Unlike shop-brought, commercial beauty aids, home-made cosmetics take a little time and trouble to prepare and most of them will generally spoil more quickly. But what is lost in convenience is gained in other ways. You save money, you are free to experiment with different ingredients to find ones that suit you best, and you know that the ingredients used are fresh and natural.
Many traditional, effective treatments for toning the skin and hair can be prepared in the kitchen from ingredients that can be grown in your own garden.

Yoghurt and honey cleanser
3 teaspoons natural acidophilus yoghurt ° 2 teaspoons organic, unfiltered honey
This cleanser can be whipped up in a few seconds, morning and evening. It is quick and easy to apply and rinse off in the shower. Combine the ingredients in a teacup or small saucer. Warming the honey slightly makes it easier to blend and measure. Wet your face and neck and massage the moisture into the skin. Rinse off thoroughly.
For oily skin, add a teaspoon of lemon juice. For a deep-cleansing scrub action, add a teaspoon of finely ground blanched almonds. For dry skin, substitute ordinary cream for the yoghurt and use only one teaspoon of honey.
Larger quantities of yoghurt-based cleanser can be made. However, keep it refrigerated in a tightly sealed jar for no longer than five days.

All-purpose toner
After cleansing, the skin should be toned. That is, an astringent solution should be applied with a pure cotton pad to remove final traces of the cleanser and any remaining dead cells. Rosewater is a pleasant natural toner with a slightly moisturising effect.
Dilute one part of rosewater (available from chemists) with two parts of distilled water and store in a bottle in the refrigerator. Use after cleansing or as a general pick-me-up for the skin. For oily skin, add a teaspoon of cider vinegar to the solution. For dry skin, add half a teaspoon of glycerin.
You can also make your own rosewater. It is important to use the petals from fragrant old garden roses: Albas, gallicas, damasks, provence (centifolias) or moss or tea roses are all suitable.

Special Treats For The Skin

Revitalising treatments
Puree a cucumber, strain off the pulp and splash the liquid on your face; cut a strawberry in half and rub the cut pieces over your face; mash a number of fresh strawberries and apply to the face. Leave on for ten minutes and rinse off. For puffy eyes, place cucumber slices over closed eyelids and relax for at least fifteen minutes; place damp, cooled tea bags over the closed eyelids and leave in place for fifteen minutes.

To enrich dry skin
Mix an egg with a tablespoon of cider vinegar in a blender. Add 4 tablespoons of cold-pressed oil, a teaspoon at a time, until the mixture emulsifies into a mayonnaise. Apply this to your face and leave on for at least fifteen minutes. Add some fresh cream if your skin is very dry.

To deep cleanse problem skin
Pour boiling water on two or three chamomile tea bags or 2 teaspoons of dried chamomile in a ceramic bowl. Place your face over the bowl and cover with a towel.
Use one teaspoon of dried rosemary or one teaspoon of dried sage. Follow this with a gentle scrubbing face pack make from a double quantity of yoghurt and honey all-purpose cleanser to which one tablespoon of oatmeal and one tablespoon of sage or rosemary herbal water has been added. Make the herbal water by soaking one teaspoon of dried sage or rosemary (or one tablespoon of fresh herbs) in quarter of a cup of boiling water for an hour.
Apply the mixture to your face, massaging over the forehead, nose and chin. Leave the pack on the face for ten minutes, then rinse off. Tone and moisturise as usual.

• Many herbal remedies are safe and may help ease minor ailments, but they should never be substituted for the advice of a doctor.
  
• Do not attempt self-medication without a doctor's approval.
  
• Be absolutely certain of the identity of the herb you are using. If in doubt, do not use it. If you are pregnant, there are many herbs that it is unwise to use in medicinal quantities. Notable are marjoram, sage, parsley, juniper, pennyroyal and celery seeds.
  
• Always seek expert advice before using a herbal remedy when pregnant, just as you would a drug purchased on prescription. If in doubt, avoid.
  
• As a general rule, do not give babies or children herbal medicines without first seeking advice from a doctor. Children require a quarter of the adult dosage or less.
  
• Always wash herbs thoroughly before using them to remove any traces of atmospheric pollutants or pesticide residues.
  
• Test small amounts of herbal and home-made remedies for allergic reactions before using in therapeutic doses. If there are no ill effects after three days then it should be safe to take a normal dose.
  

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