Fall Into Beauty: Four Natural DIY Beauty Recipes

Fall is near. The days are getting shorter, the air is getting cooler, and that lovely crisp, spicy aroma of autumn is all around. Many people like to use this season to get outside to hike, garden, or explore a pumpkin patch or two. Others enjoy preparing their home and wardrobe for the shorter days and cooler nights. Still others use fall as a time to slow down, cozy up with a hot drink and a good book, and store their energy for the winter months ahead.

I think fall is a great time to reevaluate your beauty regimen. You can get outside and work up a rosy-cheeked glow with a nice hike through the mountains or woods or do a few sun salutations on a crisp and sunny afternoon. There are so many natural ingredients that are available and in season from September to November. Why not use some of them to whip up a deliciously smelling pumpkin-spice body mask, toning coffee scrub, cranberry-apple facial mask, or pomegranate lip balm? Anti-Aging Pumpkin-Spice Body Mask

 Pumpkins have some great skin-nourishing nutrients: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and zinc, all of which have skin-healing and anti-aging properties. Cinnamon acts as a natural exfoliant and antiseptic, while honey provides soothing and healing benefits. Ingredients

• 2 cups canned pumpkin or one small pumpkin, cooked and mashed
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• ¼ tsp. olive or jojoba oil

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Apply to your body and face, avoiding the eye area.
3. Wrap your body, excluding your face, with plastic wrap or, for a more natural option, reusable beeswax cloth – the pumpkin enzymes are most active when moist.
4. Leave the mask on for 15-20 minutes, then unwrap and rinse it off in the tub with warm water. It can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.

Toning Coffee Scrub Coffee is not traditionally considered a fall crop, though one of the harvests is from November to December. One of the best things about the cooler temperatures is the reintroduction of hot beverages into my daily routine, coffee being one of my favorites. Its rich aroma makes it the perfect ingredient for a cozy morning indoors. The caffeine in coffee soothes inflammation, evening skin tone, and dehydrates fat cells, reducing cellulite. It contains antioxidants that attack and eliminate free radicals that cause premature aging of the skin, and has been shown to reduce the growth of skin-cancer cells. With this list of skin benefits, I just couldn’t exclude it. I found the following recipe on the blog Gimme Some Oven. Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons finely-ground coffee (I used recycled grounds)
• 2 tablespoons oil (I used melted coconut oil)
• 1 tablespoon sugar (I used turbinado sugar)
• (optional) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions Stir all ingredients together until combined. Store in a sealed jar for up to 2 months. Renewing Cranberry-Apple Facial Mask Cranberries and apples are two of the best-known fall fruits. Cranberries have many skin-nourishing antioxidants, such as Vitamins C, B3, and B5, which work to stimulate cell renewal and combat wrinkles, redness, and uneven skin tone. The enzymes in cranberries, along with their acidic nature, also act as a natural toner. In this recipe that I found on communitytable.com, the apple cider vinegar acts as a toner to keep your skin ph-balanced and clear of blemishes. The aloe juice will balance out the acids of the cranberries and vinegar, so this recipe is safe for all skin types. By Cecilia Wong, founder of Cecilia Wong Skincare Ingredients 4–5 whole cranberries 1 tsp raw honey 2 drops apple cider vinegar (I recommend the organic, undistilled version to receive all benefits) A dash freshly ground cinnamon 2–3 drops aloe juice Directions Crush the cranberries. Mix all ingredients together. Apply for 15 minutes to face and rinse with tepid water. Follow with moisturizer. Moisturizing Pomegranate Lip Balm Pomegranates are my favorite fall fruit. They are tart and sweet, and have a wonderful fruity aroma. They have many of the same beneficial qualities as cranberries. The juice and the oil are also great moisturizers. By: Dr. Axe Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. bees wax
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1 tsp. coconut oil
• 7 drops pomegranate oil
• lip balm tins or lip balm tubes

Directions

1. In a small pot over medium low heat melt beeswax, coconut oil, and olive oil. Use chopstick or other small, long stick to stir.
2. Remove from heat and add honey and pomegranate oil. Whisk well with chopstick and try to distribute oil throughout the mixture.
3. Pour quickly into tins or jars. Let cool on counter until hard.

Now that you have a few fun fall beauty recipes, you can be sure that your skin will be ready for the crisp, cool air of autumn!