Glow Inside & Out During Colder Seasons

With frigid weather ahead, many people are already thinking about bundling up but what about your skin? Fall and Winter weather encourages everyone to cozy up, but what about what it does to your skin? Nina Curtis, a beauty expert with Blendtec, has developed recipes—both edible and topical—that are perfect for beating the cold weather skin blues. Her recipes can help combat dry or chapped skin, add moisture to your body, and more.

All ingredients should be organic as much as possible.

Glowing skin begins from the inside out…Enjoy this smoothie a few times a week.

1. Skin Rejuvenating Smoothie

 

Yield: approximately 4 cups

1. 2 cups water or young Thai coconut water

2. 1 cup organic red grapes (frozen)

3. 1 medium orange, peeled

4. 1 ripe banana

5. 6-8 leaves organic romaine lettuce

6. 2 tablespoon lemon juice

7. ½ inch ginger root            

8. Pinch of Pink Himalayan salt, re-mineralizes the body with minerals and trace elements essential to our health and wellbeing. (optional)

The pinch of Pink Himalayan salt, re-mineralizes the body with minerals and trace elements essential to our health and wellbeing.

Add liquid first into the Blendtec Wildside vessel, then combine all remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Place any remaining smoothie in a glass jar and store in the refrigerator up to 24 hours.

The Blendtec ‘Twister’ Vessel is ideal for making all kinds of skincare products and it’s just the right size.

Keep your skin and hair moisturized, conditioned, hydrated and toned with the following whole food recipes during the fall/winter months.

 

1. Weather Protecting Skin Sloughing Cream

This delicious sloughing cream will remove built up dead skin cells while keeping the skin smooth and moisturized during the colder months.

Ingredients:

1 oz. Organic Almond Oil

1 tablespoon raw, organic honey (contains vitamins, minerals and enzymes)

1tablespoon avocado

1 teaspoon raw almonds

½ teaspoon raw sunflower seeds

Combine all ingredients except the avocado in the Blendtec Twister Vessel to make a paste. Add the avocado in last and blend until smooth.

On a cleansed skin, slather the sloughing cream all over your face and neck (avoid the eye area), using upward and outward circular motions. Massage gently for a few minutes, rinse well with tepid water, pat skin dry and apply your moisturizer. Place any remaining sloughing cream in a glass jar with lid and store in the refrigerator up to two weeks. Apply sloughing cream once to twice a week as needed.

 

2. Fruit & Honey ‘Tone Up’ Mask

This fruit & honey mask will smooth, brighten and tighten the skin.

Ingredients:

1 cup red grapes

½ pear

½ apple

1 tablespoon raw organic honey

1tablespoon chia seeds (soaked overnight in two tablespoons of water, to create gel)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine all of the ingredients into the Blendtec Twister Vessel except the chia seed gel and honey, and blend until smooth. Mix the chia seed gel and honey together in a bowl, then add the fruit mixture from the blender and stir until smooth.

Apply this mask all over your face and neck and leave on for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with tepid water, pat skin dry and apply your moisturizer. Place any remaining mask in a glass jar with lid and store in the refrigerator up to two weeks. Apply mask once to twice a week as needed.

3. Hands Down Skin Smoother

During fall and winter our overall skin condition can take a beating and our hands tend to suffer the most. This skin smoothing mask with keep your hands soft and supple. Just apply your favorite hand cream or body lotion to finish.

Ingredients:

1 over -ripe tomato

1 teaspoon wheat germ oil or almond oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine all of the ingredients into the Blendtec Twister Vessel and blend until smooth.. Use one tablespoon of the mixture and rub over both hands as if you were washing them, work the mixture in for a few minutes, the longer the better, rinse off and apply your favorite hand cream….Voila!

Store any remaining product in a glass jar with lid and keep in the refrigerator up to two weeks. Use at least two times a week for best results if your hands are really dry.

4. Weekly Restorative Hair Treatment

This hair conditioning treatment is ideal if your hair is dry, brittle or has a lot of split ends.

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado (mashed)

2 tablespoon raw organic honey

2 tablespoon virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon flax oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine all ingredients except the avocado into the Blendtec Twister Vessel and blend until the honey, oils and lemon juice are blended completely (emulsified). Add the mashed avocado and blend until smooth.

Apply to dry hair paying close attention to damaged ends. Cover the hair with a shower cap and then wrap with a bath towel, this will hold in your natural body heat and allow the treatment to penetrate the hair cuticle better. Leave on for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse well and shampoo then rinse. Ideal for weekly use.

 

Disclosure: This is a guest post on behalf of Blendtec and is in no way sponsored.

 

4 fun and easy recipes for summer skincare

Everyone knows a superfood smoothie is great for your skin but what about other skincare treatments and exfoliants that can be whipped up in your home kitchen?

Here are 4 fun and easy recipes for summer skincare, exfoliation, and hydration that can help keep skin fresh and dewy all summer long (as well as protect you from that summer sun!) and, best of all, can be quickly made in your blender.

Nina Curtis, a beauty expert with Blendtec, has developed recipes—both edible and topical—that are perfect for healthy skin. Recipes include: Skin “Glow” Smoothie, Organic Oatmeal Cleansing Exfoliator, and Pineapple Papaya Skin Smoother.

All ingredients should be organic as much as possible.

 

1. Skin ‘Glow’ Smoothie

Glowing skin begins from the inside out…Enjoy this smoothie three times a week.

Yield: approximately 4 cups

2 cups young Thai coconut water

1 handful organic spinach

3 stalks (single ribs) celery

1 organic apple, cored and chopped

1 ripe organic pear, cored and chopped

1 ripe organic frozen banana

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Pinch of Pink Himalayan salt, re-mineralizes the body with minerals and trace elements essential to our health and wellbeing.

Add liquid first into the Blendtec Wildside vessel, then combine all remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Place any remaining smoothie in a glass jar and store in the refrigerator up to 24 hours.

2. Organic Oatmeal Cleansing Exfoliator

The Blendtec ‘Twister’ Vessel is ideal for making all kinds of skincare products and it’s just the right size.

Gentle exfoliation is a great to remove built up dead skin cells and simulate circulation which will leave your skin smooth and vibrant.

Using organic steel cut oatmeal, blend ½ cup of the oatmeal in the Blendtec Twister Vessel until it becomes flourlike. Combine equal parts water to create a thick paste or use the guide below to customize the appropriate recipe for your specific skin condition.

Customize: with approximately equal parts to make a thick paste.

Normal Skin~ mix with water or rose, chamomile or peppermint tea infusion

Oily Skin~ mix with goat milk yogurt and a ¼ teaspoon organic lemon juice

Dry Skin~ mix with raw, organic honey

Sensitive Skin~ mix with a ripe banana

Massage this oatmeal paste gently onto your skin, using upward and outward motions. Leave for five to ten minutes, rinse with tepid water, pat gently and apply moisturizer.

 

3. Pineapple Papaya Skin Smoother

(for the face, body and feet)

1 ripe papaya

1 teaspoon papaya seeds

1 cup pineapple

1 tablespoon raw organic honey

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Put all of the ingredients into the Blendtec Twister Vessel and blend until smooth. It takes a powerful blender like Blendtec to pulverize the papaya seeds into powder like particles that gently yet thoroughly exfoliate the skin. This skin smoother contains enzymes and physical particles for maximum exfoliation, to smooth, brighten and even out skin tone. If your skin is easily sensitized or sensitive use the Organic Oatmeal Cleansing Exfoliator.

This is an ideal skin smoother for the face, body and feet.

Apply to dampened facial skin and gently massage all over the face for about 30 seconds, paying special attention to the t-zone area of the face. Leave on the skin for 5 to 10 minutes and then rinse. Apply your favorite moisturizer.

For the body, step into your shower and apply all over the body paying special attention to areas where the skin is dryer and or thicker, like the elbows and knees. Vigorously massage the thighs, buttocks and back of the arms to exfoliate thoroughly and stimulate blood circulation. Finish with your favorite body cream.

For the feet, apply onto feet and wrap with saran wrap and cover each foot with a hand towel for 10- 15 minutes. Remove saran wrap, massage feet well and rinse off. Complete with your favorite foot cream.

4. The Hand Smoother

Ever notice how people ask your age and then look at your hands? Well you don’t have to

give it away. During fall and winter our overall skin condition can look and feel drier and our hands tend to suffer the most. Gentle hand exfoliation is great to do on a regular basis to improve skin texture, tone and smoothness. Follow with your favorite hand cream.

Ingredients~

4oz. ground almonds or almond meal

4 tsp almond oil

4tsp lemon juice

1 ½-2 oz organic goat milk yogurt

Put all of the ingredients into the Blendtec Twister Vessel and blend until smooth, to a thick consistency. Use about the size of a walnut and rub over both hands as if you were using soap, for one to two minutes, rinse off and apply hand cream….Voila!

Store remaining product in a glass container, label and keep in the refrigerator up to two weeks. Use daily or two to three times a week depending on skin condition.

 

Guest Post Author: Nina Curtis with Blendtec

 

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-Jessica