Homemade Beauty Recipes

Natural skin care doesn't have to cost a fortune. 4Beauty and Neal's Yard (opens in a new window) have teamed up to give you six beauty recipes that are easy on the pocket and the environment.

Homemade Exfoliator

You'll need: sea salt, almond oil and grapefruit peel
Sea salt has deep cleansing and therapeutic properties, which are good for aches and pains. Almond oil is rich in essential fatty acids and antioxidant vitamin E, softens and nourishes skin. Grapefruit peel has an uplifting fragrance and is known to stimulate the lymphatic system, helping move areas of sluggish circulation.

Directions: Grate the peel off a grapefruit and mix with the oil and salt. Run bath and soak for a few minutes. Pat yourself dry and rub scrub onto your dry skin, concentrating on problem areas, such as your elbows and back of your upper arms, then wash off in bath. Stay in bath to reap the benefits of the therapeutic properties of the dead sea salt minerals.

Homemade Face Mask

You'll need: avocado and honey
Avocado is perfect for dry or mature skin and avocado oil is rich in essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Honey is incredibly nourishing and anti-inflammatory so helps with senstive skins.

Directions: Mash one avocado with a tablespoon of honey and smear evenly over the face. Leave for 15 minutes and rinse off with warm water.

Homemade Hand Mask 

You'll need: a handful of brown or white sugar and olive oil and honey
Sugar is a great gentle exfoliator and will buff hands and smooth skin. Olive oil is rich in essential fatty acids, is highly moisturising and has natural cleansing properties. Honey is nourishing and anti-bacterial.

Directions: Combine the ingredients and spead over hands. Wring hands together to exfoliate, paying attention to the back for the hands, wrists and lower arms. Gently rub the mixture around the cuticle area. Wash off.

Homemade Make-Up Remover

You'll need: a palmful of olive oil
Olive oil is rich in essential fatty acids and highly moisturising and has natural cleansing properties.

Directions: Spread oil all over your face and gently massage in small circular movements. Lay a hot damp flannel or muslin cloth over your oiled face and relax for 5 mins allowing the oil and steam to work together. Gently wipe excess oil from your skin with cold cloth.

Homemade Hair Conditioner

You'll need: a cup of coconut oil
Coconut oil has been traditionally used as a hair conditioner to moisturise and protect from the sun's harmful rays and has a softening and soothing effect on the hair and scalp.

Directions: Massage into the hair and scalp making sure the ends of the hair are covered. Wrap hair in a warm towel and leave on for 20 minutes. Wash with shampoo and condition as normal.