I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m incredibly proud of my garden. It’s a place of beauty, joy, and peace. But what I’m most proud of is that my garden also serves as nature’s apothecary. The numerous flowers, plants, and herbs I plant there are not only gorgeous, but incredibly useful too! There are so many ways to use them in DIY beauty recipes, from face masks to body scrubs. All you have to do is get creative, and let your inner chemist run free. Here are just some of my favorite ways to do that.
Facial steam with natural flowers
Facial steams are one of the best way to not only cleanse your skin, but also unwind from a stressful day. If you want to make your at home spa session even more luxurious, why not add a few flowers from your garden into the mix. You can use rose petals, chamomile flowers, or even lavender. Put the flowers in a large bowl of boiling water. Cover your head with a towel and lean over the bowl, allowing the steam to envelop your face for 5-10 minutes. The steam will relax your senses, and also leave your skin feeling refreshed and clean.
Rinse your hair with powerful herbs
If you’ve ever dived deep into hair care, you probably know how beneficial hair rinses are. Washing our hair with shampoo and applying conditioner afterwards disrupts the normal pH balance of our scalps. That’s were hair rinses come into place. You apply them as the final step in your hair care routine, nourishing your scalp and lengths. However, you don’t have to pay lots of money to add this step to your hair care routine. In fact, some of the best ones can be made at home using just herbs and water. Boil a handful of fresh herbs like rosemary, sage, or nettle in a pot of water for 15-20 minutes. Strain the mixture and let it cool.
Calm your skin with aloe vera gel
Most people know what a powerhouse aloe vera is. It’s a superstar skincare ingredient that helps treat numerous skin conditions. From sun burns to dry patches, there pretty much isn’t anything that aloe vera can’t help you with. However, most products containing aloe vera are unreasonably expensive. If you want to create a DIY aloe vera gel, harvest a fresh aloe vera leaf from your garden and carefully extract the gel by slicing open the leaf. Apply the gel directly to sunburned or irritated skin for instant relief and hydration. You can also use the gel to make other beauty products, such as face and hair masks, and even toners.
Natural body scrubs for smooth skin
Scrubs are an essential part of getting smooth skin, that’s no secret. However, body scrubs are often very expensive, and they also don’t last for a long time. That’s why we would highly suggest to make your own body scrubs at home. All you need is a citrus fruit, such as lemons or oranges, a nourishing oil, and raw sugar. Mix the citrus fruit with the sugar and oil, to create a paste-like consistency. Gently massage the scrub onto your skin in circular motions, paying attention to dry areas. Rinse off with warm water, and you will be left with smooth and soft skin.
