I don’t know about you but I’m so looking forward to the upcoming holiday season. December is just about here, and I’m trying to soak in as much of the Christmas spirit all around because…I won’t be home for the holidays! I’ll be off on an exciting and long-overdue trip in a couple weeks, and though this means I may not get to properly celebrate Christmas in Canada, I absolutely can’t wait for a little (BIG) change in scenery. This reminds me, if you want to see what I’m up to on the other side of the world make sure you’re following my Instagram as I’m always sharing and “story-ing” on there! And this is going to be a trip I’m sharing a LOT of.
But before I get on a plane, there’s lots to do in the meantime. Speaking of which, I was shop-hopping with my mom on Main Street a few weeks ago in the hopes to get a little shopping done (and you may know by now how much we love local shops). This is when we decided to finally take a peek inside The Soap Dispensary, a cute little no-waste shop with everything from food and kitchen supplies to refills on toiletries. If you’re in the area, this is a must-go place. It has the cutest knick-knacks and we got a few things that I’ve been loving using.
One of my favourite things about their shop was all the different containers they had. A true array of the cutest jars and bottles I’ve seen. And not to mention their beautiful selection of natural beauty products, so many of which are just awaiting an at-home DIY project.
I got a couple of their amber jars (I’m thinking the smaller one will be great to pop a face cream into for my up-comping travels!) and also a jar of their French pink clay, among other things. I was so excited when I saw the clay because I’m so drawn to the colour and the possibilities of what I could create with it. So this is what I did! The jars and clay were the inspiration behind this post, as I’ve created a super quick and easy DIY face mask and body scrub for you today. And no joke, they are both just 3 ingredients each!! I’m not claiming to be a professional beauty product maker here, but I think they do a pretty good job for what I intended them to be used for!
The first is a French Pink Clay Rose Mask. My goal was to create something that would obviously detoxify and unclog pores, but without stripping the skin of too much moisture. The French pink clay does this by removing impurities and helping dull skin look and feel more refreshed. For a DIY face mask, I found that this really helped some of the texture I have on my forehead (typically in the form of small, bumpy pimples) by acting as a mild exfoliator to polish the skin. This is why I like to gently scrub the mask off when I’m done, instead of simply washing it off. The rose water is both hydrating and anti-inflammatory, but additionally scents the mask beautifully. My mom also constantly tells me that women in India use it as toner, so why not use it in here?! Lastly, I wanted to add some sort of oil so that the mask would retain some hydration if you store it, but also because I wanted that extra benefit for my skin. I went with vitamin E oil (by using the contents from gel capsules) as it’s great for countless reasons. It’s an antioxidant and helps with free radical damage, and reduces acne scarring, as I’ve found over the years.
The second is a Cooling Coffee Body Scrub. What I love with both the DIY face mask and scrub is that you know exactly what goes in them; and in this scrub, it’s kinda old ground coffee for me. I’ve had this container of ground coffee sitting in my kitchen cupboard for a while and really didn’t want to waste it (and I wasn’t planning on drinking it either). I made a plain batch of this scrub in the summer and loved how well it worked. It not only helps get rid of dead skin, but is super moisturizing because of the coconut oil. This time around I wanted to use some of my favourite essential oils from Thursday Plantation (check out #100UsesForTP on Instagram for more tips), and I was inspired by the idea of holiday lattes for this one! I chose one of my most used, the peppermint essential oil, and the combo of coffee and peppermint is a treat for the senses! It not only smells delectable, but the essential oil leaves a cool after-effect on the skin. I thought this was so fun and perfect for the wintertime as it mimics the chilly snow during the holidays! And just a note to use a medium or fine grind coffee because it will create a better texture with the coconut oil for scrubbing onto the body. Also, if you plan to use this scrub on your face, I would decrease or eliminate the peppermint oil (to prevent any possible reactions/stinging), and use the finest grind you can so that it’s less coarse on the more sensitive skin on your face.
And that’s my rant about these skin goodies. If you try out either the DIY face mask or scrub (you should because they’re SO easy, and would even make great homemade gifts for the holiday season), let me know by sending me a comment below this post, or connect with me/tag me on Instagram @onceuponatimeinvancouver! Happy DIY-ing!
French Pink Clay Rose Mask
Makes enough for 2-3 uses; multiply recipe if needed (I doubled the recipe in the pictures)
Ingredients:
- 1 TBSP French pink clay
- 1/2 TBSP rose water
- Oil from 1 vitamin E oil gel capsule
Directions:
- Add French clay and rose water to a small bowl and mix with spoon until it reaches a smooth consistency.
- Break vitamin E oil capsule and squeeze into the clay mixture, stirring until mixed through.
Application & Storage:
- Apply the French Pink Clay Rose Mask in an even layer over face, neck, and/or strategic spots. You don’t need a super thick application, just enough so the area is covered well.
- Leave the mask on until it dries, about 10 minutes (some spots may seem darker than others even when dry). Wash off by splashing some lukewarm water, and additionally rubbing the mask off with your fingers for gentle exfoliation.
- Moisturize well afterwards.
- Store any remaining product in an air-tight jar and use within 1-2 weeks. If it dries out a little, just mix in a drop of water at a time to revive the texture before applying to face.
- Just a note that some colour from the clay will transfer if using a white towel to dry your face, but this will come off after washing the towel!
Cooling Coffee Body Scrub
Makes about 1/2 cup
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of medium or fine ground coffee
- 1/2 cup of melted coconut oil
- 10-12 drops of peppermint essential oil (I used Thursday Plantation), or less if you have sensitive skin
Directions:
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl. It may seem too wet and as though it isn’t blending together well, but it will work out once the coconut oil hardens slightly. You can also put it in the fridge for a little bit.
Application & Storage:
- Once the mixture has had some time to sit it will be much easier to apply.
- Apply in the shower as it can get messy. Scoop into hands and rub in circular motions where needed, then rinse off. The peppermint essential oil will leave an invigorating & cooling sensation.
- Even though the coconut oil will leave your skin feeling moisturized, I would always suggest sealing in your newly soft skin with lotion after using a scrub.
- The scrub can be stored in an airtight jar for at least up to a month.