Sea Salt & Sunshine Recipe from Jana Blankenship

Dry skin is a nightmare for so many of us during the fall and winter months. Luckily, Jana Blankenship, founder of Captain Blankenship products and author of Wild Beauty: Wisdom & Recipes for Natural Self-Care, has the recipe for smooth, hydrated cold weather skin. 

Sea Salt & Sunshine Scrub Recipe 

YIELD: 8 OUNCES

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup fine sea salt, or mix of fine and medium grain
• 1⁄4 cup coconut oil, or more as desired
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vitamin E
• 20 drops sweet orange essential oil
• 10 drops lemongrass essential oil
• Optional: 1 tablespoon shea butter

 

ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT

8-ounce glass jar with lid

 

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix ingredients together in bowl with spoon. (If coconut oil is hard, you can melt quickly and add to mixture once cool. If you want to add shea butter for even more nourishment, do the same thing.)

Once mixed, with spoon, scoop scrub into jar with lid.

Use once or twice weekly or as desired; by rubbing salt with dry, clean fingers in circular motion all over body and feet.

Rinse well.

If stored out of direct sunlight, will keep for up to a year (if water is kept out of jar).

DIY Try: Pumpkin Foot Scrub

Boot season is finally upon us, but just because our toes aren't showing doesn't mean that we no longer have to take care of our feet. Celebrity nail artist and owner of As U Wish Nail Salon, Skyy Hadley, gives us the recipe for her Pumpkin Foot Scrub to maintain our pedicures into the fall. 

“Pumpkins are more than just for carving on Halloween,” she notes. “They’re rich in vitamins and nutrients and can do wonders for your feet!” According to Hadley, they contain, “various enzymes that help nourish and brighten the skin, and just by adding raw sugar, you have a perfect foot scrub."

PUMPKIN FOOT SCRUB
Ingredients:
1 can pureed pumpkin
1 cup plain yogurt
½ cup raw sugar

2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon olive oil

Directions:
Mix pureed pumpkin in a bowl. Stir in a yogurt, honey, sugar and olive oil. Wash your feet in warm water, and while your feet are moist, apply the scrub using your hands in a circular motion. Massage the mask onto your feet for 10 minutes on each foot and remove with warm water and a washcloth.

DIY Try: Raw Honey Hair Mask

Dry Scalp is a huge, annoying issue. And thanks to Youbeauty expert Julie Ricevuto, you can handle it without spending tons of money on salon visits and hair products. Actually, all you need is a little honey.
Raw Honey Hair Mask
Why It Works: Raw honey is naturally moisturizing, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory, and conducive to healing. This mask is super hydrating, so it’s a great option in the summer when the source of your dandruff is an overly dry, irritated scalp.
How To Use It: Mix two tablespoons coconut or olive oil with 1 tablespoon honey and heat in the microwave for a few seconds until warm enough to spread easily. Massage the mixture onto your scalp, then cover with a shower cap for 30 minutes to an hour. Rinse well, and enjoy not just a soothed, flake-free scalp, but gorgeously soft, shiny hair as a result.

DIY Try: Lemon Poppy Seed Cookie Scrub

Just in time for summer, YouBeauty Expert Julie Ricevuto gives is the recipe for her Lemon Poppy Seed Cookie Scrub!

Ingredients:
4 lemone
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup cornmeal
½ cup coconut oil

Directions: Zest the lemons, then leave the zest to dry for one to two hours. (If you don’t have a zester, remove the lemon peel with a vegetable peeler and then mince the peel with a knife.) In a bowl, mix poppy seeds, sugar, cornmeal, vanilla and lemon zest. Pour the oil over the ingredients and mix to combine. Store in a sealed jar for up to three months.