♥Hi Friends,
Let’s start with a little thought from one of my favorite literary and cinematic characters, the infamous Pooh Bear. “Well,” said Pooh, “what I like best — ” and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn’t know what it was called.”–(Winnie the Pooh, The House at Pooh Corner.) I’m pretty sure the word he was looking for was “awe” and quite possibly “reverence”. I know, because I’ve experienced those same feelings about raw honey myself! And like me, I’m pretty sure Pooh instinctively knew just how AMAZING and HEALING raw honey is. Smart Bear. Ya gotta love him!
Besides eating it, it has many other uses, including food for your face. I found another great article online last week with information on the HEALING properties of raw honey for skin care. (Click here to read it.) And because of its many natural and HEALING benefits, it is the basis for the first step in my skin care routine, cleansing, along with the following items.
♥GREEN SMOOTHIE: A couple of months ago my Honey and I spent a week at a condo in Brian Head for our 26th wedding anniversary. The spa there had a special running for a kale and citrus facial, for a March/green/St. Patrick’s Day theme. I looked at the sign and thought, “Ha! I get that every day at home. And for a lot cheaper!” You see, one day, maybe last year or so, while thinking about my beloved ‘SMOOTHIE’, it dawned on me just how incredibly beneficial it must be to put it on the outside of my body, as well as the inside. Think about it. Think about all the amazing and HEALING antioxidants, vitamins and minerals from the greens, and the exfoliating and brightening acids in the fruits!
♥RAW HONEY: When you start using honey, you’ll have to get over that soapy lathery feeling that you get when you use harsh cleansers. And say goodbye to that squeaky clean, shiny look that comes from stripping your skin of its natural oils. When we clean our skin that way it messes with the pH, and then it tries to compensate by overproducing oil. TERRIBLE cycle! TOTALLY unnecessary! Honey feeds your skin, and helps maintain the acid balance that it wants.
♥AVOCADO OIL: My skin is not as hydrated as it once was, and I use a few drops of oil when I cleanse my face. Don’t be afraid of it. (We’ll talk good oils in my moisturizing post.) It doesn’t make your skin break out, it just feeds it good stuff. I put mine in a little blue dropper bottle with a homemade sticker from my printer adhered with clear packing tape. That’s as clever as I get!
♥ESSENTIAL OILS: Essential oils really aren’t oils at all because they don’t contain fatty acids. They are molecules of extremely beneficial and highly concentrated plant power! They HEAL SPIRITUALLY, PHYSICALLY and EMOTIONALLY. After all, they are created by the Maker Himself! Click here to read a short article on essential oils.
♥WASH CLOTH: Any wash cloth will do, but I like to use the Norwex Body Cloth. It is infused with silver and traps bacteria, keeping it away from your face. Click here to learn how their microfiber cloths work.
So…Pooh Bear had it right all along. Honey is the shining, liquid gold I like to refer to as “God’s Sweetener”. Not only is it HEALING, but along with the other items in my cleansing regimen, it’s edible (besides the wash cloth of course). It’s food for your face! Next post we’ll talk toner.
♥Love you!
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The following recipe and suggestions are what I do to take care of my skin, which is the skin I know best and where my point of reference comes from. Personally, I have a low cell turnover rate, which means my skin gets congested easily and needs a good exfoliation and scrub just about every day (if I’m lucky enough to find the time to bathe!) Listen to what your skin tells you and make adjustments. Maybe you don’t need to use ‘SMOOTHIE’ every day. Or, no oil for cleansing. Maybe not so much scrubbing. Over time you’ll figure out a routine and what’s best for you.
FOOD FOR YOU FACE: CLEANSING
- 1/4-1/2 cup ‘GREEN SMOOTHIE’*
- 1-2 Tbsp raw honey**
- few drops of avocado oil***
- 3 drops of one of the following essential oil blends or singles (or get more than one and rotate every day so your skin gets a variety)****
- Butterfly: Sanctuary, Tranquility
- doTerra: Balance, Serenity
- Any high quality essential oil singles that are good for skin including grapefruit (which tastes delicious with the honey, ha!), jasmine, manuka, palmarosa, rosewood or rose
- Norwex Body Cloth*****
For a shower, I wet my body, take a little cup of ‘GREEN SMOOTHIE’ with a spoon in it (I like a Tbsp size spoon), and sit in the bottom of my tub. Then I mix it up and a little at a time pour it in to my hand and slather it all over my face, décolletage (which is the neck, chest, shoulders and upper back), arms, pits, torso and what I can reach on my lower back. (It won’t be thick like a mask and that’s fine.) Then I drink the rest while I wait 1-2 minutes for it to do its exfoliating magic. Go fruit acids! (Let’s stop here while I apologize to anyone who knows me and now has this great visual they’ll have to live with.) Moving on.
Then, I pour honey, avocado oil and essential oil on the palm of my hand, rub my hands together, and cover all the same places as the ‘SMOOTHIE’. Let sit another minute or so. And don’t worry. It’s not a sticky mess.
Next I stand up In the running water and lightly scrub and rinse with the wash cloth until all those areas previously mentioned are nice and smooth.
If I’m taking a bath (which I prefer), I move the ‘SMOOTHIE’ to the last step. I do the other things first and then my bathing routine. When I’m done relaxing and soaking I put the ‘SMOOTHIE’ on while the water runs out. Then stand up, turn on the shower head, and scrub and rinse with the wash cloth. That way I’m not bathing with my ‘SMOOTHIE’. I do love them, but not in my bath water!
*The ‘SMOOTHIE’ can be cold if used right from the fridge. Put it on the counter for a little while for a more comfortable temperature!
**I buy local raw honey in a squeeze bottle from Costco. Or sometimes I get it on a group buy. You can find it at grocery stores, health foods stores, and I’ve even gotten some from my neighbors who have bees. Just make sure it’s raw!
***I buy my avocado oil from Costco and use it for cooking too. LOVE it!
****Blends have more HEALING benefits than single oils. In the Bountiful/Centerville area where I live, you can get Butterfly oils from Gregory’s. Click here to order them straight from the company. I can also get them for you, as well as the doTerra. doTerra consultants are all over and you probably know one. But, there are many great brands of high quality essential oils and these are only suggestions. Learn to listen to what your body tells you it wants.
*****There may be a Norwex dealer in your area. If not, click here to order a “Norwex Vintage Body Pack” of 3 from my friend’s friend. You can also order them on Amazon.
(Click on picture to enlarge.)