Grapefruit Salicylic Acid Toner for Clogged Pores and Splotchy Skin

Grapefruit and salicylic acid are great for keeping pores clog-free and correcting splotchy skin.

Ponderosa Pine Resin Oil

My son and I and a dear old friend took a hike today in the Sandia Mountains east of Albuquerque. It was cold and a tiny bit of snow was falling. So beautiful! I noticed that a LOT of resin was eking out of the pines, especially the huge Ponderosas that grow there. These trees smell AMAZING. Sweet and piney, kind of like Frankincense mixed with vanilla. 

Banana Beauty Recipe Review: Banana Facial Scrub

In my last post I reviewed a recipe from Sonya Kanelstrand's new ebook, Banana Beauty (available for 6.95 here). The banana conditioner worked great! My hair looked amazing!

Today, I'm going to do a banana sugar scrub. It's a very simple recipe made with ingredients from your own kitchen. I shared the conditioner recipe last time, so I'm going to keep this one a secret out of respect for Sonya. It wouldn't be very nice of me to give out her recipes for free, would it?

Clearing clogged pores: Makeup

When I FINALLY got rid of all those horrific closed comedones (BUMPS! WHITEHEADS! MINI HORROR SHOWS!) on my face, I started looking around for a makeup that I could use that would not negate all that work. I sing in a band, and like to wear matte makeup with full coverage and good adherance on stage so my face doesn't look like an oil slick under the lights. That's really the only time I wear makeup.

Carry Nation! Back in the day when all I needed was a wonderbra and black eyeliner.

Natural Beauty in Faraway Lands

One of the things I like to do when traveling is to take advantage of the herbs, flowers, and fruits I find growing there. I took a lot of rose-petal baths and gave myself many a blackberry facial while traveling in Wales, for example. I even stole a few sprigs of Bronze Age chamomile from a hill fort exhibition in Cardigan to make sun-infused oil at my B & B.

Well, I've just spent two weeks in Tuscany. I couldn't BELIEVE the profusion of flowers, herbs, fruits and stuff they have there! They've even got tobacco plantations. Serious heaven.

Geraniums, olive tree, wood with lichen

Exfoliation Facts and a Face Scrub for Weirdly Soft Skin

Washing your face with a scrubby washcloth is a great way to exfoliate your skin on a daily basis, and is not harsh or harmful to the skin. Once in a while, though, I still like to use an exfoliating mask or scrub because I like it! It feels good, smells good, and works good! HA!