A recent survey found that Americans spend $88 billion every year on products that claim to make them look younger, correct wrinkles, or preserve youthful skin. You can bet that Irish people spend their fair share on these kind of products too – many of which are full of synthetic chemicals that have not been tested or proven to work. Retinol, Retin A, AHAs and fruit acids, for example, work by stripping away a layer of skin – of course wrinkles look less deep if your skin is thinner!
If, like us, you prefer natural products, and if, like us, you prefer not to spend a fortune on products, but still want to look good, start thinking about making your own products. Look at our earlier video post on making your own moisturiser, or follow the recipe below.
Mix
1/3 cup of aloe vera gel €7.99 for 250ml (you will use about 100ml)
with
2/3 cup of water free!
Melt
1 tablespoon of beeswax €2.50 for 100gm
2/3 cup almond oil €2.85 for 200ml (you will use about 100ml)
1/3 cup coconut oil €3.95 for 50ml
Cool
the wax and oil mixture to room temperature
Blend
with a stick blender, gradually adding the water/aloe vera mixture until the mixture turns creamy and white.
Pour into containers and you’re done!
Keep containers in the fridge until you’re ready to use them. No preservatives, no chemicals, nothing. In fact, you could eat these ingredients! Isn’t that what we want for our skin?
P.S. I substitute a herbal infusion of calendula and neem for the water (just like a cup of herbal tea) and add some rose oil and some essential oils for a touch of luxury. My acne-prone skin with dry patches improved drastically within a week of using this moisturiser, way better and WAY cheaper than the €40 per bottle big brand moisturiser I was using before.
Total Cost: less than €10 for enough moisturiser to last at least 6 months!
