Cosette's Beauty Pantry

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

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! When you think cranberries , you probably think of cranberry sauce side dishes.   But, what you should be thinking about is skincare!   Rich in antioxidants  and vitamin C , cranberries are considered a  superfood .  Cranberries are also great when applied topically to help ward off wrinkles , reduce redness and prevent signs of skin damage . To bring the benefits of cranberries to your skin, whip up this easy anti-ageing facial mask.  Here's the recipe... Ingredients: 5 cranberries 1 tsp raw honey 3 drops apple cider vinegar a dash of freshly ground cinnamon 4 drops of  Aloe juice Method: Blend the cranberries to a pulp.  Mix in all other ingredients thoroughly.  Apply to face and leave on for 15 minutes.  Rinse thoroughly.  I hope you are enjoying the autumn-inspired DIY beauty recipes I've been posting. 

Hello everyone! It's been a while since my last   DIY beauty recipe , so  today I want to share with you the recipe for my favourite   all-natural facial serum .   For those who don't know what facial serums are;  facial serums are lightweight moisturisers that contain a concentrated amount of nourishing ingredients.  So let's get started!  This is a very simple DIY, all you need are four ingredients.  Here's my recipe: Ingredients: 4 tbsp Aloe vera gel   - Soothes skin from irritation and inflammation. 2 tbsp castor oil   - Great skin moisturiser, delays the signs of ageing and reduces acne. 2 tbsp vegetable glycerin   - Keeps skin young and hydrated. 2/4 drops of tea tree oil   - Treats and prevents acne. Method: In a small glass pump bottle, combine all the ingredients.  Mix well until the ingredients are well amalgamated.  How to use: Cleanse your face as usual, then apply two or three pumps of serum in place of your

Hello everyone! Recently my acne has been flaring up again, which is very strange considering that I've been on a 100% dairy-free diet for a few months.   [  Can food allergies cause acne?  ]   I haven't consumed dairy products in years, other than milk chocolate and mozzarella on my pizza, which I now removed from my diet.   If you want to know more about dairy-free diet, check out   Go Dairy Free and   Got the facts on Milk? (The Milk Documentary) .  Anyway, to heal my acne as fast as possible, my go-to DIY is a honey and Aloe vera mask .   This is a  really  simple   face   mask  recipe; check it out!       Ingredients: 1 teaspoon  organic raw  honey 1/2 teaspoon pure, cold-pressed organic Aloe vera gel Method: Stir the honey and Aloe vera together and apply over your face.   Leave it on for about 15-20 minutes. Rinse off.    I n my experience, the Aloe vera gel   prevents the honey from melting and dripping   all over your clothes.   Aloe so

Hello everyone! For me last month was all about prepping my skin and my hair for "the big event".  My brother got married on Friday 25th and I was his witness.  :) Without further ado, here are my April beauty favourites: Holland   &   Barrett Aloe Vera  Gel Bio Active Skin Treatment + Vitamin E Capsules (100iu) I usually mix the content of a capsule of vitamin E with a blob of Aloe vera and use instead of my night cream a couple of times a week.  During the month of April, I applied this mixture more often than that.  Both ingredients help to heal and regenerate the skin.  Whenever I use Aloe vera and vitamin E at night, I wake up to glowing, clear, even skin.  I LOVE it!  Both Aloe vera and vitamin E can be used for active acne, acne scars, pigmentation, anti-ageing and dry skin  among  other skin conditions. Biafine  Topical Emulsion I use this as a spot treatment on any blemishes I get.  This product also reduces the appearance of

Hello everyone! One of the more uncomfortable, yet frequent challenge faced by most women in the summertime is the issue of   inner thigh chafing .   If you are out and about in skirts, dresses or short shorts, chances are you've suffered from the red rash that can develop on the skin between your thighs.  This happens when the inside of your thighs sweat and then rub together.   Some women swear by baby powder , which works only for a short while.  Others wear shorts or nylon thighs/ pantyhose   underneath their dresses.   Wearing more clothes is not the best solution in super hot, humid climate . A more effective preventative method: To keep your thighs from chafing when you wear a dress or a skirt, apply an  anti-perspirant  to the inside of your thighs. You can use roll-ons or sticks. The anti-perspirant keeps your thighs from sweating therefore preventing a nasty rash .  Keep the anti-perspirant in your purse for long days out, you may need to re-apply.  

If you ended up with sunburn, here are some home remedies that can make you a bit more comfortable...  Water As the sun burns your skin, it also dehydrates it.  Being well hydrated will help burns heal better.  Take a bath Adding a few tablespoons of  baking soda  to cool bath water makes a sunburn-soothing remedy.  Instead of baking soda, you could also use 1 cup  oatmeal .  Avoid using soap, which can irritate and dry out the skin.  If you feel you must use soap, use a mild one.  Definitely skip the washcloth, bath sponge, and loofah.  Afterwards, pat your skin gently with a soft towel. Moisturise To prevent dry skin, apply moisturiser immediately after your bath/shower.  For cooling relief of pain and dryness, chill the moisturiser in the refrigerator before using. Aloe vera Aloe vera gel will take the sting and redness out of sunburn. Cool compress Soak a washcloth in cool water and apply it directly to the burned areas (do not apply ic

Hello everyone! A jellyfish sting is extremely painful and for some, can be life threatening.  Similar to bee stings, allergic reactions to jellyfish are possible and illness can result from extensive stings.  Seek immediate medical attention if breathing becomes difficult. Otherwise, there are a few natural remedies  that can help to remove nematocysts (stinging cells) and relieve the pain. On the spot care:   The healing process starts by neutralising the venom as soon as possible.  This is done by pouring undiluted vinegar over the affected part, and waiting for about 5 to 10 minutes.  Then you should carefully remove the nematocysts which are still embedded in the skin, using tweezers, clothing, towels, seaweed or anything else available.   The venom gets neutralised by the acetic acid present in the vinegar.  This process will only neutralise the venom which has not been injected yet from the stinging cells. You can also scrape  the tentacles  off t

Hello everyone!  Today I want to talk to you about my favorite hair removal method: using an epilator ! I’ve been using an epilator for eight years now and I love it!  Removing hairs at the root means that hair won’t grow back for weeks.   Plus, constant epilation reduces the amount of hair re-growth! The coil springs in the epilator grab the hair at the root and pull it out.  It's one of the more affordable ways to remove hair, as you don't have to deal with the expense of shaving or waxing.  In addition, once you get the hang of using an epilator, it takes less time than shaving. I've been using this model for 8 year! Does it hurt? I’m not going to lie, the first time I used it, it HURT and left my skin red and irritate, BUT by the second use the hair was thinner and it didn’t hurt as much!      Always start epilating the areas where it's less painful.  The lower legs are the least painful area for most women (the underarm and bik