Cosette's Beauty Pantry

Hello everyone! Today I am starting a new blog series titled  Know your ingredients ,   in which I will highlight a specific  active ingredient .  I chose to focus on  niacinamide  as my first ingredient. Why? Because if I had to pick one active ingredient that I can safely recommend to anyone, it would be niacinamide.  Also known as  vitamin B3  or  nicotinamide , this ingredient can be used by almost everyone. Niacinamide is a versatile skincare ingredient that is used for a wide range of skin conditions. Niacinamide also helps the skin produce more ceramides, helping maintain a  healthy skin barrier . Its anti-inflammatory properties make it ideal for treating  acne,   rosacea  and   other inflammatory conditions. Because of this, it is recommended for those with sensitive skin. Besides, niacinamide helps  reduce the appearance of pores  by  regulating sebum.  It can help combat  hyperpigmentation  and even help smooth  lines and wrinkles . These properties make this super ingredien

Hello everyone! This blog is turning 10 in a few months and that means that I have been sharing  DIY acne recipes  with you, my readers, for almost a decade.  I have been vegan for the last five years and yes, you can still find non-vegan DIY beauty recipes on this blog.  These are namely recipes that include ingredients like yoghurt and honey.  Since June is  Acne Awareness Month ,   today's post is a roundup of my  best ten DIY  vegan  acne treatments .  This way you can find them all in one handy post.  If you want me to make a roundup post on non-vegan recipes, leave a comment and let me know. Amongst my top 10, I included; a cleansing method, a toner, two face masks, a scrub, two facial serums, and a spot treatment.  All DIYs are very easy to make, they require very few, simple ingredients and the method is easy to follow. Below are the links for the 10 blog posts.  I also included  the key ingredients (not the full list of ingredients) of each recipe or tr

Hi everyone! Whether you call them pimples, zits, or blemishes, there are  different types of acne  that affect teens as well as adults.   Knowing which type you have is essential to help you determine the right treatment.  When it comes to acne lesions, there are two main types.  There are non-inflammatory and inflammatory lesions.  Blackheads and whiteheads are great examples of non-inflammatory lesions.  Below are the subtypes of acne under these two categories: Blackheads:  Open comedones; top of the pore stays open. Whiteheads : Closed comedones protruding from the skin; top of the pore closes up. Papules : Bright red or pink bumps that are tender to the touch. Pustules : Often filled with pus and have yellow or whiteheads on top of a red bump. Nodules:  Hard pimples that are deep underneath the skin. Cysts:  The largest form of acne that looks like red or white bumps, where the clog is further below the skin than nodules; painful to the touch. Note: It is

Hello everyone! What do t he Duchess of Cambridge, Gwyneth Paltrow, Victoria Beckham and Miranda Kerr all have in common?  Well, supposedly they use rosehip oil to keep their skin smooth. Rosehip oil (or rosehip seed oil) has been recently dubbed a "miracle skincare oil".  Rosehip oil, derived from the rosehip (the fruit left on the stem after the petals have fallen off), is a natural source of essential fatty acids, including omega 3, 6 and 9, as well as a rich source of vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin A and  B-carotene .  This superfine oil is absorbed easily into the skin and won’t leave behind any oily residue. So what are the benefits of using rosehip oil?   It quickly absorbs into the skin, proving  moisture . It can heal scarring  caused by acne. It can help reverse sun   damage . It can provide a protective barrier on the skin,  preventing further moisture loss. It can help fade  pigmentation  and even out skin tone. It can help h

Hello everyone! Today I want to tell you a little bit about one of my favourite essential oils ; lavender oil .  Not only does this essential oil smell great and helps you relax , but it also has significant benefits for the skin.  This oil hydrates and heals the skin without clogging the pores.  Plus, it helps deal with many skin conditions from acne, excess oil, dryness to ageing.  It also promotes hair growth and a healthy scalp.  This particular post is about treating acne with lavender oil .   What is Lavender Oil?     Lavender oil is extracted from the lavender plant.  It grows worldwide in Asia, Europe,  Africa, the Canary Islands, and the Mediterranean.   The uses of lavender oil  are numerous.  It's an all-natural oil that works for various skin and hair problems. How to use: Mix 1-4 drops of lavender oil into 1/2-1 tablespoon of base oil (coconut oil, almond oil, jojoba oil, olive oil).  Diluting helps the oil spread more easily when applied to the

Hello everyone! Yesterday I posted a recipe for a DIY acne-fighting gel and today I want to share another acne-fighting beauty recipe with you.   For this DIY you will need two key ingredients; a lemon and a tomato .   Ingredients: 1 ripe tomato 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp oatmeal (optional) Lemons are full of AHA’s and BHA’s which remove dead skin cells, fight acne, minimize pores and brighten skin.   Back in November of 2011, I posted an article titled:  Lemons for clear skin ; in which I wrote about the countless benefits of lemons.  Make sure you read it for more information.   Tomatoes have cooling and astringent properties.  They’re also rich in antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin A .  Their acidity helps tame excessive oil production too. Oatmeal helps reduce itching and inflammation and can be used to calm acne, eczema and heal psoriasis . Method: Mash the peeled tomato in a bowl.  Add the lemon juice (and oatmeal) and mix everything

Hello everyone! I am back again with an amazing DIY recipe for your skin.  You only need two simple ingredients to make your own acne-fighting gel;  aloe vera gel and  essential oil with antibacterial properties .   I've been using this concoction on my face for many, many years.  So much so that I had to search this blog because I was sure that I had already told you about it.  As it turns out, I haven't so let's get started... Ingredients: 1 tbsp of  aloe vera gel 6-12 drops of  tea tree oil  or lavender essential oil If you don't like the smell of tea tree oil, a lavender essential oil is a good alternative.   The combination of tea tree oil (or lavender) and  Aloe vera gel kills the bacteria that causes acne and has anti-inflammatory properties which soothe the skin. Method: In a bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of Aloe vera gel with 6-12 drops of tea tree oil (or lavender). Store in an amber glass bottle.  U se  as a  spot treatment  if

Hello everyone! Like I always say; many store-bought beauty products are full of toxins and irritating ingredients .  Thankfully, nature provides effective alternatives for healthy skin that are gentle , cruelty free , vegan , and made with items you probably already have in your  pantry !  Today I want to share one of my favourite beauty recipes with you; a vegan face mask for acne-prone skin! You only need three ingredients, all of which I already used in previous DIY recipes I posted on this blog.  Ingredients: 1 banana (ripe) 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric This face mask recipe with banana, baking soda and turmeric can reduce acne . Here's how it works: Bananas not only act as an astringent which balances oils in the skin, but also nourishes and rejuvenates the skin.   Baking soda pulls out oil and dirt from the pores and turmeric reduces inflammation and provides the skin with anti-microbial and anti-bacterial benefits.

Hello everyone! Remember my " beauty secret " post?  In this post I'm about to share another "secret"; aka the type of thing that people do not understand when you tell them or think you are crazy, but somehow I feel compelled to tell you, my readers, anyway! That's a mouthful! So, my secret is... Here goes nothing... I use neat (undiluted)  organic apple cider vinegar   on my face as a sort of   all-natural chemical peel ! Here's exactly   how I use it : I cleanse, rinse and towel dry my face and then I apply the undiluted ACV with a cotton ball.   This step is crucial : I only leave the  organic apple cider vinegar   on for about   2 minutes , then I rinse it off with plenty of cool water.   Do NOT   leave it on for more than a couple of minutes or it will burn your skin!  However, it is completely safe to use for one or two minutes two to three times a week .  Why I use it : ACV works better than any oth