Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Natural Beauty in the Bush!

   Once upon a time, I used  to be a beauty blogger.
   I’d write about products that moved me. Lived in my beloved Sephora. And I’d always concoct my own beauty “recipes” using what I had in my kitchen pantry.
  Since I now live in the bush of Africa, my beauty routine is heavily reliant on natural and unsuspecting things. So all of that practice from back in the day has helped me a lot here.
   Read on:

-Green tea bags: I drink green tea almost every day. And when I’m done with the bag, I’ll use it to tone my face because green tea helps to shrink pores and gives my skin a nice glow.

-Honey: I put honey on everything: my tea, on my pancakes and even on my face! I live for my honey facials, which I do 2-3 times a week. Honey naturally retains water, which makes it a good skin softener and moisturizer.

-Chapstick: Yes, Chapstick! I use Chapstick to moisturize my cuticles. Read this in a beauty magazine a few years ago. The pros use this tip and so do I J.

-Brown sugar: I make my own hand and foot scrub using one cup each of brown sugar and olive oil, and 1 teaspoon each of nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla extract. The sugar acts as a natural exfoliant, gently sloughing off dead skin, while the oil moisturizes hands and feet. The spices and extract leave a pleasant scent. I sometimes use this scrub on my face, especially if I’m out of honey.

-A toothbrush: I gently brush my face with a toothbrush about 2-3 times a week. Like the sugar scrub, the bristles on the toothbrush slough off dead skin from my face. This is another cheap exfoliant that you probably have on hand or in a care package!

   When I agreed to join the Peace Corps, my beauty routine was the least of my worries. 
   I had spent several years creating, experimenting, mixing and making body concoctions with ingredients used from my kitchen. 
   It’s a skill that’s served me – and my body – very well here in Lesotho!

2 comments:

  1. I can't wait to try these. Is your beauty blog still up?

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    1. Hi Inspired Canvas! This initially was my beauty blog but I didn't have time to change the URL before I left for Lesotho. Feel free to go back and look at my older posts. You'll see exactly how far this blog has come!

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