You will find that they leave your skin feeling like a million bucks. If cost is a concern, check prices online before choosing a certain recipe. Keep in mind that the more essential oil that the recipe calls for, the more expensive it is to make. In places that the essential oil is more for light fragrance than for necessity to the recipe, it is marked as ‘optional.’ Any essential oils marked this way can be omitted or changed to a scent that you prefer. For those not marked optional, you need them for the recipe to work like it should.

By packaging the moisturizers in small Mason jars, you leave yourself open to decorate and give as gifts in a pinch. Place a bit of colorful fabric over the flat lid to the jar, screw the ring on, wrap a color coordinated ribbon around the ring and add a personal tag and you have a ready to give, organic skin care gift from the heart. Just be sure that you are willing to share the recipe or they may drive you crazy wanting more!

Quick and Simple Moisturizer:

Jojoba Oil is great for any skin type and absorbs easily. Apply a small amount to your freshly cleaned face before you dry it. The water on your face is very important to the use of this oil as a moisturizer. For added enjoyment, mix a drop of your favorite organic essential oil to the jojoba just before application. For anti-aging help, use one teaspoon of jojoba and a dab of active royal jelly (found in refrigerated in health food stores); keep your royal jelly refrigerated or it becomes inactive and no good to you.

Anti-aging Dry Skin Moisturizer

4 ounces shea butter

2 ounces organic olive oil

2 teaspoons organic vitamin E oil, 5000 IU

1 teaspoon active royal jelly (refrigerated section of health food stores)

6 drops organic lavender essential oil

Mix all ingredients on high until smooth and creamy. Store refrigerated in an airtight container. It is necessary to make small amounts of this at a time and keep refrigerated because of the active royal jelly. This is an awesome ingredient for its healing properties and well worth the effort.

Super Simple Moisturizer

With only 2 necessary ingredients, this one is a breeze. Mix 1/4 cup pure aloe vera gel (directly from plant) and 2 tablespoons organic vegetable glycerin. This amount is for use over the entire body. Use immediately because aloe vera gel begins to lose potency immediately. For added effects, you can add 3 or 4 drops of your favorite essential oil or you can add 1/2 teaspoon of active royal jelly for anti aging effects. Active royal jelly must be kept refrigerated to remain active and can be found in refrigerated sections of health food stores.

Dry Skin Moisturizing Cream

This moisturizer has the healing qualities of aloe vera, the anti-oxidant qualities of Vitamin E, and a variety of oils specifically chosen to infuse dry, tired skin with moisture and a renewed radiance.

1/3 cup aloe vera gel (taken directly from plant)

1/4 cup beeswax (liquefied)

1/3 cup coconut oil

3 drops grape seed extract

6 drops of organic lavender essential oil (optional)

3/4 cup organic olive oil

1/4 tsp vitamin E (5000 IU)

2/3 cup water (distilled)

Combine olive oil, coconut oil, and beeswax and melt in a large, microwave safe bowl then pour in blender and let cool until it is about as thick as a milkshake.

While the above is cooling, combine your water, aloe, essential oil, vitamin E, and grape seed extract in a large liquid measuring cup, pour this into blender when the other mixture has cooled enough. Blend until smooth and creamy.

If you are lucky enough to have a heavy duty kitchen mixer (the kind that is on its own stand with its own bowls), you may find that it works better for you because the mixture does become very heavy.

Store refrigerated in small Mason jars.

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1 cup Aloe Vera gel 1-teaspoon lanolin 1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil 1/3-cup coconut oil 1/2 to 3/4 ounce beeswax 3/4 cup almond oil 1 ½ teaspoons essential oil Use a blender (or food processor) to mix the Aloe Vera gel, lanolin, & vitamin E oil. Microwave coconut oil & beeswax in a glass container on high 30 seconds, and stir. Repeat heating in 10-second blocks until fully melted. Stir in almond oil, reheating if necessary. Run blender or processor at low to medium speed, and then pour in melted oils in thin stream. As the oil is blended in, the cream will turn white and blender’s motor will start to grind. As soon as melted oils are added and you’ve achieved mayonnaise-like consistency, stop the blender; add essential oil and pulse-blend. Do not over blend. Transfer cream to glass jars while still warm – the lotion will thicken quickly. This lotion really absorbs well and leaves no residue on skin. This recipe makes two cups.

2. Oats & Aloe Vera Exfoliant for your skin

1 tablespoon finely ground oats 1 tablespoon finely ground almonds 1-teaspoon honey 1-tablespoon Aloe Vera gel Combine ingredients in a bowl and stir until well mixed. Apply to face and neck skin after cleansing and before toner is applied, using gentle circular motions. Rinse well with warm water and gently pat excess moisture from face. Follow with facial mask.

3. Aloe Vera Face Mask for Healing and Soothing

(Great for sensitive and dry skin, especially after sun bathing) Ingredients: -3 TBS pure and certified organic aloe Vera juice -1 drop Helycrisum essential oil -1 drop Rose essential oil Combine all ingredients and apply mixture evenly on face and neck. Leave it on for at least 7 minutes and rinse with warm water. Pat dry, and apply the following “healing and soothing” aromatic blend, prepared in advance in a 10-ml bottle filled with vegetable oil: -1 drop Neroli essential oil -3 drops Lavender essential oil

4. Aloe Vera Skin Toner

Soak a cotton pad with pure aloe Vera gel and use it to freshen your skin and remove excess oil. Use daily, following with moisturizer. This is especially good for normal and oily skin and is a great overall toner. Dilute the gel 50/50 with spring water if you have sensitive skin. You can also use the juice of a leaf from your aloe plant. Cut off the amount you are going to use, and put the remainder of the leaf in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. The leaf will keep for about 3 days.

5. Floral Aloe Vera Gel

1/2 cup Aloe Vera gel (available in most natural food stores) 1 tbsp. dried lavender flowers or 3 tbsp. fresh. 1 tbsp. dried calendula flowers or 3 tbsp. fresh. 1. Mix together the aloe Vera gel with the lavender and Calendula flowers in an ovenproof glass container, then heat the container gently by sitting it in a hot water bath on the stovetop. 2. Let the mixture cool completely, and then pour it through a clean, fine strainer (to remove all of the solids) into a clean container.

6. Exfoliating Foot Mask

1/2-cup oatmeal 1/2-cup cornmeal 1/2-cup coarse salt 1/2 cup unscented body lotion 4 tablespoons Aloe Vera gel in a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Slide feet into mixture and rub, beginning at toes, working up to heel and ankle. Do one foot at a time, rinsing in a separate bowl of warm water.

7. Exfoliating Aloe Vera Face Mask

4 Tbsp. Pumpkin puree 1 Tbsp. Honey 4 tsp. Cornmeal 2 tsp. Aloe Vera gel 2 tsp. Pineapple, diced 1 tsp. Green tea 1/2 tsp. Sunflower oil 6 drops frankincense essential oil (optional) 4 drops cinnamon extract (optional) Directions Steep green tea in boiling water. Set aside to cool. In blender or food processor puree pineapple and place in medium-sized mixing bowl. Add pumpkin, honey and aloe. Mix well. Stir in sunflower oil, green tea and cornmeal. Discard the remaining green tea. Add frankincense and cinnamon. Stir. Apply small amount of pumpkin mask to cheeks, forehead, chin and neck. Massage in circular motions gently buffing skin. Repeat. Apply more product as needed. Leave a thin layer of pumpkin mask on face and neck for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with tepid or cool water and pat dry with soft towel. Follow with appropriate moisturizer. Store remaining mask covered in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Benefits: Pumpkin enzymes dissolve dead skin cells while the cornmeal sweeps them clean. Honey has antimicrobial properties as well as moisturizes and softens. The result is a beautiful glowing complexion. Use this mask as often as you like.

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A good skin care product is only as good as its ingredients. Make sure to read the label before you buy. If you are unable to pronounce anything on the bottle, move on to something else. The best skin care products are made with natural ingredients. Look for a formula with Aloe Vera and vitamin E for a great complexion. You want a skin care line that keeps you looking your best, while feeling great on your skin. Cleansers and creams shouldn’t burn or sting. Depending on your skin type, you may find that formulas that contain alcohol can actually aggravate your problem. So do your homework beforehand. If you have a specific problem like acne or sun damage, you will want to find a skin care line that focuses on your problem areas. Benzyl peroxide has been known to work wonders on acne, while alpha-hydroxy helps improve the appearance of wrinkles or sun damage.

If you have dry skin, you will want to find a formula that helps replenish the moisture in your face. Products made with Aloe Vera and Vitamin E are particularly good at this. Look for skin care lines that come in a cream or a lotion form. A good humidifier used at night may also help improve your complexion. Always remember that excess washing can actually dry your face out further, so limit your washings to once or twice a day.

If you are plagued by oily skin, you may find that acne is a major problem for you. Here again excess washing can aggravate the problem, so limit washings to once or twice a day. Follow up your skin care routine with a quality astringent or toner. This will help control the amount of oil on your face, and reduce the number of breakouts.

Combination skin can be a tricky situation. You have patches of dry skin as well as oilier regions. Look for a formula that is specifically designed for your type of skin. Oil absorbing masks applied to the T-zone (your forehead, nose, and chin) once a week will help control oil and breakouts.

No matter what type of skin you have, you should have no trouble finding a skin care line to suite your needs. The key is to understand what different ingredients do. Research anything that you don’t understand- and don’t be fooled into thinking that a product has to be expensive to work. Some of the best products on the market cost less than $10 dollars a bottle!

About The Author Ellen Kennedy is a freelance health writer and contributing author to http://fixoilyskin.info [broken link removed] – a site that provides free skin care information and tips.

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