My Homemade Lavender Syrup Recipe

I love to use dried herbs in my skincare recipes. Lavender and chamomile are my two current favourites. Both have delicate, calming scents and are perfect for sensitive skin. I spotted my bag of dried lavender when cleaning recently and decided I'd better find a way to start using the rest of it up. So I thought I'd experiment in the kitchen and make some lavender syrup.

Ingredients:

1 or 2 cups of sugar
1 cup of water
A few tablespoons of lavender, fresh or dried
A few spoons of honey

How much sugar you want to use is entirely up to you. Obviously the more you use, the thicker and sweeter the syrup will be. The same goes for the lavender. The more lavender you use, the more aromatic the syrup will be. I used 5 tablespoons, which is quite strong, so be careful.

Recipe:

Mix the sugar and syrup together in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the lavender and bring to boil.

Let it simmer on a lower heat for five minutes then take it off the heat. At this point I added the honey as I wanted sweeten the syrup again. Allow to cool for half an hour, then strain and bottle the syrup.

Store in the refrigerator. It should last around a week.

I'm not totally sure if I'm a fan of this syrup yet, it may be an acquired taste. I do have a fair amount to use up, so I daresay by the time it's finished I'll love it!

Do you like to use flowers or herbs in the kitchen? I'd love to hear about your favourite recipes!

PS. Keep up with me on Instagram here.

DIY Natural Oat, Lavender and Chamomile Face Scrub

I love a good DIY beauty product, and one of my favourites so far has been my DIY face scrub.

It's so easy to make, is gentle on the skin and offers a mild exfoliation.  This recipe is inspired by one of my favourite Lush products, Angels on Bare Skin.

Ingredients before blending

What you need:

Organic Oats
Dried Herbs (I use Lavender and Chamomile from Woodland Herbs)

To make:

Simply put all the ingredients in a blender or grinder. It's up to you with how much you want to make. Blend until the ingredients have become a powder and store in a tub or jar.

To use:

Wet face with warm water and take a pinch of the scrub. Mix with a little hot water in your palm until it becomes a paste, and massage into your face. Wash off with warm water.

The ground lavender and chamomile calm and soothe skin while the ground oats exfoliate. This is great for even sensitive skin, and I use it everyday.

I love using lavender and use dried lavender or lavender oil in a lot of my creations. Do you have any favourite DIY ingredients you love to use in products? I'd love to hear!

PS. Keep up with me on Instagram here.

DIY - Facial Oil

When I started looking for healthier, more natural skin care I was intrigued by all the DIY recipes that were popping up all over the internet. It was about that time I began using olive oil to cleanse at night (which works brilliantly by the way). However, I wasn't too sure about the facial oils people were using along with - or instead of - moisturiser. 

I have combination skin, with an oily t-zone and a tendency towards hormonal spots. It's not always a pretty site, and I sometimes struggle creating a smooth base for makeup. So I started using jojoba oil in the morning and found that my skin became a lot less oily during the day. 

For those who don't know how fabulous jojoba oil is, it's great for skin. It's the closest match to our skin's natural sebum, helps the over-production of oil and feels great on the skin. 

So after the good results, I decided to get creative and mix my own facial oil. At first I was taken back by all the possible combinations, but to put it simply it's just a mixture of carrier oils and essential oils. I decided to use a mixture of jojoba oil, lavender oil and geranium oil. Both the essential oils are great all rounders, so I couldn't really go wrong with using them. 

You have to be careful with essential oils. They are strong and can possibly damage skin if applied undiluted. I use a dilution of 4 drops per 10ml, so 20 drops were used above. 

I had still to order a bottle for my oil here, so I used a glass jar. It's not the most hygienic solution - I'd recommend using a pipette or a bottle with a dropper attachment for your oil. It prevents waste and, more importantly, the oil becoming dirty. 

I love facial oil and it's so easy to use. Just massage a few drops into your face in the morning and let it sink in. If applying make-up, make sure to wipe away any excess oil with a tissue. 

Although they say that it should take a few weeks before your skin adjusts to new products, I noticed a difference in my skin right away. I have much less spots, and I'm now at the point (months later) where I'm sporting a clear face more days than not. 

PS. Keep up with me on instagram here.