Food and DIY beauty go hand in hand -- if you didn't know, a ton of foods have crazy-good benefits for your skin + hair besides being totally delicious to eat. So you can imagine how the brainstorm went down when we were chatting about how ingredients from our favorite meal of the season -- Thanksgiving, of course -- can be used after dinner is served, specifically in the beauty realm. Before you insert WTF here, think about it, you guys: How often do you have extra ingredients while you are cooking? If you are like me, it's always! And, as we found after doing a little research, it turns out there are a ton of active ingredients in a lot of your favorite Thanksgiving foods. The more you know, right?
You're already spending a lot of time in the kitchen pouring all sorts of love into the delicious meal you're making for your crew, so why not go the extra mile and use your Thanksgiving leftovers to create a major DIY beauty moment? Whether you use this as an after-dinner way to bond even more with your fam or as gifts for your friends + co-workers this holiday season, here are five literally delicious DIY beauty treatments to make this season using staple TG dinner ingredients.
How to Make DIY Cranberry-Sugar Lip Scrub
The oils and antioxidants in cranberries can help relieve redness and ward off wrinkles on your skin. Coconut oil is a soothing and delicious carrier oil that will help your muddled cranberries and sugar blend together to create a delicious therapeutic lip scrub that will leave your pucker radiantly kissable!
Materials:
-6-10 skinned fresh cranberries
-1 Tablespoon coconut oil
-⅓ cup Sugar in the Raw
Instructions:
First, peel the cranberries as best as you can and add them to your mixing bowl. Then add in the raw sugar and coconut oil. When you stir, the coconut oil will begin to emulsify and blend the cranberries and sugar together. This batch will make enough to fill a large jar, or you can use these little plastic containers and make a set to give out to a few friends.
Simply apply to your lips and slough off dead skin and hydrate at the same time. I dare you NOT to eat this stuff.
How to Make DIY Sweet Potato-Brown Sugar Scrub
Sweet potatoes are delicious to eat and happen to be loaded with Omega 3, fatty acids magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc and vitamins A, B, C, K and E! Eating this is a game changer for your skin, but applying it topically is also great for treating oily skin and easing dark circles, all while adding moisture. Brown sugar acts as a gentle exfoliant, while the ginger can help improve your complexion and calm your skin with its anti-inflammatory properties.
Materials:
-½ cup sweet potato, cubed
-1 cup brown sugar
-1 Tablespoon coconut oil
-4 Tablespoons minced ginger
Instructions:
Add your brown sugar, ginger, sweet potatoes and coconut oil to your bowl, give it a good mix with a fork and then package in a jar! Super easy!
You can use this on your face or body.
How to Make a DIY Red Wine-Chamomile Face Mask
Yeah, putting red wine on your face is actually a thing. It's full of antioxidants and tannins that are fabulous for your skin when applied directly. This can help fight wrinkles and free radicals, and can also help restore collagen and elastic fibers. After seeing several DIY recipes and beauty treatment using red wine, I customized this special concoction here that will soothe, treat and protect your skin.
Materials:
-1 Tablespoon red wine
-1 chamomile tea bag
-1 Tablespoon greek yogurt
-2 Tablespoons honey
Instructions:
Start out by steeping your chamomile tea bag -- this is going to help activate the herbs inside. Set that aside and then add the yogurt and honey to the bowl. After you mix the honey and yogurt together, remove the herbs from inside the tea bag and mix it into your bowl with the red wine. Once blended, you can pour mixture into a jar.
Apply with a makeup brush and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with cool water and pat dry.
How to Make DIY Apple Cider Vinegar-Pomegranate Face Toner
Apple cider vinegar is a super hero all by itself when it comes to health and our skin. Adding the pomegranate, which is known to be high in antioxidants and vitamins, will not only make this toner smell amazing, but it will help to treat age spots and fine lines too.
Materials:
-seeds from ½ a pomegranate
-apple cider vinegar
-orange zest
Instructions:
First pull out the seeds from half of a pomegranate and then muddle them to release all the juice. Strain the juice into your jar, add the ACV and a little orange zest and you are good to go!
After you wash your face, apply this toner with a cotton ball. You don't have to rinse off! Follow up with any serums or moisturizer after you apply.
How to Make a DIY Pumpkin Pie Face Mask
Pumpkin is packed with vitamins A + C, antioxidants and zinc, which combined offer healing, soothing protection properties. The puree also has enzymes that when applied to your skin can act as an exfoliant that removes dead skin cells, tightening and brightening your skin. The honey is an added moisturizing agent that helps soothe while the cinnamon acts as an antibacterial agent to help purify and tone your skin.
Materials:
-¼ cup canned pumpkin
-4 Tablespoons honey
-½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions:
Simply add your pumpkin (fresh or canned), honey and cinnamon to a bowl, mix and package!
Apply to your skin using a makeup brush and let sit for 10-15 minutes. You will feel a slight tingle -- that is the enzymes in the pumpkin working!! If it's too strong, take off sooner. Rinse with cool water and pat dry!
If this does not make you hungry, I don't know what will! Not only will your tummies be happy this holiday, but your skin will too -- have fun with this!
For more holiday hacks, pleas visit brit.co!
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