Herbal Skin Care Recipes to Try at Home

Recipes to Try:

Dry Skin Facial Mask
1 tablespoon colloidal oatmeal
1 tablespoon rose water (hydrosol)
1 teaspoon sweet almond oil
1 teaspoon honey
2 drops rose essential oil

Mix ingredients and apply to face. Leave on for 5-10 minutes. Rinse.

Facial Scrub for Oily Skin
1 tablespoon colloidal oatmeal
1 tablespoon bentonite clay
1 tablespoon rose petal powder
1/2 teaspoons powdered comfrey
1/4 teaspoon powdered peppermint
1/4 teaspoon powdered lemongrass

Mix ingredients with1 teaspoon water and massage into skin. Leave on for 5-10 minutes. Rinse.

Acne Toner
2 cups water
1 tablespoon yarrow
1 tablespoon calendula
2 drops rosemary essential oil
2 drops peppermint essential oil
2 drops frankincense essential oil

Bring water to a boil. Add herbs and allow to steep 30 minutes. Strain herbs and add essential oils. Apply to face with a cotton ball. Refrigerate. Discard after 1 week.

Firming Mask
1 egg white1 teaspoon cornstarch

Mix ingredients and apply to face. Lie down for 20 minutes (this step should not be skipped as it’s part of the process). Rinse.

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Herbal Skin Care Part Two

Herbal Ingredients for Skin Care
This alphabetical list contains herbs, essential oils, and botanicals known for their beneficial properties in skin care and treatment of common skin problems. These are natural ingredients you should seek out in your skin care products. Everyone’s skin is different. If something causes irritation, it should be discontinued.

Aloe is a natural, antibacterial, antibiotic hydrant often used to heal cuts and burns, also known for its soothing properties for acne sufferers. Aloe can be applied directly to the skin.

Apple Cider Vinegar is one of the top acne herbal remedies, as wells as soothing got dry skin. It may be used internally and/or externally. Try to use unfiltered vinegar and apply a solution of 50% vinegar and 50% water to the face several times per day.

Basil possesses antibacterial properties and helps the active ingredients of other herbs more readily penetrate the skin.

Birch leaves are said to be disinfectant and aid in the reduction of anti-cellulite.

Burdock is an anti-inflammatory containing numerous antioxidants that protect the liver from toxic chemicals. Its liver support and digestion aid lends itself well to the treatment of acne. It helps remove toxins and cleans tissues.

Calendula is great for healing and tissue regenerating. It is antibacterial and stimulates the production of collagen while minimizing scarring.

Chamomile is used in skin care for its cleansing and soothing benefits, especially for sensitive and irritated skin. It is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral.

Comfrey is a skin rejuvenator having healing, soothing and moisture retaining properties. It is good for damaged skin and diminishes wrinkles as it enables skin tissue to regain elasticity. It promotes skin cell regeneration and new cell growth.

Cornflower is used for soothing inflamed and irritated skin. It is a gentle astringent with antibacterial and antioxidant properties. It is often included in eye washes and products.

Frankinsence benefits acne and oily skin and helps to clear up blemishes.

Lady’s Mantle soothes and cleanses dry or sensitive skin. It is often included in anti-wrinkle products.

Lavender is useful for normal and dry skin, although it is used for all types of skin. It is gentle and soothing.

Lemon balm is effective in cleansing mildly oily skin, helping to close pores. It is an astringent with a soothing effect for sensitive skin.

Neem has antibacterial, astringent and antiviral properties. It effectively treats skin conditions ranging from acne to eczema. It also soothes itchy skin.

Patchouli is used for inflamed and itching skin. It promotes cell rejuvenation and helps to tighten loose skin.

Peppermint stimulates and revitalizes. It restores elasticity to the skin, tones tissue, clarifies the skin. It is good for oily complexions.

Rose soothes dry, sensitive, and mature skin, although beneficial to all skin types, and helps to cleanse, tone, and moisturize.

Rosemary stimulates blood circulation and restores elasticity to the skin. Its antibacterial properties aid in the control and prevention of blemishes in oily skin.

Sage is great for oily skin and for mature, untoned complexions. It cleanses, stimulates blood circulation, closes pores and restores elasticity. It also slows oil production of the skin.

Tea Tree is antibacterial, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and antiviral. It is great for acne sufferers. Although safe for direct skin contact, dilution is recommended to avoid drying out the skin.

Yarrow is used for its astringent and soothing effects on the skin. It helps to tone skin, reduce pores and diminish signs of wrinkles.

Recipes for homemade skin care products coming soon!

Herbal Skin Care Part One

Natural, herbal products can greatly improve the appearance of your skin. Essential oils, botanicals, herbs, and extracts used in herbal products all contribute to the health of your skin.

Facial Beauty Routine
The skin is responsible for protecting the body and for ridding it of unwanted toxins through sweat. Along with a healthy skin care regimen, it is essential that you eat a healthy, well balanced diet. A set beauty routine is necessary for everyone, regardless of your skin type. The daily process is the same for everyone. You must cleanse, tone, and moisturize your skin daily. On a weekly basis, you may also want to use a mask, steam, or gentle scrub, but nothing compares to daily care of your body’s largest organ. Each skin type below gives a brief description of skin type and general recommendations.

Normal Skin
Surprisingly, normal skin is relatively uncommon. Most people have a combination of oily and dry skin, with many people falling into just one category or the other. So while there is less need for herbal “remedies” for normal skin, it is still a good idea to look for some gentle herbs in products that can prevent possible problems or aid in healthy skin growth.

Oily Skin
Oily skin is characterized by its shiny surface and large pores, causing it to be susceptible to acne. While some oil is necessary for the skin, slowing this overproduction of oil is often desirable. A witch hazel toner is recommended for oily skin. Avoid scrubbing your skin, which promotes oil production. Your skin still needs hydrating and a good moisturizer is recommended. Oily skin can also benefit from masks containing clays and muds. Masks draw out oil and toxins, helping to prevent acne breakouts often associated with oily skin.

Dry Skin
Dry skin is dehydrated due to the underactive oil glands, which can be caused by hormones, heredity and age. It is best to seek out herbs that promote oil production and improve circulation, helping the skin retain moisture. Use apple cider vinegar or hydrosols as toners. Both rose and orange blossom hydrosols work well.

Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin is easily susceptible to problems, such as allergies, rashes, sunburn, and hypersensitivities to a variety of ingredients in products. Since sensitivities vary greatly, it is difficult to find herbs that are good for everyone in this category. The rule of thumb is to use herbs that are soothing and gentle or that ease the discomfort of rashes and irritations of the skin.

Acne
Over 20% of adults suffer from a form of acne, a skin condition of clogged hair follicles characterized by inflammation – in other words, pimples. While much of acne is related to hormones and other internal components, there are some natural products that can aid in the relief of this uncomfortable and embarrassing ailment. For best results, these ingredients should be used in conjunction with dietary and lifestyle changes in which the body’s system is purged of toxins.

Signs of Aging
Mature skin is often dryer and shows various signs of aging. To prevent or diminish the signs of aging, including wrinkles, you’ll want herbs and ingredients known for their rejuvenating properties. Herbs that aid in skin elasticity and toning the skin are also very desirable. Ingredients with antioxidants are very beneficial for maturing skin.

Part Two will cover herbs and essential oils that you want in your skin care products. Don't forget to subscribe to this blog.

Goals for a Blog

I thought I would let you know my goals for this blog. Yes, I do actually have some goals, which do not include ramblings on about my personal life and political opinions. Most people visiting a blog about handmade bath and body products want to learn more about related topics. So what do I plan on including?

• Events - I will feature events I attend on this blog. I primarily attend Scottish Highland Games, and Celtic and Irish festivals, along with some crafts shows. I'll include pictures and highlights from the events to share with you.
• Ingredient Profiles- If you are putting something on your skin, you should know what it is. I'll feature an ingredient on a regular basis so you can learn more about what goes into our products. From shea butter to lavender and everything in between, you'll get a wealth of information about what goes into each of our products and how it benefits you.
• Tutorials and Tips - You'll find regular tutorials on this blog, both from me and guest bloggers. I'll teach you how to get the most out of our products, creative ways to reuse our packaging, and how you can create some of your own products.
• Contests - We all love contests, and I will certainly have them here. Some contests will be my own, and some will be hosted by guest bloggers.
• Recipes - I love a good recipe. I will share recipes for bath and body products with you to use at home, from facial toners to home remedies. I'll also provide ideas for gift giving.
• Sales - Exclusive sales will be posted here just for our blog readers.
• News - I'll include general news for The Bonnie Bath Co. right here. See photos of our products being made and read about new products and upcoming trends.

Please add us to your blog readers or join as a follower to keep up to date or learn new things.

Why Choose Natural Soaps and Bath Products?

Why should you choose natural, handmade soaps and bath and body products from an artisan rather than purchasing bath products from the grocery or department store? Here are a few reasons:

• Higher quality and fresher ingredients
• Few, if any, synthetic ingredients
• Support of small businesses
• Purchase ingredients directly from small farmers or grow themselves
• Support green products
• Better customer service
• Custom formulations

Obviously, you ultimately need to make your choices based on what is most important to you, but the list above gives you an idea of just a few reasons why you should consider buying products from small companies that make natural, handmade soaps and such.

Upcoming Event - Stone Mountain Highland Games

We have a show coming up - the Stone Mountain Highland Games on October 17-18th. If you live around the Atlanta, GA area or are planning to visit this amazing event, be sure to stop by our booth where we will have our soaps, bath and body products, and home aromatherapy on sale. We will be offering a special at the games for anyone that mentions this blog, so check back soon for a special coupon. We'll be posting it along with our reminder closer to the event.