Cosette's Beauty Pantry

  Hello everyone! Many of us regularly use face and body scrubs to remove dead skin cells. However, we may be neglecting a part of our body that needs exfoliation just as much. The scalp is no different than the skin on the rest of our body. Our scalp can benefit from a little extra TLC as well! Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp!  Daily use of hair products can cause build-up. In addition to typical dead skin cells accumulating on the scalp. This can result in clogged hair follicles, dull, greasy hair, and slower hair growth. To return the scalp to a healthy state, you need to free hair follicles from what’s building up at the roots. A  scalp scrub  might be the best solution.  If you’re looking for  natural DIY scalp scrubs , here are  four (4) easy DIY vegan recipes  that can cure and prevent dry, flaky scalp, improve scalp health and overall hair health.  Ingredients: DIY vegan scalp scrub #1 2 tablespoons of baking soda 1 tablespoon of vegan shampoo a few drops of lavender

Hello everyone! If you live in an area with hard water , chances are your hair is suffering the consequences.   Hard water  is full of minerals such as calcium, lime, and magnesium.   While not dangerous,  hard water  can leave your  hair  dull and brittle, making it more prone to breakage .   It can also discolour lighter hues and strip colour-treated  hair .   Minerals dissolved in hard water create a film on the hair strand, which prevents moisture from penetrating the hair shaft.   This results in dry, dull and tangled hair.   The best way to combat issues related to hard water is to incorporate a deep cleansing mask once a week to eliminate buildup. The key ingredient in this DIY deep cleansing hair mask is Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) !   I often use ACV in my DIY beauty recipes.    The enzymes and nutrients in ACV make it an amazing natural hair conditioner.   Combined with the goodness of agave and olive oil, this apple cider vinegar hair mask recipe is the ultimate deep cl

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! 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

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! Did you know that pumpkins are not just used for jack-o-lanterns and Thanksgiving pies? Pumpkin makes an excellent facial mask ingredient, for all skin types; it’s incredibly rich in vital antioxidants and vitamins .   Pumpkin is high in vitamin A , vitamin C and Zinc . So, here is a simple recipe for a nourishing, pumpkin facial mask: Ingredients:   ¼ cup of cooked or canned pumpkin      ½  teaspoons honey ( moisturises the skin and provides antiseptic properties)    ¼  teaspoons milk  (moisturises and exfoliates) Optional: For very dry skin : Add ¼ teaspoon heavy whipping cream ( moisturises and exfoliates ). For oily skin : Add a ¼ teaspoon of apple cider (astringent and regulates pH) or cranberry juice (high in antioxidants). Method: Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and use a hand blender to get the right consistency ( purée ) Apply liberally to face and neck   Leave for 15 – 20 minutes   Rinse off with warm water

Hello everyone! For gorgeous skin, head to the kitchen and grab some apple cider vinegar ! Apple cider vinegar promotes blood circulation.  It is also a natural antiseptic, preventing infection.  When used as a toner, it reduces the swelling that comes with acne and helps dry the affected area.   Apple cider vinegar acne treatments work because ACV is rich in alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA). It can dissolve excessive fatty deposits at the surface of the skin and reduce scaly or peeling conditions . Cider vinegar, being applied as a toner after cleansing, regulates the pH of the skin (which is also acidic at pH 5.5) as cleansers are usually alkaline. ACV also improves hyperpigmentation. To make the toner you will need:           A  small amber glass bottle.  (I use an empty witch hazel bottle.)            Apple cider vinegar ( unfiltered)            Cooled green tea (any brand)/distilled water Green tea contains a cocktail of potent antioxida