerator and let warm to room temperature. Spread the mixture on washed, dry skin. Avoid the area around the eyes. Sit or lie down for 15 minutes, then rinse off with warm water.

Chickpea Facial

Use Kasturi turmeric because regular turmeric can temporarily stain the skin.

• ¼ cup chickpea flour
• ¼ cup Kasturi turmeric powder
• yogurt, as needed

In a small bowl, mix the chickpea flour and turmeric. Store the mixture in an airtight bottle. When ready to use, place a teaspoon of the mixture in a small bowl and add enough yogurt to make a paste. Apply the paste evenly to the face and leave on until it dries, about 10 to 15 minutes. Wash off with warm water.

Wrinkle Relaxer

• 6 to 8 green seedless grapes

Wash the grapes, then cut them in half. Gently massage each half onto the face and neck. Let dry for 20 minutes, then rinse off and pat dry. Repeat every day, or as needed.

SCRUBS AND TONERS

Walnut Scrub

Get rid of rough patches on your hands, feet, and elbows! The oil in the walnuts provides gentle exfoliation and the olive oil adds extra moisture. The honey helps to seal the moisture into the skin.

• ¼ cup shelled walnuts
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon honey

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is reduced to fine particles. Gently rub on hands, feet, or elbows for several minutes. Rinse with warm water.

Coffee Scrub

Coffee grounds work to help diminish cellulite and varicose veins, in addition to improving circulation and smoothing the skin’s texture.

• 2 cups used coffee grounds
• ½ cup sugar or sea salt
• ⅔ Tablespoon unscented massage oil

Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Massage gently on the skin, then rinse with warm water.

Citrus Splash Toner

For oily skin.

• 1 cup water
• ⅔ cup witch hazel
• ½ cup lemon juice

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and apply to the face, using a cotton ball. Store the remaining mixture in a jar. Shake before using again.

Herbal Splash Toner

For normal or dry skin.

• 1 cup boiling water
• ½ cup parsley

Chop the parsley and place in a small bowl. Pour the water over the parsley and let it cool. Strain the liquid into a jar. Apply to the face, using a cotton ball.