Cosette's Beauty Pantry

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! Today I want to share my number one secret for moisturised, plump, soft, and glowing skin .  It's neither a fancy face cream nor one of my usual DIY recipes .  It's actually something I never   thought   I'd use on my face at all.  Years ago I wrote about the many benefits of vegetable glycerin in a post titled: Vegetable glycerin for glowing skin!  and I also shared a recipe for a DIY make-up setting spray  containing glycerin as a key ingredient.   I've also been using glycerin soap on and off in the shower for quite some time but I never used it to wash my face with, until recently.   I had a new, unopened jasmine glycerin soap in my bathroom and since my face was a little dry I decided, on a hunch, to try the soap as a face cleanser.  I used it at night before I went to sleep and let me tell you I was shocked at how soft and hydrated my skin was after just one use.  The next morning my face was visibly plumper and my s

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! 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! Today's post is dedicated to the sweetest skin-loving ingredient, and one of my personal  favourites ; honey ! Honey does not only have numerous health benefits , it has also been used for centuries as a natural beauty product . Honey is...   Naturally   antibacterial , so it's great for   acne   treatment and prevention. Full of   antioxidants , it is great for slowing down   ageing . Extremely   moisturising   and soothing. Check out these blog posts to learn more/view additional   DIY beauty recipes using  honey : DIY: Honey facial DIY: Milk and honey hair mask DIY: Yummy facial scrub/mask DIY: Greek yoghurt, oatmeal and honey facial mask Tip:  Always use   pure   raw honey . And for more recipes, check out this i nfographic by   Beauty Secrets Revealed:   12 amazing beauty benefits of honey . From Visually . Is raw honey part of your beauty regime?   Similar post: Coconut craze

Hello everyone! Today I want to share a DIY recipe for a nourishing body scrub .  We all know how important it is to nourish our body, and sometimes we forget about our bodies largest organ; the skin. This natural body scrub is very nourishing, it contains essential natural ingredients like coconut oil and almond oil to help restore moisture and sea salt to exfoliate dead skin cells.  Also, it smells delicious!   Here's the recipe...  Ingredients: 1/2 cup coconut oil 1/4 cup almond oil 1/2 cup sea salt Method: Mix all ingredients together in a mason jar, allow to sit for ingredients to amalgamate.   Apply mixture to your skin and rub in a circular motion. Rinse with water. That's all for this quick, easy, money-saving, skin-loving scrub!   If you love using DIY scrubs , here are the links for another four you might want to try: Sugar facial scrub/mask Anti-cellulite scrub Simple hand/body scrub Sodium bicarbonate scrub If you try out one of th

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. Hello everyone! Another luxury skincare product I got to try is the  GRATiAE Cosmetics Moisturizing Renewal Cream .  It's a moisturizing cream with anti-aging properties and I can honestly say that it is one of the best creams I have ever tried. GRATiAE -  Organic Beauty by Nature is s pecially designed for both men and women who care about true quality and appreciate natural, organic, and healthy skin-care products.  With GRATiAE your skin will glow with health and inner beauty. Product description: GRATiAE Cosmetics Moisturizing Renewal Cream (50ml) An ultra-fine moisturizing cream specially formulated to instantly penetrate and treat the skin for immediate hydration.  Combining a blend of pure plant extracts and thermo-mineral water, it leaves the skin feeling intensively moisturized, smooth and soft with a youthful glow. Price:   €157.29  from the European website and   $129.99  from the USA web

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. Hello everyone! I recently had the opportunity to try two  amazing luxury skincare products  from  Dead Sea Premier Cosmetics Laboratories Ltd. Dead Sea Premier Cosmetics Laboratories  is an  Israeli   cosmetics  and  skincare  company that manufactures its products using  mineral  components extracted from the  Dead Sea .  It was founded in 1990 and is part of Hadan Group, which has been  specializing  in cosmetics since 1979. ( Wikipedia ) Dead Sea Premier’s philosophy binds together two elements: the glorious wisdom of nature and advanced scientific technology.  Premier takes natural plant extracts and minerals from the Dead Sea and by  utilizing  patented and cutting-edge technology, makes luxurious, effective skin-care that far exceeds your best imagination about beautiful skin. Product description: Premier Dead Sea Eye Duet Kit Limited Edition - Eye Serum (35ml) and Eye Cream (35ml) Eye Serum -  A secr

Hello everyone! I've talked about the wonders of coconut oil before.  Read this previous post: 5 Ways to use coconut oil in your beauty routine .  Coconut oil is the perfect moisturiser because it’s lightweight and easily absorbed. Below, are 7 more ways to incorporate it into your beauty routine: As a frizz-tamer Use a tiny amount of coconut oil to smooth down flyaway hair and add shine to your locks. As a moisturiser  The fatty acids in coconut oil helps lock moisture into the skin, so smooth some over your elbows and other rough spots to soften and heal. Instead of cuticle oil  Just dab some coconut oil on your cuticles and nails (you can also use it as a hand cream).  If you do this before bed and put on gloves, you’ll wake up to soft, smooth hands. In a DIY face scrub  Add some baking soda to your coconut oil for a gentle exfoliating face scrub.  You might feel a bit of residue after rinsing, but the oil will absorb into your skin after a few minutes. Ar