July is blueberry month and it is also the middle of their peak season. Blueberries are a “super food” and contain the most antioxidants than any other fruit. Anthocyanin gives these little berries their blue color and is a powerful antioxidant that is great for the skin. They also contain vitamins A, B complex, C and E, potassium, zinc, copper, iron and magnesium.
Blueberries smooth the skin, prevent fine lines and wrinkles, eliminate scars, increase elasticity, fight against blemishes and acne, balance levels of oil in the skin, and help even out skin tone. Besides being great for your skin, blueberries also improve brain function, boost your immunity, help maintain weight and blood sugar levels, and neutralize free radicals.
There are skincare products on the market that use blueberries, but you can also make your own. You’ll save a ton of money and you’ll know exactly what is in your products. You’ll be avoiding harmful, and sometimes hidden, ingredients. The ingredients used in making face and eye masks, lotions and soaps are easy to find in your local health food stores; you can get some at the grocery store. This is a great way for those that have allergies to avoid any reactions. Make sure not to use vinegar, spices or eggs. And watch out – you don’t want to use too many blueberries or you may dye your skin.
Face Masks
Many recipes for making your own face masks have minimal ingredients and just need blending together. You can simply take blueberries and add ingredients such as plain yogurt, oats, honey, olive oil, sour cream, aloe vera and lemon juice. If you want a facial scrub you can add salt, sugar or baking soda. Make sure to keep most of these in the refrigerator and not for very long. Most keep up to a week in an air-tight container.
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- Plain Yogurt – helps clear off damaged skin.
- Oats – shrink your pores and evens out the texture of your skin.
- Honey – eliminates acne and makes your skin glow.
- Olive Oil – cleans and moisturizes. It is a great makeup remover.
- Sour Cream (not low or non-fat) – helps with acne, wrinkles, and freckles, activates the production of collagen and exfoliates. It has a lot of the same benefits for your skin as blueberries do.
- Aloe Vera – heals, soothes, moisturizes and evens out skin.
- Lemon Juice – not only aids in better skin but it also helps to keep your hair and nails healthy. It can dry out acne, soften skin, get rid of blackheads, even skin tone and help protect against the sun.
Simple Face Mask Recipes Featuring Blueberries #1
- 1/4 cup blueberries
- 1 tablespoon organic honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions: Blend all ingredients until smooth. Apply ¼ inch layer and leave on 10 minutes. Wash off with a wet towel.
Simple Face Mask Recipes Featuring Blueberries #2
- 1 handful of blueberries
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
Directions: Blend until smooth. Clean face and leave on 10-20 minutes and then rinse face. Can keep for one week in refrigerator.
Simple Face Mask Recipes Featuring Blueberries #3
- 1 tablespoon plain yogurt (preferably Greek)
- About 10 blueberries
Directions: Crush blueberries and then mix into the yogurt. Let sit on face for about 20 minutes and wash off with warm water. Pat your face dry.
Lotion and Soap
It’s also pretty easy to make your own soap and lotion. There are kits you can buy and many instructions online. You can follow these recipes or use them as a guideline if you want to experiment on your own. You can get very creative with lotions and soaps – more so than with face masks. If you follow any generic recipe for unscented lotion or soap, you can mix in oils, teas and herbs depending on which scents you prefer and which benefits you want.
Blueberry seed oil can be added to a lotion or soap recipe or it can be used by itself. It has all of the health and skin benefits as regular, raw blueberries. It is high in essential fatty acids and vitamin E.
Recipe for Homemade, Organic Lotion
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup beeswax
- 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
- Essential oils (you can choose; blueberry seed oil is good!) – with most essential oils you will probably not need more than 1 drop per 2 ounces
- Handful of blueberries
Directions:
- Blend all ingredients and put into a glass jar.
- Loosely place the lid on the jar and, in a saucepan, heat a few inches of water and place the jar in it.
- Have another glass jar ready to put the finished lotion in to.
- The ingredients will begin to melt. You can stir now and again.
- When it is completely melted, pour into other jar. Do not put in a pump bottle.
- Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
- This will last about 6 months.
Be safe and creative, and have fun with your natural skin care products!
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