3 Homemade Beauty Recipes The Experts Swear By

We've all heard that coconut oil can remove make-up, avocado makes for an amazing face mask and salt is a natural body scrub; but what we don't know is how to actually create a beauty product using items lurking in our kitchen.

Well now cosmetic experts Juliette Goggin and Abi Righton have put together 37 luscious recipes for the face, body and hair in their new book Handmade Beauty which feature step-by-step illustrations for those of us who can't even cook-up spaghetti bolognese let alone a purifying mask.

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Take a look at three of our favourite recipes from the book below:

Fresh and Instant Pineapple and Yoghurt Smoothie Clay Mask

Feel free to raid the fridge to make a simple, fresh face mask. The thick consistency of Greek yoghurt, which helps both to tighten pores and smooth fine lines, is particularly suited to a mask. Pineapple is excellent as a skin-brightening and exfoliating ingredient owing to the bromelain enzyme found in the fruit. However, it is very powerful and not recommended for sensitive skin.

Makes approx. 100g (3½oz)

INGREDIENTS
5 x 2.5-cm (1-inch) fresh pineapple chunks
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
2 tbsp aloe vera juice
kaolin (white clay), to required consistency

Try substituting kaolin with coconut flour or, for drier skin, oat flour.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
knife
chopping board
kitchen blender
spatula

SAFE STORAGE
Make and use fresh. Keeps for up to 3 days when stored in the fridge.

HOW TO APPLY
It will smell deliciously of pineapple, but don’t be tempted to drink the mask. Use immediately. Apply to clean skin, avoiding the eyes, and leave for only a few minutes, removing the mixture as soon as the skin feels tight or sensitized; 3–5 minutes will be enough for most normal to oily skins. Rinse off with plenty of warm water and pat skin dry. Any remaining mixture can be stored in the fridge, but should be used within a few days.

Step 1
Peel and chop the pineapple into 2.5-cm (1-inch) chunks. Don’t worry too much about the precise size of the chunks, but make sure you chop off any tough core.

Step 2
Place the pineapple, Greek yoghurt and aloe vera juice in a blender and blitz until smooth. Using a spatula, transfer the mixture into a small bowl.

Step 3
Add the kaolin to make a smooth, semi-thick consistency, stirring with a stainless steel teaspoon. The mask will be a soft yellow colour and resemble a smoothie.

Lavender and Rosemary Bath Soak with Milk Powder

The rich blend of milk powder and sweet almond oil in this recipe helps to soften and condition the skin. Epsom salts are detoxifying, and the essential oil of lavender will soothe the senses after a long day. Rosemary leaves are optional and add a lovely, fresh herbal scent to the powder.

Makes approx. 200g (7oz)

INGREDIENTS
178g (6¼oz) dried milk powder
4g (¾ tsp) unperfumed soap
10g (¼oz) Epsom salts
4ml (¾ tsp) sweet almond oil
optional: 1 tsp dried rosemary leaves
20 drops lavender essential oil
20 drops rosemary essential oil
40 drops grapefruit seed extract (as a preservative)

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
baking tray (cookie sheet)
chopping board
grater
mixing bowl or Kilner jar, for mixing

SAFE STORAGE
Store in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Keeps for up to 3 months. If you are using fresh rosemary, store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

HOW TO USE
Add a few spoonfuls to warm running water, then relax in the bath for at least 20 minutes.

Tip
If available, fresh rosemary is a great substitute for dried leaves; it will make the powder really fragrant and refreshing. The leaves should be washed and dried before use. Fresh leaves are heavier than dried, so you can add slightly more in weight. Chop very finely with a kitchen knife or scissors.

Step 1
Pour the milk powder onto a baking tray (cookie sheet) and place in an oven heated to 100°C (212°F) for 30 minutes o destroy any microbes. Remove and set aside to cool.

Step 2
Over a chopping board, grate the soap using the fine side of a grater. Set aside. Weigh the remaining ingredients, including the dried or fresh rosemary leaves (if using), into a bowl or a sterilized Kilner jar.

Step 3
Add the cooled milk powder and grated soap to the bowl or jar, and stir to mix thoroughly. Pour into a sterilized, airtight jar, or seal in the Kilner jar. Label with the date and ingredients used.

Linseed Anti-Frizz Styling Gel

Based on nourishing linseeds, this fast-drying styling gel moisturizes hair and defines curls without stiffness or crunchiness. Very simple to create and using only a couple of inexpensive store-cupboard ingredients, it’s a recipe that deserves to be tried out by anyone with hard-to-tame wavy or curly hair.

Makes approx. 500ml (17fl oz)

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp linseeds (flaxseeds)
500ml (17fl oz) spring water
optional: 20 drops grapefruit seed extract (as a preservative) per 100ml (3½fl oz)

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
thermometer
sieve (sifter)
large jug

SAFE STORAGE
If you do not add a preservative, make and use fresh. Keeps for up to 3 days when stored in the fridge. Otherwise, store in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Keeps for up to three months.

HOW TO APPLY
After shampooing, apply the gel to damp hair and either leave to dry naturally or blow-dry hair using a diffuser.

Tip
You can also dilute the gel to use as a sprayable version, in which case you will need to ensure that you add additional preservative to the larger volume of liquid.

Step 1
Weigh out the linseeds (flaxseeds), and measure the water into a jug. Pour the
linseeds and water into a pan, and heat to 70–80°C (158–176°F).

Step 2
Simmer for about 30 minutes. The mixture will thicken and gain an increasingly gel-like consistency the longer you leave it, but this varies depending on the seeds’ freshness.

Step 3
Pour the mixture into a sieve (sifter) and allow the gel to drip into a bowl, leaving behind the linseed husks. You can use a spoon

Step 4
If you plan to keep the gel for further use, weigh the sieved gel and add preservative (as per the Ingredients list). Pour into a sterilized, airtight jar, and label as usual.

Text and images from Handmade Beauty by Juliette Goggin and Abi Righton (Jacqui Small) $39.99, photography by Amanda Heywood available now in all good bookstores and online.