Kitchen Beauty: Java Jive Body Scrub

We're a little late with this week's Kitchen Beauty recipe, with the festive season and all, but we haven't forgotten! Here's a quick and easy scrub recipe for you to try at home.

Java Jive Body Scrub

3 Tbsp coffee grounds
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp ground oatmeal
3 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup olive oil
OPTIONAL: a few drops of essential oil (sweet orange or peppermint would be lovely!)

Mix all ingredients well in a little container. In the shower, scoop some mix and rub on your skin, focusing on rough, scaly patches. Leave on for 3-4 minutes before rinsing off thoroughly. Pat dry. Say hello to smooth skin!

The Goodies
Coffee gently exfoliates, rejuvenates skin, and contains antioxidants and caffeine, which is known for plumping up the skin to temporarily reduce the appearance of cellulite and wrinkles.
Sugar contains glycolic acid, a gentle alpha hydroxy acid that breaks up dead skin cells for easy removal, leaving you with soft, smooth skin.
Honey is an excellent humectant, drawing moisture from the air to hydrate, smooth, and soften your skin, while nourishing it with vitamins and minerals.
Oatmeal is very soothing for dry, irritated skin, and gently exfoliates and softens skin.
Olive oil is a humectant carrier oil, drawing moisture from the air into the skin to soften and hydrate it.

Note: For the time-conscious or the lazy, alternatively, lather up well in the shower with your favorite Chamomile Labs handmade soap, then scoop some coffee grounds and rub all over soapy skin. Leave on a few minutes and then rinse off and pat dry. Follow up with some of our goat's milk lotion or creme. My personal favorites for this are the Cocoa Butter, and the Olive Wheatgerm Honey!

Excess scrub can be kept in the refrigerator for several days days. As this is a fresh, preservative-free product, keeping it in its mixed state for longer than that is not advisable.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

It's the season for open houses, mandarin oranges, and ang pows! That's right, Chinese New Year is here again.

For those who don't know, an ang pow is a red palm-sized envelopes stuffed with a token amount of money that's given out during Chinese New Year, from the elders to the young'uns. The usual indication of who's "elder" is quite simply who's married, though at a certain age, if you haven't quite gotten hitched by circumstance or by choice, the flow of red packets your way generally trickles to a slow death.

I love ang pows. The usual rule in Malaysia is the closer your relative, the bigger the amount. Congratulations to those from very large extended families!

A few interesting things about ang pows...

1. The amounts inside should be even numbers, as odd numbers are associated with funerals... which makes me wonder why I used to get a lot of ang pows with $5 notes in them. With inflation they've graduated to $10, so I guess that really isn't an issue anymore.
2. The amount must never be a 4. The Chinese word for "4" is very similar to the Chinese word for "death" and being the wonderfully superstitious people we are, we shun that number. If you ever walk into a building and notice that the fourth floor is labeled "3A" instead of "4", you can rest assured that the developer is Chinese.
3. Ang pows are similarly practised in other Asian countries like Vietnam (lì xì), Thailand (tae ea), Myanmar (an-pao), South Korea (sae bae ton), and the Philippines. Japan also has a similar tradition, but their monetary gifts are called otoshidama, and are ensconced in white envelopes instead, with the name of the receiver written on it. During weddings, a similar practice is observed, but folded and with an elaborate bow on it, in keeping with the wonderfully aesthetic nature of the Japanese.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Love,
Amber & Michelle

Kitchen Beauty: Cucumber Yogurt Cleansing Mask

So, I've decided to revive Kitchen Beauty, a section in which we highlight natural spa-type treatment recipes using ingredients found in your own kitchen (or in the nearest grocery store). We'll be adding a new recipe every week, so stay tuned!

Today's recipe is...

Cucumber Yogurt Cleansing Mask for all skin types

What you'll need:
1/2 peeled cucumber (1/2 if you're using a Japanese cucumber)
1 tbsp plain yogurt
1/2 tbsp honey

Step 1:
Toss the cucumber in a blender or food processor, then mix the resulting mush with the honey and yogurt until you have a watery paste.
Step 2:
Slather it on your face (and neck if you've got extra). Leave it on for 15 minutes, then rub gently for another 1 minute before rinsing off with cool water. Gently pat dry. The result? Soft, dewy skin!

The Goodies:
Cucumber soothes, tones and hydrates, helping to restore the skin's natural acid mantle.
Honey tones, softens, rejuvenates, and is a natural humectant, helping to draw moisture to the skin to keep it smooth and supple.
Yogurt is something of a miracle food for skin. It has a high zinc content, which helps to clear blemished skin. It also contains lactic acid, a mild exfoliant, and proteins that moisturize and improve overall skin texture.

Extra Tip:
This recipe can be used as is, or as the liquid portion for our Rhassoul Chocolate Milk Masque. Simply add a tablespoon of dry masque to the recipe, mix well, and proceed with step 2. The masque will be slightly thicker, and easier to apply.

Leftover mask can be kept in the fridge, but since this is made fresh without preservatives, it should be used within 2 days.

Enjoy!

Love,
Amber

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