BLUE

[My Independence Day series is a three-day event where the posts will revolve around a red, a blue, and a white ingredient. All of these ingredients will in some way help sunburned skin but will also be good for other things. Happy Fourth!]

Come on. You knew it would be the blueberry. And truly, I can't believe it's taken me this long to get to it. Blueberries are ranked at the top for antioxidant power which means more benefits for your skin. It's also loaded with vitamin C. Really, you can't complain when it's that good.
I'm not the biggest fan of eating them (they're always a little too tart for my taste) but I think they're beautiful, and aesthetics are important to me. I also love the simplicity of the recipes that have blueberry in them. Because when the ingredient has so much power, you don't want too much else in it.

Body

Leaves: I've heard that blueberry leaves can relieve eczema symptoms. Steeping the leaves in hot water and using them in creams is said to work wonders and many believe in this treatment. I have not tried it myself, but it's good to throw out there, in case someone want to.

Face

Blue facial: 1/4 cup blueberries and 1tsp each olive oil and honey. Mix in a blender, apply and leave on for 20 minutes.
Blue and white: 1/4 cup blueberries and 1/4 yogurt in a blender will do great things if you spent your weekend outside.

WHITE

[My Independence Day series is a three-day event where the posts will revolve around a red, a blue, and a white ingredient. All of these ingredients will in some way help sunburned skin but will also be good for other things. Happy Fourth!]

Yogurt is crazy. It's bacteria. Bacteria that's good for you. It helps your teeth, your bones, your immune system... it's just crazy.
It's also full to the brim with zinc which is a powerful healer. The high lactic acid content helps to exfoliate sensitive skin or cool and heal a sunburn. I've used so many yogurt tips because they are easy and they work. These are my favorites.*

Body

Hand healer: Mix some yogurt with 1 tsp lemon juice. Keep refrigerated and use everyday on the hands. It's exfoliating, rejuvenating and healing.

Hair

Scalp soother: Massage yogurt into your scalp to ward off dandruff and de-tangle hair. Really, do it. This is also great if your scalp was sunburned during the day's festivities. Rinse out when it dries!

Face

Sunburn savior: Just spreading yogurt on sunburned or sensitive skin does wonders. Exfoliating, cleansing and brightening, it's a really powerful weapon.
Acne help: Use yogurt as a spot treatment. Dab a bit on and wipe off when it dries.

*REMEMBER: I'm talking about using yogurt here. Not the sugary, dyed kind for kids. I mean plain, active cultures yogurt. And greek is best because it has a higher protein count.

RED

[My Independence Day series is a three-day event where the posts will revolve around a red, a blue, and a white ingredient. All of these ingredients will in some way helpsunburned skin but will also be good for other things. Happy Fourth!]

The people who predict the skies tell me it's supposed to be a nice this July 4th weekend. If that's true, I plan to be outside all. day. long. July 4th weekend is a mini-summer vacation for me and I'm going to enjoy it.
So I'll either tan gracefully if I remember SPF or burn horribly. Either way, I tend to make it up to my skin with these red tips.
Body
Sunburn relief moisturizer: Crush an equal amount of tomato and yogurt. Blend well and apply.

Hair

De-green: My hair is very light blond and the chlorine content is so high in the water here (at my job) it's like I spend my mornings in a pool, only less enjoyable. So tomato will help for two reasons: it is incredibly cleansing and acts as an astringent, and it is full of lycopene which is what gives it the red color. Red is the opposite of green on the color wheel, so the red of the tomato help remove the green my blond hair gets when it meets too much chlorine. Use tomato paste (it has a higher tomato content) for this.
Face
Blackhead remover: use the inside of a tomato like an eraser. Cut a tomato in two and rub the inside all over the face, concentrating on the areas with the most blackheads. Leave on for 20 minutes and rinse.
Acne eliminator: mash a tomato and leave on for as close to an hour as possible. Use frequently for best results.

bed bug blues

[UPDATE: I am at my new job at a prestigious, private university. It is famous for many things, one important thing being the fact that 90% of their graduates find a job immediately after graduation. As a school of technology and engineering, the student body is large and includes many international students. I am here for the international students. I will teach them all they need to know about the campus, as well as getting their English skills ready for American University life.]

I was placed in a typical college dorm which is as clean as... a dorm. After only the first night I woke up with three large bites on my legs. The Maine State Bird must have followed me here, I guessed. I found one, killed it and moved on. Day two brought two more bites and I found and killed a few enormous spiders. After a while I stopped seeing bugs but continued to see bites (11 bites by the end of the workweek)... which, my doctor advised me, meant there was a good chance I had bed bugs.

Imagine: You're in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep because a)you're trying hard not to scratch the bites that cover your legs and b) you know that soon, there will be bugs crawling all over you...

After packing some of my belongings in plastic bags and leaving them in my room, and washing whatever I wanted to bring with me, I relocated to the spare room in the office I'm working in. Which is awkward but there are no new bites.
Only now I'm itching like CRAZY and have no way to go to a store to buy antihistamines. So what do I do? Why did this happen to me? Why do these things always happen to me?
In the midst of my whining, my mother suggested that I blog about some remedies. Oh yeah. I'm the girl with the home remedies blog and I can't seem to get it together and live without chemically enhanced creams? Get ahold of yourself!
So, how to relieve the itchy madness of insect bites (bed bug, mosquito or other) without being able to go to a store or pharmacy etc:

Salt

Salt has been used to treat wounds for a very long time, which I first learned from this game. Make a paste with salt and water, or just make salt water and dab a soaked cotton ball on the bite.

Lime juice

Squirt some lime juice (diluted with water) on the bites! The acid helps relieve itch and can speed the healing process.

Soap

Yes I know this is not from the kitchen. And, yes, you should clean the area before you treat it anyway. This is something you should know if you're over the age of naive. But you can also rub dry soap over the bites to relieve the itch AND the swelling. I owe you one, Dove.

Bananas, Olive oil, and Vinegar  

The inside of banana peels can be rubbed over the affected area to relieve itch. Olive oil and vinegar can be mixed and applied for the same effect.

SUMMER!

Happy Midsummer Day! I wish I was celebrating this beautiful holiday with my family in Sweden. Instead I'm in Massachusetts, writing this blog for you, with no pool or beach or summer activities in site. Basically I'm using this blog update to remind me that it issummer.
There is no other fruit that screams summer the way that watermelondoes. It is the ultimate outdoor* food - no one wants to clean it up so you always get thrown outside with your watermelon slices in hand.
But it doesn't matter that you're banished outside to eat it. Watermelon is nature's freeze pop and it has lycopene, which is a natural red pigmentation that has been shown to help prevent skin cancer. So eat up this summer!
While you're slicing that thing up, take advantage of its skin care benefits. The fresh, watery consistency of the fruit is a great mask or exfoliator. Don't believe me? Try it yourself.

Body

Watermelon cubes: After a long hot day in the sun it is crucial to relieve the burn you have procured (if you forgot sunscreen). Slice some watermelon into cubes and freeze them for 30 minutes at most. Dump them into a pitcher of cool water and let sit until they have softened and melted. Get into the bath and pour the mixture over the sunburned areas. This also works with cucumbers too; because of their high water content and their silica and lycopene ingredients, they work wonders on damaged skin.

Face

Pink Exfoliator: Just mashing the watermelon pulp and scrubbing it all over your face is one of my simplest tricks. Because of the high water content you don't need to mix with water. You will, however, need to rinse.
Sunny sun burn trick: Mixing some mashed watermelon with 2 tsps of yogurt gives you two powerful ingredients to help relieve the sunburn on your face.

*Enjoy your summer days safely. The beautiful sun is the number one reason for skin damage, skin cancer and wrinkles. A little prevention goes a long way.

avocado

When you think avocado you probably think guacamole. And as you should - guacamole is way up there on the list of great inventions, right next to sliced bread and the automobile engine. But that's just my opinion.
I'm a fan of the avocado because it's such a powerful ally to your skin. Consider its long list of skin- strengthening ingredients (Vitamins A, C, E and iron, to name a few) and think about what those things can do for your skin. Vitamins A and E are hydrating and A can help prevent wrinkles. C is a rejuvenator and makes your skin look more polished.

As far as preparing these recipes go, you should make sure your avocado is ripe. Test this by taking it in your hand and gently squeezing it. The fruit should yield to your touch and peel very easily. To mash it you can use any utensil - even your hands!

Hair

Avocado Conditioner: For all these recipes, you can always mash a little avocado and apply it without mixing it with other ingredients. But that would be a boring blog, so here are some tips for mixing it up: 1/2 or 1 mashed avocado, 1 egg and 1 tsp olive oil. Apply to dry hair for 30 mins then shampoo and condition as usual.

Body

Smooth Hands: Make a scrub with 1/2 mashed avocado and enough brown sugar to make a paste. Gently rub your hands together and then leave the mixture on for 2o minutes. Rinse off and enjoy your smooth skin.

Face

Anti-Dry DIY: Simply slathering your face with 1/2 mashed avocado will do wonders for dry skin. F
or a scrub, you can use the same recipe as listed for the hands. My favorite is to put a slice of avocado under each eye for some serious miracle work.

when life gives you lemons

The seat belt in my car is stuck. This means it needs to be fixed. This means my parents will be driving me to my very first grown up job. This makes me feel like a child.
My parents are driving through three states and back just for me. This makes me feel worse. I know I'll forget all about this in a few weeks and not care, but I'd like to look forward to this next chapter instead of grumbling and moping. Life, it would seem, has given me lemons. So I'll use them as I prepare to leave, because I'll want to be fresh faced for my new job.
Now you know all about my day. But what you don't know is this: those vitamin C  products at the store? Don't waste your time. Vitamin C is only really valuable in dry form - OR straight from its natural source. So this won't help you. (The Body Shop does great things for the community, though, so it WILL help others if you buy it.) Lemons are cheap and they have so many different beneficial uses.

Face

Easy peasy bath: Adding 1/2 cup to a warm bath means detoxed skin all over. Vitamin C is rejuvenating and it cleanses exceptionally well. DO NOT use this remedy if you're a fan of the self-tan. It will turn you orange.

Hair

Lemon squeezy lightener: Ever lightened your hair with Sun In ? Stop paying for it. Add 1 part lemon juice and 1 part water in a spray bottle. Spray in and use the heat from the sun or a hair dryer to get some summer highlights.

Face

Lemon lightening:  I have too many tips to include here, so check out my wikispace for more links. One really easy tip is to rub a slice of lemon wherever you have blackheads once a day before bed. The lemon juice bleaches them (they're just a process of bacteria and oxidation so make it invisible!).
Cleansing scrub: A little squeeze of  a lemon and a little bit of sugar and you're ready to get rid of the day's grime.
Remember to put a little lemon in your water everyday for clean, fresh breath and a healthy liver.

tea

I haven't blogged lately because I had a very busy birthday week full of outings and celebration. When I finally had a free day, I sat and watched TV and drank tea. Tea is a great remedy for so many things. If I've had a bad day, I console myself with tea. If I'm sick, I drink tea to counteract the stuffed, trapped feeling my head is experiencing. On a cold, rainy day, nothing beats a cup of chai.
And, as you've probably guessed, tea is also great when you combine it with your skin-care regimen. Since green tea is a powerful antioxidant it can have several benefits such as strengthening your SPF and helping to slow the aging process. Try some of these simple tips for hydrated, energized skin. And brew a cup for you!

Hair

Lavender anti-dandruff rinse:  This one's easy - brew some lavender tea and pour it in your hair. Rinse after 15 minutes for shiny strands. I like this one at night, since lavender is a great de-stressor.

Body

Antioxidant bath: So many people forget the skin on their bodies, but taking care of yourself is easier than you think. Grab the thinnest washcloth you have (cheesecloth is best but it's not common in all kitchens) and wrap different tea leaves inside. I suggest some green tea, chamomile tea, and white tea. Secure the cloth around the nozzle of the bath and run warm water as usual. This way your bath is a big cup of tea without being messy.

Face

Tea toner: Freeze green tea in an ice cube tray and use them as a daily dose of toner.
Extra SPF: Add some green tea to your sun-screen for added protection - only if your sun-screen is made with zinc oxide, though! The tea can break down other chemicals.

olive oil

I have slightly sensitive skin. Some days I'm just like any other human, and other days I'm scaly like a tuna. Some days I'm glowy and others I'm ghostly. We all have our beauty ups and downs, but one ingredient that is a part of my beauty routine no matter what? Olive oil.
Olive oil has been praised for keeping the Mediterranean population so healthy - even Hippocrates knew how pretty he felt after. On my trip to Italy last summer I ate so much olive oil on my bread because they basically serve it in buckets and hoped I would be skinny like the Europeans the next day. That didn't work. But we can use olive oil to reap external benefits!
So why not? It's the easiest kitchen marvel to use - you can literally put it directly on your skin if you want. I have a few other tips and, I promise, you will NOT be disappointed.

Hair

Easy Conditioner: You can heat your 1/2 cup of olive oil in the microwave but, unless your microwave is in your bathroom (unsafe) it's a lot easier to heat it in the bathroom sink. Fill a travel-sized bottle with 1/2 cup olive oil. Fill the sink with hothothot water and place the bottle afloat in the sink while you shampoo your hair in the shower. Use it on the tips of your hair and leave on for as close to 30 minutes as you can.

Body

Easy moisturizing bath: Pour 1 cup of olive oil in the tub as it fills with water. This can leave a slippery film so make sure to wash it out after. Vinegar is good for that job!
**Shave easier: I haven' used shaving cream in years. It's such a waste of money when oil can do the same thing. I vary between baby oil and olive oil but they both do an exceptional job. The best part? There's no need to moisturize afterward! Just por some in your hand and rub it all over the area to be shaved and... well... shave! No need to rinse!

Face

Softer lips in the morning: Dab some on your lips before bed. Can taste a little weird if you don't like olive oil.
Moisturizing mask: A little olive oil, a little honey and an egg is all you need for this mask. This is great for dry skin or for a burst of moisture in the winter.

**One of my favorite tips. Try this!

Summer Nectarines!

I was so pleased when my mother and I picked up a few nectarines at the store today. They mean SUMMER and heat and beaches... And while they're one of my favorite hot-weather treats, they're also packed with lutein and other antioxidants which are great firming agents for the skin. Due to their high water content they are also cleansing and moisturizing. Now all I have to do is try not to eat them all so I can do these tricks. Make sure you pit and dice the nectarine before trying it!

Body

Summer body scrub: Blend one nectarine and 2 tbsp honey with 1 tbsp raw sugar in a blender. This makes just a small batch so you may have to make more. It smells extraordinary and summery and lays a great foundation for lotions to absorb into the skin.

Face

Nectarine firming mask: 1 egg and 1 nectarine is all you need. Whip in a blender and apply.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

banananana

Bananas are amazing. They're delicious, they're full of much needed potassium and they can be a powerful anti-aging treatment for the face. These things you may already know, but what you might be unfamiliar with is this: the peel of a banana is brimming with lutein, a very powerful antioxidant.
All of these recipes and tips are fantastic, but they will make you smell like you belong in the produce aisle, so I suggest trying these before bed! Also, make sure the  bananas are ripe!

Hair

Simple hair conditioner: This recipe is easy and can be stored in a travel-sized shampoo bottle in the shower. Mix 1 banana and 1/4 cup ofhoney. Mash until the mixture is as smooth as you want it to be and apply it to hair after shampoo.

Body

Moisturizing hand treatment: 1 banana and 2 tbsp of milk are all your hands need to feel like new.

Face

Anti-aging mask: Many recipes call for a complex concoction of many ingredients. But really, all you need is 1 banana and either some oats (just enough to make a good paste) or some plain yogurt. These ingredients are moisturizing and the yogurt helps speed cell-turnover. Leave it on for as long as you like.
Banana peel cure: Rubbing the inside of a banana peel on acne, psoriasis, warts and even poison ivy speeds the healing of all these pains. Do it twice a week and you'll see a difference.

eggs to the rescue

Eggs are odd. I get a little disgusted by the concept of eating them but I still think they're delicious. They are full of protein so they're a great addition to vegetarian meals but the protein they carry can also noticeably firm the skin and condition hair. Your skin and hair benefit greatly from the enormous amount of protein that is naturally found in eggs, which means you can make your own masks for less than half the cost of firming creams.

Hair

Conditioning and revitalizing hair mask: Hair is "dead", I know. But it could use some tlc nonetheless. A lot of recipes call for 1 egg mixed with 1 tbsp of water but I'm a fan of using the egg on its own. Whip it, leave it on for 15 minutes (under a shower cap for best effect) and rinse out.

Body

Eggs Benedict: Crack two eggs and plop them into a running bath. Easiest tip of them all!

Face

Firming mask: So many recipes tell you to use only the egg whites for this mask. For no reason at all... except for maybe women are so scared that the yolk will make them fat apparently even if they put it on their faces. But the yolk is an important part of the protein count so whip one egg and pat it on your face. Leave on for 20 minutes and remove with a moist towel.
Firming eye-mask: Yes, I could have included this in the face mask above... but you actually don't need to rinse this one off. AND, you're only using the egg white here because the yolk would be too heavy to leave on. To do this brilliant trick, whip one egg whit till foamy and pat a thin layer under the eye. Once it dries, you can swipe another thin layer over it or skip to applying lotion and makeup as usual. This trick is great if you haven't gotten a lot of sleep the night before.

Vinegar Wonder

Today a friend of mine came over for supper. We ate salmon burgers (my new favorite thing) and a salad which I promptly smothered in balsamic vinaigrette. This inspired me to enlighten you on the magic of the all powerful vinegar.
This elixir does more than wake up the flavor of food and potentially help you lose weight, it's also a godsend to your skin. Vinegar regulates the pH of your skin, improves circulation to the face (think rosy cheeks and fresh skin-tone) as well as remove excess oil from the skin's surface. All this action for much less than any cleanser or lotion at a drugstore. So grab some magic and use these tips!

Hair

Buildup remover: Yes, I boasted of vinegar's magical skin-saving qualities, but it does wonders for hair that's full of product build-up and it creates shine. Mix 1 part (apple or regular) vinegar and one part water and pour all over hair after shampooing. Rinse as much as desired.

Body

Cleansing bath: Pour up to a cup of vinegar into bathwater. Relax and reap the benefits!

Face

Vinegar washer: Cleanse skin with your regular face wash and follow with a mixture 1 tbsp to 1 cup as a toner.

Vinegar cooler: Make vinegar ice cubes and place on a zit in the morning to reduce swelling and speed up the healing process.

What's in your cup?

I am one of the few people I know who can call themselves a morning person. I'm always excited to get out of bed because I can't wait to have a cup of coffee in the morning.
Pathetic, I know.
But coffee is getting a better rep every day (perhaps because even researchers can't wait to sip their morning cup) and the good news keeps coming. Another great  reason to buy a bag of beans? It does wonders for your skin when applied topically. The caffeine in coffee acts as an "antioxidant, a diuretic and a vasoconstrictor" experts say. Since caffeine is a diuretic and a vasoconstrictor, it can provide relief of puffy eyes and make it look like you've gotten all the sleep you need. So brew a cup of beauty and follow these simple recipes for a brighter day.

Body

Cellulite treatment: I suggest placing something on the floor to collect any mess this will inevitable make. Use 1 cup of warm, wet coffee grinds and mix with 1/2 cup of olive oil, mix well and spread all over area. Now for the weird part: wrap plastic wrap around what you've applied and leave on for 20 minutes. Do it twice a week for a noticeable difference.

Hair

Espresso rinse for shiny hair: Make the strongest espresso you can and pour the warm brew over dry hair. After twenty minutes, rinse it out and enjoy your shiny hair. NOTE: this recipe is NOT for those with colored hair (read: your hair will go brassy)

Face

Eye-depuffer:  put just a little bit of warm, wet coffee grinds in a moist paper towel and place over eyes. Not working? Chill this caffeine pouch in the freezer for five - ten minutes.

Brightening scrub: Mix 1 egg white with 1/2 cup of warm, wet coffee grinds and use as a scrub. Have dry skin? Mix the grinds with olive oil or honey!

Honey, Honey!

Honey is by far my favorite skin- and hair-care product so it is only fitting that it be my first blog post on Pretty Natural! Honey is a natural anti-bacterial so, used as a face mask, it can clear the grime and hidden dirt from the pores. It is also incredibly moisturizing  - and it works for all skin types! This treat is the bees' knees and truly the gold standard of organic face-care.

My favorite use of (organic) honey is to just slather it on as a face mask as is. Sticky? Yes, but it washes off easily with lukewarm water - no soap necessary!

Here are some other great recipes:

Hair
§A conditioning treatment for split ends: 1/2 of honey + 2 tbsp to 1/4 cup of olive oil. If you have thin or fine hair (like me!) apply the mixture from ends of hair and stop right under the ears. If any conditioning treatments get too close to the roots your hair will be flat and greasy. 


Body
§A moisturizing bath: Add one cup of honey to a warm bath. Add milk if you have a sunburn or sensitive skin or oatmeal* if you crave even more moisture.

Face
§A facial scrub and mask: Mix equal parts honey and brown sugar. Apply to face and massage lightly using the tips of the fingers (not the nails!) This is also great for any rough spots on the body (think elbows, hands, and feet).
§Cleansing and rejuvenating mask: Mix 1/2 cup honey + 1 whipped egg and apply for twenty minutes. Honey softens and egg brightens!




*If you plan to add oatmeal to your bath but dread cleaning it out of the tub use this trick: Wrap a cup of oatmeal in some gauze and tie it around the nozzle of the tub. This way the water runs through the oatmeal, deposits the benefits into the warm bath water, and is easy to clean up!