Grapefruit Skin Benefits

I never thought that grapefruit applied directly can also give you beautiful skin.

Like other citrus fruits, grapefruit is rich in vitamin C, which is necessary for collagen production in the skin and it has lycopene, a known cancer-fighting chemical. It also protects skin from UV damage. Since most visible signs of skin aging are the direct result of sun damage, this is one more layer of defense to add to your skin-care regimen.
Grapefruit also has unique phytochemicals (a.k.a. bioflavanoids) that help promote skin health and general health. Grapefruit also has a phytochemical known as naringin which helps to reduce toxins in the liver, which results in healthier skin.

So, healthy liver = healthy skinJ. I start to drink handmade natural grapefruit juice every day and have a very good pleasant feeling. I would like to drink daily 28 days and after evaluate (believe in!) a positive changing. Today is the third day.

The anti-oxidants in grapefruit will fight free radicals in the skin that can cause lines, wrinkles, discolorations and other blemishes that can make you look older than you are. Grapefruit juice also has restorative properties that can help tone skin, even out skin color, and safely and gently cleanse skin.  People who have oily skin usually find that their problems with oily skin clear up very quickly after they start using a grapefruit cleanser and toner.

We can make own grapefruit cleanser, toner or mask at home very easily and cheaply. Using red grapefruit will give your homemade cosmetic products a pretty pink color.  We can also use grapefruit to keep the skin on the rest of your body, including your feet, soft and smooth. 

The easiest and cheapest grapefruit cleanser is a fresh grapefruit juice. I love to rinse my face only with this juice and let it dry. The remnants of juicers are very tasty and useful to make a mask. Pure grapefruit pap for a mask is quite acid PH=2, that is why I add 2 spoons of dry milk. PH changes and PH=4 is the best for the skin. Also the mix is thicker, so easily to apply as a mask. 

 

A simple grapefruit sugar scrub made from sugar, a little oil, and fresh grapefruit juice will gently exfoliate our body and leave your whole body smelling sweet.  This sugar scrub is great for our feet during the summer because grapefruit juice has natural anti-bacterial properties and it will cleanse our feet as well as soften then and give them a healthy natural tone.

Natural Grapefruit Sugar Body Scrub
This is a great smelling, body scrub that not only makes your skin feel great, it helps detoxify your skin, and makes you feel and smell great all over. Combine:

150g of sugar,
25g jojoba oil,
25g liquid natural soap (I have own handmade Castile soap)
10 drops essential oil of grapefruit,

Sources:
http://www.pittmandavis.com/articles/citrus/grapefruit/eat-grapefruit/grapefruit-benefits/grapefruit-can-give-you-beautiful-skin.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/88638-grapefruit-skin-benefits/

29/07: If you want a natural lifting of your skin just drink one glass of the grapefruit sap daily. After 30 day your face will be 5 years younger and some wrinkles will disappear.
Unfortunately I can't confirm that it is easy to lose some weight. My experience shows that drinking one glass  of the grapefruit sap daily do not support losing weight.

Cream Fresh Summer (with Lamecreme)

It is already second time that I decide to make the cream with Lamecreme. This vegetable emulgator makes the cream stable and creates a good texture. We repeat again what we know about Lamecreme.
INCI: Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Origin: Vegetable, extracted from palm oil, palm kernel oil, sunflower oil, glycerin and citric acid.
Lamecreme is a self-emulsifying emulsifier for W/O and O/W. The pellets melt at 55ºC - 65ºC.
Lamecreme is suitable for all type of skin and gives a soft matte feeling, has a moisture-binding properties. Lamecreme is usually used in night creams and bodymilks.

My cream Fresh Summer is created from two phases.

Phase 1: 8g lamecreme, 20g apricot kernel oil, 5g argan oil, 4g of cocoa butter;
Phase 2: 63g orange blossom water;
Finishing touch: vitamin E (2 capsules), 8 drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract, 8 drops of Sweet Orange EO.

Nettle hydrolat homemade

Herbal distillates (floral water, hydrosol, hydrolate, herbal water and essential water) are aqueous solutions of  essential oils usually obtained by  steam distillation from aromatic plants. These herbal distillates have uses as flavorings, medicine and for the skin care.  Usually a PH=5-6 and it makes them suitable for use as facial toners.

A hydrolat is produced by the distillation process, so that in effect we have two distinct products from distillation of plants, i.e. essential oil and distillate, (hydrolat). In this process steam is passed through plant. The heat of the steam bursts open the membrane of the oil receptacles in the plant and the volatile plant oil molecules are released into the steam. The steam rises and takes with it hydrophobic, and hydrophilic molecules. When this mixture of water and various other molecules of the plant components separate back into liquid by means of being condensed, it produces two types of natural chemical cocktails. These separate into hydrophilic molecules suspended in water, (philia – a tendency towards or liking) making hydrolats, and hydrophobic molecules (phobia – aversion to), making essential oils.

Nettle hydrolat is suitable for oily and combination skin – moisturizing, regeneration and toning up, particularly for taking care of head skin and hair. Nettle hydrolat balances fat level, strengthens hair and facilitates blood circulation enhancing hair growth. Nettle hydrolats can be added to homemade cosmetics (creams, masks, gels) as well as applied pure on hair and face as everyday tonic, compresses and refreshment. Contents (INCI): Nettle Hydrolat (Urtica dioica (Nettle) Distillate), Potassium Sorbate. So how to make the nettle hydrolat?

Clean and cut nettles and put it in a fit device for distillation. Wait approximately 30-40 min and collect your homemade fresh Nettle Hydrolat. 

Because distillates are produced at high temperatures and are somewhat acidic, they tend to inhibit bacterial growth. They are not however sterile. They are a fresh product, like milk, and should be kept refrigerated:

 

ops ...it seems in my refrigerator more cosmetic products than food :)

Cleansing Milk with Cream

Cleansing milk is oil in water type of emulsion designed to remove facial make up and clean facial skin. The thing that makes it different from a soap, cream or lotion is that milk is a natural emulsion of fats and water.
Today I made and  already succesfully tested the cleansing milk with cream. Very easy mixture:

- 60 ml rose water,
- 1 tablespoon apricot kernel oil,
- 3 tablespoons cream.

Mix the oil and cream in a bowl with a mixer.Stir the rose water and pour into a bottle. Store in the refrigerator and use within a week. My can be used every day. It is especially gentle on sensitive or dry skin. Cleansing your skin with milk is one of the most luxurious treats you can give to yourself. I find that once you experience how soft, smooth and clean your skin feels, you may never want to wash your face with anything else.

 

Apple Cider Vinegar: homemade proces

How To Make Apple Cider Vinegar?  - we can find a lot of recipies online:
http://thehealthyeatingsite.com/apple-cider-vinegar-recipe/
http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/how_to_make_apple_cider_vinegar.html
http://www.cookforgood.com/recipe/homemade-organic-apple-cider-vinegar.html

Why do we need Apple Cider Vinegar? -  Apple Cider Vinegar uses are nearly endless. It is the best natural product for our skin and our hair:
- Apple Vider Vinegar can be used as a rinse for your hair after shampooing, and will aid in increased body and shine;
- Natural Apple Cider Vinegar regulates the PH of the skin, can also be left on the skin overnight to fade age spots or acne scars.

That is why today I start the proces to make ACV:
1. 2 kg of grated apples with warm water and honey are ready for fermentation proces;
2. During 10 -14 days twice per day I have to stir this mix;
3. Next step will be done on 8-10/06 - filtration. See you soon!

4. Every few days the mixture was stirred and I enjoyed the bubbles and specifiec acid smell.

5. Full fermentation will take about 3 to 4 weeks and now is the time to filter the liquid (today is 11/06).



6. Pour mixture through a clean strainer into very clean jar.

7. Store in a cool, dark place for about six weeks.

 

29/07:  the final product is here, PH=3, good taste: