This post is part of a series sponsored by Dove.
I have a love/hate relationship with my kitchen…
Sometimes, like when I have a long, lazy Saturday afternoon stretched out in front of me and very little on my plate, I enjoy cooking and preparing meals from start to finish. Other times, though, like after a busy day on an average Wednesday night, even the thought of tearing open a bag of baby carrots is enough to wear me out.
Last Saturday wasn’t exactly a lazy day, but I did have a little time to explore the culinary arts. While rooting around the cupboards, I realized that my pantry contained the fixin’s for more than good eats. It also had some great ingredients to make a number of do-it-yourself skincare treats.
All three of these recipes rely on ingredients you may already have in your kitchen at home, and the best part? — they only call for two ingredients each. 🙂
What do you get when you mix two great things together? Well, if they’re olive oil and sugar, you get one heck of a skin scrub. I like to use this rich, moisturizing scrub on my hands, feet and body at least a few times every winter. The gently exfoliating sugar grains buff the flakes away from even my roughest, driest patches, while the olive oil helps to moisturize and repair.
If you happen to be out of olive oil, substitutions are allowed. You can swap it out for body or facial oils, like jojoba or argan.
The quantities listed here should make enough to scrub both of your hands and feet, but if you’re hoping for a full body scrub, you’ll want to use more.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil
Mix the sugar and olive oil into a thick paste, which should just take a minute, and then buff where needed using small circular motions.
Rinse with warm water, and follow up, if you’d like, with your favorite moisturizer for even more hydration.
My combination dry/oily skin hates the chill in the air outside, and it’s also not a huge fan of indoor heaters. To show my face some TLC, I like yogurt masks like this one here.
The lactic acid in the yogurt gently dissolves away rough, dead skin cells while the oatmeal soothes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of plain yogurt (I prefer Greek yogurt because it’s thick and stays put)
- 1/2 cup of regular (not instant) oatmeal
Mix your yogurt and oatmeal into a paste, and apply it to freshly washed, clean skin. Let that sit for 10-15 minutes before rinsing with water or wiping with a warm washcloth.
You can also adjust this recipe, depending on the condition of your skin, or to address specific concerns. Gals with very oily skin can add a couple of drops of lemon juice to help clarify and cleanse, while damsels with dry skin can add two tablespoons of honey for extra moisture.
As much as I like this time of year, my skin doesn’t. For me, holiday stress and dry weather adds up to breakouts (ugh!). If your skin has also been acting up, try this easy-peasy face mask. It combines baking soda to exfoliate, with orange juice to tighten pores.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 tablespoon of baking soda
Mix and stir the juice and baking soda for a few seconds, and apply a thin layer to clean skin. Let that sit and dry for about 20 minutes (try to sit still so the mixture doesn’t slide away), and then rinse with water, or remove with a warm washcloth.
I hope you have fun “cooking up” these or other skincare treats. Now, would someone please pass me something I can actually eat? 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
They all look good enough to eat! 😀
LOL, I did sneak in a nibble of that scrub! It was delicious.
I’ve tried the oats with the yogurt and they’re great for moisturizing and soaking up excess oil. I’ve also used honey with sugar but the olive oil’s new for me! It’ll be nice to try sometime. Thanks!
I’ll have to try honey with sugar. I bet it would make a great lip scrub!
Oh my God Karen, the first two look AMAZING! I’ve been using homemade yogurt mask for a while now (mixed with honey and turmeric), and it has worked better for me than all the commercially-available masks I have tried. I’ll definitely give Greek yogurt a go!
And the sugar scrub!!! It’ll work SO well during the colder months! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi Sunny,
The greek yogurt is really nice because it’s thick and it actually stays on! I’ve tried other types of yogurt and they were just too runny.
Happy Thursday!
I’ll have to give the yogurt mask a try – it sounds awesome. I don’t know about the scrub, though. I’ve never met a sugar scrub that didn’t leave me feeling like I’d jumped in a vat of vaseline. 🙁
Hey Kim,
It does leave hands and feet feeling pretty greasy. I have dry skin, though, so I like it!
Howzit going out your way today?
These photos are AMAZING, Karen! *faint*
Thanks, Peach_! It’s fun to take pictures of food because you can snack on the props. 🙂
These are great tips. Thanks! I have all these items at home, so I’ll definitely give these a try.
Glad you enjoyed this post, Ruchita. Let me know what you think after you try the masks or the scrub.
i already do the oatmeal mask … but i want to try the orange juice and baking soda mask the most!
i also do an aspriin mask — just crush up an aspirin, mix with some olive oil and apply! scrub lightly before rinsing off. 🙂
Hi Nina,
Hope you’re feeling better today. 🙂
I tried the aspirin mask years ago and it made me sneeze! I’ll have to try it again with either olive oil or honey.
Did you catch Top Chef last night? That elimination was brutal.
i am getting better, thankfully. 🙂 hopefully ill be at 100% again soon!
so i read up on aspirin masks again after i posted, and apparently, if you use honey instead of olive oil, there’s less asprin particles flying about! that means less sneezies!
that elimination was one of the worst in TC history. i was sad to see N go and i have come to dislike H so much!
I’m going to try the honey since I have some in the cupboard. Yay for homemade DIY skincare experiments!
Yeah, both El Hub and I were like “WHAT THE WHAT?!?” at the end. Those two were the last I’d expect to leave at this point in the game. I also can’t believe how H totally threw Bev under the bus! Not cool.
H is such a b**ch (even mild mannered Asian dude w/ a lion’s mane) said so!
we went to a farmer’s market last week and got some local honey and ive been enjoying it w/ both my tea and coffe w/ a splash of soy milk! yum!
oh and i also love it on wheat toast w/ a thin layer of butter! this is making me hungry!
I really like the sugarscrub, I’m a big fan of Weleda body oils so I love the fact that I can turn my favorite oil into a scrub so easily. So much nicer than salt scrubs for me. And if you crush up the sugar so it’s a good bit finer it also works as a lip scrub. Big benefit: it’s all edible! (if you use honey or olive oil)
That’s a great idea, DalaLuz. I have a bottle of Weleda body oil in my cabinet, so I’ll try this next time I need to get my exfoliation on!
What do you use to crush your sugar? Do you use just the back of a spoon or something?
I definitely need to try the first and last one. I love how everyone has their own home remedies (reading the comments, i see many). Personally for my face, I use a crushed up aspirin with honey. Its supposed to mosturize and help with acne. Personally, I find it really helps.
Thanks for the tips!!
Hi Jessica,
I’m enjoying reading everyone’s homemade recipes, too. It’s like a big recipe fest up in here.
I tried the aspirin mask once and remember sneezing like crazy!
I literally just made a quick olive oil and sugar scrub and used it this morning! The air in my dorm room is extremely dry, so I made myself a scrub to get some moisture back into my skin. I’ve got baby soft skin now 😀
Hi Brittany,
Ahh, dorm life! I remember my room having very dry air too. Are you in college right now? What are you majoring in?
I have used brown sugar, honey and olive oil for a scrub for a few years. It is awesome!
Hi Jennifer,
I’ll have to try putting in a few drops of honey. Does it make it harder to rinse off?
No not at all, I do add a bit of water to all of the above. The honey kind of melts in with everything. It is kind of messy but it smoothes and soothes my skin afterward. I use all over my hands too. I have tried it in the shower but it makes it slippery in there! You have to be careful.
I love your DIY tutorials and that ingredients are readily available in your kitchen. I will try this scrub today. My skin is wreaking havoc this winter. Thanks for the tips!
Hope you like the scrub. I used it last night on my hands before bed and today they’re super soft!
What I love about these recipes is that they only require a couple of ingredients. Most homemade facial treatments say you have to mix in a blender, scoop out avocado, etc etc. I might as well apply spaghetti sauce on my face, considering all the trouble I’d have to go to. 😛
Haha, Chris! 🙂 When it comes to cooking (and DIY face stuff!) I prefer simple and streamlined.
Happy Thursday. How are things out your way today? It was raining this morning here in Marin county, but now the clouds are starting to part and the sun’s coming out. Yay!
It’s a bit chilly in my apartment today. I’m going to take pics for some upcoming blog reviews later on, and I have to see a friend later tonight. Classes are essentially over (just one more exam to take!) so I’m being a lazy butt and watching Futurama right now. 🙂
Good luck on your last exam. Hey, maybe the kitties can take it for you? LOL
Can you use any kind of acidic fruit with the baking soda? Say, grapefruit maybe?
Hi Angeline,
I’m guessing you can. Maybe even lemon, too. Just be careful not to get it in your eyes.
I use the olive oil and sugar mix for a lip exfoliator, it works wonders (and is better than forking over my hard-earned $$ for one of those Lush lip scrubs).
Plus it tastes so good! 🙂
Awesome photos……..these skincare treats look so yummy! I am going to try the yogurt-oatmeal mask for sure.
I also have one of the Lush lip scrubs, the Bubblegum one” and while it tastes deelish I go through it in no time at all. My fave recipe for a lip scrub is mixing sugar, lemon juice and olive oil. It tastes really yummy” like the sweet lemon lip butter from the body shop!
I love DIY skincare, thanks for sharing! I will totally be trying the orange juice & baking soda mask, I haven’t heard of that one before 🙂
my skins has been sensitive to chemical skin care, and it caused redness all over my face, yikes, like a tomato..and I’ve been using the tips that you’ve posted for about a month, and my redness is gradually disappear!
the difference thing is I used the orange juice as a toner after baking soda and castor oil & olive oil mask… Thanks, Karen, I should try the orange juice mask version 😀
I make a version of the oil and sugar scrub but I use coconut oil (the solid white stuff) and make a paste that is easier to use as a scrub….i however do use olive oil on occasion when I need serious moisture. Tomorrow, I am going to try the orange juice and baking soda, I love homemade skin care! Thanks!
I love this! I think the ideas are so cute. I would love to try some out! Now, I just need to buy some olive oil:)
Olive oil is great to cook with or to use it for your body. Awesome antioxidant properties! I go through a lot of it.
My skin, especially nose & mouth area, is dry & peely (is that a word?) due to the cold weather. I may try that yogurt & oatmeal mask. I wonder if strawberry chobani would work? hahaha! Nah, I will just get some plain yogurt.
My favorite is yogurt with oatmeal flour. It’s easy to mix. Can’t use Greek yogurt because it’s so rich for me! Greek yogurt makes a good body mask though.
I do this same olive oil body scrub twice a week – but I mix in honey too – it somehow leaves skin even softer and more soothed. And it smells incredible! And is about $40 cheaper than most scrubs you buy – why are they SO expensive??
Coming from a catering background with a big concentration on fresh ingredients I really like this blog. The information, simplicity, the freshness of the products and also the blog design. I have also researched many recipes for homemade hair masks and conditioner which include a variety of ingredients. The face scrubs I will have to try and making it from home is always a bonus. My favourites at the moment are avocado and banana which also smell good.
Brilliant stuff. Darren.
Awesome, thanks Karen! 2 questions for ya – will clementine juice work? I don’t have oranges so I’m wondering if clementines will work just as well. And also, how often do you do these treatments? Once a week or so? Thanks again!
Love your DIY beauty tips! You’ve made “cooking” and time in the kitchen a delight again!
I did a hair DYI which turned into a disaster or more like a cake on my head started baking ha ha. The old talc on my dark roots then got caught in the rain- disaster as it caked up! Well lucky I have a fab mineral hair powder now which doesn’t turn into a baking class on my head should I get some moisture hitting my roots.
Would love for you to review it yourself and see if you’re in agreeance lovely. I bought it from my local salon, called Spilt Milk Mineral Hair Powder. It’s made from natural minerls and clays, love it even more as its natural. Smells delicious!! FYI- You may want to eat it, it smells that good!!!
Thanks again for the tips, I’ll be doing your body scrub and following yoghurt face mask!
This gives me ideas to try during this holiday. Have any of you tried Apple Cider vinegar toner? It’s great for acne. It helps reduces the swelling for my case.
My gosh Jenny you’re a gem!!! I just bought some of the Spilt Milk Hair Powder online and it is incredible!!!!! Totally relate to the caking thing with talc, hence my keeness to try something highly rec like the Spilt Milk.