What are soap nuts?

Soap nuts are among the popular herbs and minerals in Ayurveda. They can replace your liquid soaps, shampoos, face cleansers, as well as laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent and other household items. The amazing washing power of soap nuts is due to the fact that they contain saponin – a natural soapy substance that forms a thick foam when in contact with water.

Soap nuts for hair

I want to caution you, soap nuts can irritate your eyes! If they get into your eyes, it feels like red chili pepper was sprinkled into them. So wash your eye area very carefully. Also the smell of these nuts can be little disgusting. To me they smell like vinegar mixed with syrup. But I will tell you how to make them smell good if you keep reading below. By the way, the smell won’t get on your hair, skin or clothes. Don’t let this tiny issue scare you, because it is nothing when you consider the amazing benefits of the nut.

Soap nuts for hair are really amazing. They treat a number of diseases, such as a skin fungus, dandruff, and rashes on the body. It treats them by removing the causes of the disease. I mean it destroys the fungus, so that the problem disappears. The skin takes on a pristine state, free from flaking and irritation.

And these are not just empty words! I already did an experiment. The brave experimenter was my friend’s grandfather. He had washed his hair with conventional shampoo from the supermarket and had severe dandruff as a result. So we added few drops of shampoo (not that one he got dandruff from) to a soap nuts infusion. Actually the infusion can be used just on its own too. The first time you use this technique, you might find the absence of foam and the fact that it’s very liquid a bit odd, but believe me the results will exceed your expectations. And here is the most amazing part, after washing his hair twice, the dandruff disappeared! This is probably one of my successful experiments ever! So if you suffer from dandruff I strongly recommend you to try soap nuts.

Soap nuts can also be used to treat hair loss. I haven’t experimented with this yet, but I think the result will be also stunning, as I saw lots of very positive reviews over the Internet.

Soap nuts shampoo recipes

Soap nuts decoction

Using soap nuts can initially be troublesome. In order to make the decoction, you will have to boil nuts, and this should be done 1 – 2 times a week, because they can’t be stored longer. Also keep in mind that the shell of the nut is used, and not the nut itself.

To prepare the decoction, take 4 shells and pour them into a glass of water. Bring this to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes (boiling promotes the recovery of saponins and mixes them with water). The mixture that you get can be used as shampoo, liquid soap, shampoo for animals, cleaning detergent for dishes and other items. The absence of abundant foam will not affect the performance of the soap.

You can also use this decoction with other ingredients.

Here are some soap nuts recipes:

I boiled nuts in chamomile herbal tea- I just added one chamomile tea bag (you can use other herbs too), this way water will not have a bad smell while you are using it. Keep the liquid on your head for a minute, then massage and rinse off.

Here is another shampoo recipe. Take 2 tablespoons of mustard and mix it with boiling water until you have a thick cream consistency. Let this mixture sit for a couple of minutes, and then add 1 tablespoon of soap nuts decoction. You can use this as a simple shampoo.

You can also make the nut decoction into foam and use the foam to wash your hair. You can see more information about this in the video below.

If you fill that decoction hasn’t washed off thoroughly, use cider vinegar to rinse your hair.

Soap nuts for skin care

All owners of greasy, oily skin with blackheads and comedones, rejoice! These nuts can fix these problems also. Just use the soap nut decoction instead of your cleanser.

I am already using soap nuts on my skin, everyday in the morning and in the evening. I have noticed that my little red pimples have dried a little. I also love the feeling after washing my face; it’s like after using light baby soap. Also I can feel that all the impurities and excess of oil have been washed off and I can apply a moisturizer without worrying.

You can also use soap nuts instead of your shower gel. Just dip a bath sponge into the soap nuts and clean your body.

Soap nuts for laundry

I have just few words about using soap nuts for laundry. You can take 4 nuts and put them into a small cloth bag (which should come with the nuts) and just put this into a dishwasher or washing machine. You can use the same bag 3-4 times. The results are really great!

Benefits:

• Washing clothes, even with your hands, will no longer cause any dryness or irritation. Clothes will smell clean and like you used laundry detergent.
• You will remove another allergen and carcinogen from your daily life, as soap nuts from the laundry and the dishes wash off easily.

Where to buy soap nuts?

I bought mine from the local store; however, I also found some on the Internet. This online shop https://store.naturoli.com/ sells USDA and ECOCERT certified organic soap nuts. What is more amazing that they have beauty products based on soap nuts extract which is formulated with only the finest, pure healthy natural ingredients. Click here for more information.

Today’s talk will be about the super magical algae plant called spirulina and it’s skin benefits. If you are not yet a devoted consumer of this algae plant, you definitely should change your mind. Today, I’ll explain you why.

What makes spirulina a super plant?

I want to start with a little piece of scientific information, which, needless to say, really amazed me. Approximately 3.5 billion years ago, blue-green algae began to bind nitrogen from the atmosphere and convert it into carbon dioxide and sugar. In the process, free oxygen was provided. Over time, blue-green algae created an atmosphere rich in oxygen, which created a great opportunity to develop the rest of life. And as I mentioned, the whole process took more than a billion years.

Can you imagine that? I think this fact alone makes algae a super plant! Yet, there are other aspects that make spirulina special and beneficial too.

Amazing benefits of spirulina for skin

Spirulina has so many unique and remarkable properties. It is difficult to list them all. So as this site is designed to be your essential guide to natural skin care; I’ll try to specifically focus on those aspects that are making spirulins the most beneficial for skin.

One of the biggest benefits of spirulina for skin is that is the richest whole food source of anti-oxidants, as it contains almost all known anti-oxidants: C, B1, B5 and B6, the minerals zinc, manganese, copper, amino acid methionine, beta-carotene and vitamin E.

Another special ingredient of Spirulina is a gamma-linoleic acid, which can be found in only a few seeds and fruits. The other most widely known sources are evening primrose (oenothera) oil and breast milk. Gamma-linoleic acid is important to protect the integrity of skin cells and muscles, as it is an important ingredient in the formation of new cell membranes.

Spirulina contains more than 18 amino acids. Since all of your connective tissues, muscles and skin are constructed primarily of amino acids, rich sources of well-balanced amino acids are very beneficial.

Spirulina for skin: personal experience

I’ve been taking my spirulina tablets about 2 weeks, and I have already started to adore this amazing plant. I don’t know what your experience will be like, but for me this is magic. After a week of taking spirulina, my skin has totally cleared up from acne. If you are my regular reader, you know that this has been a huge problem for me.

Before I started to take spirulina, I had been getting acne even from eating healthy food. I have had little pimples on my cheeks and chin for a long time. I actually thought they had settled on my skin forever. But they are all gone now! I haven’t had such clear skin for ages. I think it’s the effect of the toxins that have been released from my body with the help of the spirulina algae. And I’m sure that it was the spirulina that achieved this goal, because I haven’t changed anything else in my skin care routine or diet (except adding the spirulina, of course).

Actually lots of people have a problem taking spirulina because they can’t stand the smell and taste of it. Yes, I should admit it tastes and smells very unusual. However I love it. I even take it without water. I just nibble it. Anyway if are one of those people who find spirulina’s smell and taste disgusting, there is some great advice describing you How To Make Spirulina Taste Good.

Beauty recipes with spirulina

Facial masks based on spirulina prevent premature aging of the skin, improve its condition, contribute to preventing wrinkles, and help in the fight against acne.

The simplest method to use spirulina for skin as a beauty treatment is to use a mask. Just mix some spirulina with water to make a paste and apply to your face for 20 minutes. You will experience amazingly smooth and soft skin.

When you will whip up a mixture that includes spirulina, it will have very rich green color. You can see this in the picture. I actually was doubting for a minute or so whether I should actually apply it on my face. I had a strong feeling that it would not wash away from my face completely, leaving me looking something like a princess Fiona. But everything turned out to be amazing. The mask washed away very easily, leaving my skin extremely soft.

You can also mix spirulina with other ingredients. Here are some ideas:

Spirulina mask recipes for aging skin
Recipe 1: This mask is recommended for those who have dry skin, as it perfectly softens and tones skin. It also has a mild cleansing effect and certainly prevents wrinkles and aging.
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• 1 teaspoon oatmeal
• 1 tablespoon spirulina powder

Instructions:
To make this remedy, you will need to mix together all the ingredients mentioned above and grind them until you have a smooth paste. Apply this to your face for 20 minutes.

Recipe 2: This mask is suitable for every skin type and is recommended in order to prevent wrinkles and aging skin. Use it at least twice a week for amazing results.
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon grated vegetable marrow
• 1 tablespoon grated chinese cabbage
• 1 teaspoon sour cream
• 1 tablespoon spirulina powder

Instructions:
All components should be thoroughly mixed to make a paste. Apply the medley on your face and neck for 20 minutes.

So are you ready to experience all the benefits of spirulina for your skin?

Where to buy spirulina?

You can buy spirulina from MountaiRoseHerbs shop in powder form here , or in capsules here.

Here are some more selections:

I’m sure you already know how to make porridge. You are probably also aware of the health benefits from this food. However, do you know that you can use oatmeal for your beauty purposes? You already do? Hmm …

Yet, I bet you don’t know the most basic methods for using oatmeal in your skin care regime. I will provide those for you today. As always, first I will give you a little bit of theory and then later I will reveal the breathtakingly practical part.

Benefits of oatmeal

Oatmeal performs mini-miracles when it is applied to the skin. It whisks away dead cells, and cleans pores. Oats also are filled with natural cleansers that gently remove dirt and oil from the pores and skin surface.

Oats contain polysaccharides, which become gelatinous in water. This leaves a fine protective film on the skin that prevents dull and dryness, irritation, and redness. The end result is a soft, moist glow. Oatmeal is also effective for relieving insect stings, rashes, and eczema. It is an excellent tool for skin damaged sunburn or frostbite.

Oats are full of essential vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids. The proteins in oatmeal help maintain the skin’s natural barrier function. This ensures that potential toxins and pollutants from the world stay outside the skin, and what’s inside the skin stays in.

So now I present…

My magnificent ideas for using oatmeal milk in skin care

Yes, as I said, these ideas are magnificent .

Oatmeal Milk as a Cleanser

Oatmeal milk has softening, soothing and protective properties, as well as excellent tolerability. As a result, it offers wide applications, especially in the care of dry, hypersensitive skin. Oatmeal milk enriches the skin with oxygen and prevents redness. It contains proteins, polyphenols, organic acids, stimulators, trace elements, vitamins and substances that prevent the deposition of fat.

The preparation is very simple.

Ingredients:
1 glass oatmeal
1 liter of milk or water

Instructions:
Take a glass of washed oatmeal, pour a liter of milk or water and cook on a very low heat for 30 – 40 minutes, then strain. The result should be a sticky medley. This is oatmeal milk. Store it in a refrigerator for two three days.

The most simple method (and my favorite) is just wash your face with oatmeal milk. As I mentioned, oatmeal has a mild cleansing effect, like a gentle soap, so you can use it instead of cleanser. The result – a smooth skin tone and no irritations. This is a wonderful thing, especially in dealing with frostbitten cheeks in the winter.

Another option is that you can also use oats, which have been soaked for few minutes in a water, to wash you face. Take some wet oatmeal and gently wipe round your face. This will also provide a gentle scrubbing effect. You can even leave oatmeal on your face as a mask for 10-15 minutes.

Check also my oatmeal scrub recipes.

I also love to include oatmeal milk to my skin creams. Stay tuned I’ll publish some recipes soon.

Simple oatmeal bath recipe

Take two handfuls of raw oatmeal and pour them into a gauze. Tie this gauze together with a thread to make a little bag and throw it in the bath. Then wring this bag with your hands in the water so that white milk starts to leak out.

After taking the bath, don’t dare to throw this oatmeal-bag out! Instead, use this bag instead of a shower gel, or wipe your face with it. After these procedures, your skin will be nourished with vitamins, and your face will have improved color. Irritated skin will be calmed.

Every time you are ready to go through this process, make a new oatmeal-bag. Also I want to stress once again that you don’t need to boil the oatmeal. Just use it raw.

Bites, Irritations, Acne – Again Oatmeal is Your Salvation

To help with skin irritations, we will make the oatmeal-bag I mentioned above once again. However, now we will use oatmeal in conjunction with some of my other favorite ingredients, lavender and lovely rose petals.

This bag will relieve and heal abscesses, dryness and inflammation, including insect stings, rashes, and eczema.

Mix together oatmeal, dried rose petals and lavender in equal amounts. Pour this mixture into gauze, and then tie with a thread to make a bag. Drop the bag into hot water and let it soak for 5 minutes. Then take the bag out and squeeze out all the water. Place this bag on the affected area for about 5 minutes.

Important: After this procedure, wash your face with warm water and wipe with a towel. Don’t apply a moisturizer directly after this procedure. If you feel a tightening effect, apply it after at least 10 minutes.

Choose this procedure instead of your regular cleansing method for a few days until you notice that your problematic area has improved.

I also take this bag with me when I spend time in nature. You just need to pour it into water and you will have an amazing treatment to relieve any irritations from insect bites.

And now I would love to find out the answer to this question. How do you use oatmeal or oatmeal milk in your skin care routine?

Shea butter is also know as “karite” in some countries. This slightly yellowish or ivory colored natural fat is extracted from the seed of the African Shea tree. To be more specific, Shea butter is created from the dried kernels of Shea fruits, which are then shredded and pounded until they are in the form of powder. Then this substance is boiled in water until it is smooth and green.

Refined or unrefined shea butter?

Shea butter can be refined or unrefined. The unrefined state is the absolutely pure and natural form that is made in the traditional way, without the use of solvents and chemical preservatives. Unrefined Shea butter has light brownish or greenish tint. It still contains all the beneficial properties from the fruit.

Refined butter is creating by heating, bleaching, or filtering with the use of various chemicals, the result is the partial destruction or loss of the original nutrients of the product. So you shouldn’t be surprised to hear that beautiful white color refined butter is less effective then the unrefined Shea butter with a less attractive exterior.

Be careful, because what is usually sold in cosmetic shops is refined butter. It will not harm you. However, if you want to get all the benefits from Shea butter, buy it unrefined, The benefits of Shea butter in its natural state are amazing.

Essential Benefits of Shea Butter for your Skin.

As we already learned, unrefined Shea butter is the most beneficial. So in this article, we will focus on uses for unrefined Shea butter.

Top 10 Shea butter usages in skin care

1. 

   Treats flabby skin and prevent wrinkles

2. Activates the synthesis of collagen
3. Has protective and regenerative effects, including protection from UV radiation
4. Softens cracked skin
5. Has moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties
6. Treats dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, wounds and bruises
7. Protects against external influences (cold, heat, sunlight …)
8. Helps restore dry and flaky skin after a sunburn. (In Africa, Shea butter is using for calming skin after burns.)
9. Prevents stretch marks during pregnancy
10. Great source of vitamins A and E. Vitamin A helps in renewal and regeneration of cells, rejuvenates the skin, effectively nourishes and soothes dry, rough, wrinkled, and/or pimpled skin. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, slows aging, and reduces the probability of occurrence of cancer cells.

Despite the fact that Shea is pretty fatty, it does not contain any vegetable oils. As a result, it does not leave an unpleasant fatty film on the skin.

Shea butter can be used in its pure form or in conjunction with other ingredients. I have had great success in creating creams with a shea butter base. You can find more information about my experiments in the Report from DIY skin cream workshop.

Where to Buy Shea Butter?

You can buy Shea butter through an online herbal store that has fabulous quality unrefined Shea butter. What is even better is that they have it in different quantities from 4 oz to 8 lb. So if you are not sure whether Shea butter is will be perfect for you, just order a 4 oz pack just for 4$ for the first time. However, I’m sure you find a great use for it in your daily skin care routine. Click here to check if it is available.

Cornflower Centaurea cyanus (Cornflower, Bachelor’s button, Bluebottle, Boutonniere flour, Hurtsickle, Cyani flower).

Cornflower has numerous applications, but it is most often used for treating the eye area. Cornflower is very powerful to treat dark circles underneath the eyes. The active substances in Cornflower prevent dark circles from forming below the eyes, and they simultaneously smooth the skin around the eye area. Due to its soothing benefits, Cornflower is used to treat facial muscles and wrinkles, and it can also relieve tired and puffy eyes.

Only the blue petals are used from Cornflower, and the white-pinkish petals are removed. It is a good idea to remove them before the herb dries off. Harvesting should be done in the months of July through August, when the weather is dry, and the dew has evaporated.

How to use Cornflower?

To treat the ailments listed above, you can use Cornflower in different ways.

• Cornflower can be used topically as an infusion to apply to problematic areas, and you can also make a homemade eye cream from a Cornflower infusion. Before doing so, read my article on how to use oils on your skin: Avoid the Common Mistake of Using Facial Oil Blends
• Cornflower can be used to make a poultice. Add a tablespoon of Cornflower to 200 mg of boiling water, and apply cotton wool soaked in the liquid on your eyes.
• Steam Cornflower. Steam Cornflower for 10 to 15 minutes over a pot with hot tea made from Cornflower. For greater results, place a towel over the top of your head, and let the edges drop around the pot of tea to prevent the steam from escaping.

If you are looking for where to find Cornflower, check out your local herbal store or you can also buy it at my favorite online herbal store here!