This mask gently cleanses the skin, and mildly exfoliates too.  Great for blemished skin too!

Simple apple mask

1-2 teaspoons organic applesauce
½ teaspoon organic honey or agave
1 drop lavender essential oil or chamomile essential oil

Mix the applesauce with the honey.  Add the drop of essential oil and stir well.
Leave on the skin for 10-15 minutes (5 minutes if your skin is really sensitive).  Rinse well.  Follow with a toner and either an oil, oil based serum or elixir, cream, or lotion.  Use 1-2 times a week.  Make fresh each time (or label and then store the excess in the fridge for 2-3 days).

Add more honey or agave if the mask is too thin.  Or add more applesauce or a little spring water if you want a thinner mask. 

Apples contain malic acid, which gently exfoliates the skin.  Apples are also rich sources of vitamins (such as A) and minerals.  Be sure to get a brand that is unsweetened (so pure apples, no other added ingredients).

Honey and agave soften the skin, and are also rich in nutrients.  Agave is a vegan ingredient.

Lavender and chamomile essential oils are anti-inflammatory and soothing.  For chamomile essential oil, either roman chamomile  (latin name: Chamaemelum nobile.  Sometimes still called Anthemis nobilis) or german chamomile (latin name: are Matricaria recutita.  Sometimes still called Matricaria chamomilla) can be used in this mask.


About The Author:

Li Wong has a B.A. in Environmental Studies (Biology) and a M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy.  She has been crafting natural cosmetics and studying aromatherapy and herbalism since 2001, and is currently a student of Jeanne Rose’s Aromatherapy Studies Course.  Environmental interests include conservation, botany, ethnobotany (uses of plants by indigenous peoples), mammals, organic standards in cosmetics, urban wildlife issues, environmental education and awareness, and public perception.  She is the owner of  Earth Alkemie, an all natural, vegetarian skin care and mineral makeup company.

http://www.earthalkemie.com/

 For more information on environmental issues, Eco Living, natural cosmetics, aromatherapy, and herbalism check out: Solarkat’s Eco Blog.  http://solarkatecoblogspot.com

If you have any questions on Eco Living please feel free to contact Li at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

     Many of the plant-based culinary oils you use in the kitchen can play a dual role in promoting and maintaining skin health not just in the dead of winter, but also throughout the year. Vegetable and nut oils like coconut, high-oleic safflower or sunflower, extra virgin olive, almond, or avocado are not only healthful when consumed internally, but can also be highly effective at hydrating, moisturizing, and protecting your skin when applied topically. Each of these oils is commonly found in natural skin care products where their unique characteristics and benefits are often combined to enhance or augment a product's effectiveness. For the best possible results, I always recommend products that use these oils as their primary base because you can realize their immediate benefits without exposing yourself or the environment to the harmful toxins found in products made with petroleum or synthetic ingredients.

     When I was younger and heard the word 'meditation', an image of some old man sitting Indian style on the floor with a long beard wearing a turban and a robe, chanting OM would form in my mind. I thought only strange people did that sort of thing. This is what my conditioned mind was telling me.  It's amazing how we learn to judge people and events we have no clue about. 

     I'm not really sure what lead me to meditate for the first time. It may have been a longing to rid myself of the anxiety I was dealing with a few years after my father passed away.  Whatever it was, I am so glad that meditation has become a part of my daily ritual.  It's not a weird thing at all. Actually, if you become open to trying it, you will soon see that you look forward to that time with yourself everyday.  Meditation brings harmony and peacefulness to your mind and body. Without it, life is more stressful and unbalanced.

     Italian vinaigrette, tomato & mozzarella salad, spaghetti with garlic & oil, and ...shampoo?? What do all these share in common?...One classic ingredient: Olive oil.

     We often think of olive oil as a food, and most times, it certainly is.  We cook with it, make dressings with it, dip crusty breads into it…but along with being a delicious and healthy food, it is also wonderfully healthy for our skin. 

     Olive oil is made from the pressing of ripe olives, and is known to be excellent when applied to very dry, normal, sensitive, or sun-damaged skin.  It is deeply penetrating and rich in vitamins and minerals. Due to its high vitamin E content, olive oil is also a potent antioxidant, warding off free-radical damage to the skin and preventing cancer.  It is warming to the skin in cold weather, and has been known to help improve muscular pains. When applied topically, olive oil has been proven to be beneficial on skin abrasions, bruises, and burns (FYI – it also blocks about 20% of the harmful UV rays from the sun!).