natural skincare – The Herbology Faerie

Seaweed & Rose Face Mask

The ocean is a treasure trove of botanical goodness in the form of nutritious and beneficial seaweed, which I was challenged to work with last month for the Plant Wonder Collective. Though I am very much landlocked in the midwest, I am lucky to be able to purchase seaweed online (even better luck for those of you who live close to the source, though!) and enjoy its plentiful benefits.

Sea kelp – Ascophyllum nodosum – graces us with so many medicinal properties. It is full of nutrients and antioxidants, may boost immunity and help modulate inflammation, and is thought to aid digestion, heart, and thyroid function. For skincare purposes, it offers nourishment, anti-inflammatory properties, may stimulate collagen production, and is often used to help with acne. It also can add a bit of gentle exfoliation to skin recipes.

I keep seeing commercial sea kelp facial masks, so I thought I’d create an easy and gentle one at home for myself. It combines all that sea kelp goodness with soothing oats, conditioning pink kaolin clay, and nourishing rose. You can make up a jar of the powder to keep on hand and then customize it each time you use it by choosing which wetting agent meets your skin’s needs at the time!

Note—if you’re like me and looking to source some quality sea kelp online, Mountain Rose Herbs is a great place to find it! I am a proud affiliate of MRH, and love sourcing my herbal ingredients from them!

Sea Kelp & Rose Face Mask

Materials

Mask powder:
1 8-oz or 2 4-oz jars
Spice grinder or mortar & pestle
Mixing bowl
¼ c sea kelp powder
3 Tbsp rose petal powder
2 Tbsp oat powder
2 Tbsp pink kaolin clay

Face mask:
Small bowl or mug
1 tsp face mask powder
Honey, jojoba oil, other herb-infused facial oil, floral hydrosol, and/or water to wet
Optional: 1 drop essential oil (rose or lavender)

Method

Grind the oats and rose petals in your grinder or mortar and pestle – the finer powder, the better. Mix all the powder ingredients in a mixing bowl and spoon into jar/s. Cap tightly and store in a cool, dark place.

To use the face mask, mix 1 tsp of the mask powder in a small bowl or mug with your choice of wetting agent until the desired consistency is reached – sticky but not too dry. Apply to a clean face and leave on for 10 minutes. Remove gently with warm water.

Have you worked with sea kelp or another type of seaweed before?

Happy Vibes Perfume & Aromatherapy Oil

A few friends close in heart but far geographically exchanged holiday gifts recently. It was so much fun to send homemade gifts to each other! Some were gifts that we had made to give to friends and family for the holiday season, but I wanted to include something that made me think of them specifically.

So I created us each a Happy Vibes essential oil perfume / aromatherapy roller to convey the joy I get from our friendship!

The scent is very reminiscent of orange blossom: floral, sweet, creamy and citrusy, with a touch of green. Uplifting and happy! Just like our friendships. The intention infused in the making of these rollers conveys that joy each time I apply a bit to my wrists and experience the scent!

Would you like to make some of your own rollers for friends who make you feel happy vibes?

You Will Need:

To Make:

To make a perfume roller, fill a 5 ml roller bottle about halfway with jojoba oil. Add 4 drops of ylang ylang essential oil, 3 drops of benzoin essential oil, 2 drops of tangerine essential oil, and 2 drops of cypress essential oil. (If you have sensitive skin, you can adjust and use less of the essential oils. If you want a stronger scent for aromatherapy, you can add 1-2 more drops of each oil.) Fill the remaining space in the bottle with more of the jojoba oil, leaving a little headspace for the roller. Insert the roller and screw on the cap, giving the bottle a swirl to mix the oils in.

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