Natural Beauty From Your Pantry

Why not raid your pantry and see what you can concoct at home? Here’s a few of the best natural beauty products - right from your pantry:

• Avocados
• Oats
• Raw Honey
• Coconut Oil
• Raw Sugar
• Chamomile Tea

Why It’s Good To Be Natural With Your Skin

Eliminating as many synthetic, harmful chemicals forms a major aspect of taking care of our health. It’s easy to forget that our skin is a living organ, exposed to everything around it. Letting skin breathe and do what it does best is important for our overall health. Utilising natural compounds where possible is valuable to support the skin.

Perfumes, preservatives, washing powders and environmental chemicals all come into contact with our skin. These chemicals can be absorbed into our skin and enter the circulatory system. These compounds can often cause issues with hormones, mood, energy levels and even our microbiome. Like the liver and lungs, our skin forms part of the body’s innate detoxification systems. Importantly, we sweat to expel toxicants, so it makes sense for our skin to be as natural as possible. 

In natural medicine, the skin is considered a reflection of the internal body. Often, skin health gives clues to the gut and digestive system. Flare ups, irritation, acne or dryness can all be signs of hormone imbalances, food allergies or even nutrient deficiencies. When it comes to addressing the skin, a holistic approach is always best. 

Best Natural Beauty Items From You Pantry

Avocados

Avocados are one of the better known foods that are linked to skin health. High in healthy fats and plant polyphenols, avocados are hard to beat if you want glowing, radiant skin. Of course, eating avocados achieves wonderful skin results as well as supports other body processes. The creamy texture works well in smoothies for a nutrient boost or in a vibrant green goddess salad dressing. Avocados are known to boost progesterone levels and support fertility. These fruits are high in alpha-linolenic acid omega 3 and omega 6 essential fats. The fat content combined with high vitamin E gives avocados superpowers for glowing skin. These nutrients together help support the function of our skin barrier. Essential fats form part of the skin cell wall structure, which allow other important nutrients to move into and out of cells. 

Topically, avocados soothe irritated and inflamed skin. They’re high in carotenoids, including beta-carotene, lycopene and lutein. These compounds are typically branded in beauty products as anti-aging, due to their antioxidant effect on skin. 

Raw Honey

Raw honey is a powerhouse pantry item that doubles down as a skin-loving food. To get the most health benefits out of honey, it must be raw, untreated and ideally organic. Each jar of honey has a unique profile of healthy compounds. Raw honey is famous for its antimicrobial properties. This everlasting elixir is commonly used to treat burns, support wound healing, reduce acne and calm skin. 

Raw honey is high in zinc, calcium, magnesium and vitamin C. Some of the polyphenols in honey include carotenoids, phenolic acid and tocopherols. Yet, there’s a secret to why raw honey is so powerful when it comes to promoting clear skin. Raw honey contains naturally occurring hydrogen peroxide. This accounts for the antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. 

Our body naturally produces tiny amounts of hydrogen peroxide to extinguish free radical oxidants. These compounds are found in pollutants and chemicals, and are responsible for skin damage. Raw honey, with natural minerals, vitamins and hydrogen peroxide helps protect skin cells from damage while simultaneously promoting wound healing. For skin wounds, raw honey can be applied directly to clean and dry skin secured with a bandage. It’s also great for eczema and dermatitis. Manuka honey is considered a medical-grade honey, useful in burns and scars. I could talk about the benefits of raw honey all day. Luckily, I’ve done that already over here. 

Avocado & Honey Face Mask

• ½ ripe avocado
• 1 tsp. Raw honey
• 2 tbsp. Warm filtered water

Apply the luxurious mask to the face and sit for 20 mins. Rinse well and leave skin to dry naturally.

Oats

The unassuming and versatile oat is an oldie but a goodie for healthy skin. Among pantry staples, oats would feature at the top of the list for many households. The health benefits of consuming oats are plentiful. Yet, oats are wonderful for the skin as well. Oats and oatmeal products are included in natural body scrubs and exfoliants. When combined with water, honey or sugar, oats become slightly granular, without being too harsh for sensitive skin. Saponin, which is found in oats, is a compound that has mild cleansing properties. This and other polyphenols in oats have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. When turned into a facial scrub, oats have a combined effect of cleansing, moisturising and buffing the skin. Gently removing dead and dull skin from the surface can promote blood flow and reveal new fresh skin underneath. Exfoliating can also help cleanse more deeply and remove makeup residue. 

Oat & Lavender Face & Body Scrub

• ⅓ cup rolled oats
• ½ cup warm water
• 1 tbsp. Honey
• 2 drops lavender essential oil

Combine everything in a small bowl and gently mix. Apply to your face or body and massage gently. Let it sit for 5 mins and rinse thoroughly with warm water.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is a natural and mild antifungal agent, with soothing fatty acids for optimal skin health. It can be used topically on inflamed skin. It’s particularly useful for eczema or inflammation with kids and babies. Coconut oil is a fantastic carrier oil for body massages and pairs well with aromatherapy oils, such as lavender and tea tree oil. Also, coconut oil can be used as a deeply moisturising hair mask. This natural oil is wonderful for split ends or for hair that gets a lot of heat damage.

Raw Sugar

Raw sugar is something that's usually well stocked in most pantries. Many of us have cut back on sugar over the last few years. Excess sugar consumption can be bad for your health. However, raw sugar is still a good sugar option. Raw sugar is relatively unprocessed and can contain some important minerals. Usually, the darker the sugar, the more molasses it contains and therefore more nutrients. 

Skin can be renewed using a basic mix of raw sugar and a touch of water or honey. This mix becomes a lovely face scrub, rejuvenating skin to feel bright again. Sugar absorbs moisture and fragrances from the surrounding environment. Using raw sugar as a body or face scrub is a great way to boost hydration. A coarse sugar like raw sugar makes for the best exfoliant. It starts out firm and slowly dissolves the more it’s massaged into the skin. A raw sugar scrub is excellent for the heels, elbows or any other dry patches of skin.

Sugar & Coconut Oil Foot Scrub

• 1 cup of raw sugar
• ½ cup coconut oil
• 2 drops tea tree oil

Mix all ingredients together until a thick paste forms. Adjust oil levels if needed. Adding tea tree oil makes this scrub a gentle and natural antifungal exfoliant for the feet.

Chamomile Tea Bags

The benefits of chamomile tea are well known in the scientific community. Chamomile is synonymous with relaxation and calm - for both body and mind. Chamomile can topically relieve many skin issues. Some of these include rashes, acne, oedema, eczema and dermatitis. This herbal flower is also excellent as a remedy for babies and children, as a natural alternative to steroid creams. 

Chamomile is an effective home remedy to reduce eye swelling and inflammation. If you suffer from puffiness around the eye area, try this simple trick with chamomile tea bags. 

Chamomile Eye Rescue

• 2-4 chamomile tea bags
• 4 cups freshly boiled water

Method

1. Brew the chamomile tea in water and allow it to cool completely to room temperature. 
2. Remove the tea bags and place in a saucer in the fridge for optimum soothing benefits. 
3. Place the cooled chamomile tea bags over the eye socket and rest quietly for 10 mins or longer.
4. Repeat if necessary an hour later. The delicate skin around the eyes should be soothed, refreshed and def-puffed. 
5. You can also drink the iced chamomile tea as a relaxing herbal tisane.