I was out shopping yesterday and stopped into a Bare Minerals Outlet store to buy one of their foundation/brush all-in-one gadgets for someone. They didn’t have it and I was looking in a mirror and realized my skin needed some attention! (Nothing like store-lighting to magnify your skin’s flaws, eh?)
I have been rather busy the past two weeks and was just quickly washing my face. So, this morning I used some local raw honey that was crystallized. It was quite firm. I didn’t wet my face nor my fingers. I grabbed a small chunk and gently, but firmly massaged it all over my face, throat, and decolletage. I had to get several chunks and soften them between my fingers before massaging. Then, I wet my fingertip just a smidgen and rubbed the resulting liquidy honey all over my eyes, gently massaging my eyebrows, eyelids, and eyelashes. Lastly, I used a tiny bit more crystallized honey on my already damp fingertip and massaged my lips. I made a point to rub the remains into and around my fingertips and cuticles, too.
I hopped in the shower and left this on until the very end, except fingers, of course. A couple splashes of tepid water removed it all easily. After my shower, I sprayed rose petal witch hazel on the same areas. Then, I applied my face serum all over the same areas, including really massaging my fingertips and cuticles. (I had cut and buffed my fingernails before the facial.) Wow! Super soft, CLEAN, and very touchable skin!
Rose infused honey – Fill clear glass jar halfway with dried rose petals. Fill to “shoulders” with raw, local honey. Set in sunny window for 2-3 weeks. Strain. Use honey-drenched roses to make a delicious tea! Store the infused honey in a glass jar. Lasts for years. Tasty and great for face washing.
Herbal-infused oil (face serum) – Fill clear glass jar halfway with dried chamomile, calendula, and roses (any mix). Fill to “shoulders” with sweet almond oil. Set in sunny window for 2-3 weeks in summer (3-6 weeks in winter). Strain. Use oil-drenched flowers as a foot scrub or body scrub (outside or over newspaper)! Store infused oil in amber glass bottle. To increase life of oil:
~ Make sure everything is super clean and dry before beginning.
~ Use fresh oil.
~ Add a bit of meadowfoam seed oil or coconut oil or jojoba “oil” (technically a liquid wax) to your final product. These all have very long shelf lives and enhance almond oil’s shelf life.
~ Use one drop of chamomile essential oil in the entire batch after straining. (I make a cup or pint at a time because I use this as the base for many products. I still only use 1 drop of chamomile essential oil.) I use German chamomile flowers (grown by me or purchased organic) and I use Roman chamomile essential oil in order to get the benefits of both. The essential oil prolongs shelf life, as well as perks up the scent and enhances the chamomile benefits.