Natural Skin Care Treatment Recipes for the Holiday Kitchen

By: Gloria Mactaggart

The holidays are usually a time when we worry about our weight – big dinners, food we may not eat during the rest of the year, and plenty of delicious deserts. All of this takes its toll on our skin but did you know that several of the traditional holiday foods are also great natural skin care treatment ingredients? While you’re whipping up a favorite meal in the kitchen, you can also whip up a concoction you’ll want to add to your natural skin care treatment arsenal. Here are some great recipes – a holiday feast for the skin.

At the top of the list is pumpkin. Now considered a ‘superfood’, pumpkin fights free radicals – a major cause of aging – is high in protein and essential fatty acids, and contains potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, copper, Vitamins C, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, Folate, B12, A and E. Everything you need in a good natural skin care treatment, and more. Pumpkins also make a great masque, especially when mixed with papaya. Skin and seed a ripe papaya, mix it with a cup of pumpkin, add a beaten egg white (meringue consistency) and a teaspoon of honey. Puree, and smooth it on your face. Rinse off after five or 10 minutes.

Cranberries are also becoming recognized as a very nutritious food. A few years ago it was hard to find cranberry juice even in a health food store, now it’s available on the shelves of every supermarket. High in phytonutrients and antioxidants, the cranberry’s ability to prevent bacterial build up in the body is getting attention from mainstream medicine.

How can you use it for natural skin care treatment? Combine a drop of Vitamin E, a teaspoon of honey, a tablespoon of sweet almond and 10 fresh cranberries. Bring just to a boil in a double broiler stirring frequently and crushing the cranberries. Let it cool for two or three few minutes then strain it to remove the pieces. Let it cool completely then transfer it to a small jar to carry with you. This natural skin care treatment is especially good for dry, chapped lips.

Last, but not least is the ‘apple a day’ that ‘keeps the doctor away’. I can’t vouch for the truth of that old saying, but apples are high in Vitamins A, C and K – all essential basics in natural skin care treatment – and several minerals. They also make a great toning masque. Combine one peeled, seeded and cored pureed apple with two tablespoons of whipping cream or sour cream. Smooth in onto your face and rinse off after 20 or 30 minutes – about the time you need to make an apple pie and get it into the oven.

Pumpkins, cranberries and apples do double duty in the holiday kitchen, but you may want to add them to your natural skin care treatment shelf the year ‘round.

Gloria MacTaggart is an expert author on skin care solutions and contributes articles on skin care for 21st Century Formulations.