Beauty Oils

Natural oils are a great way to moisturize both hair & skin.  They are a healthy alternative to store brought lotions & deep conditioners that are filled with chemicals & parabens that can be potentially dangerous to your health.  There is a wide variety oils that you can use:

Olive Oil

Anyone who has an Italian grandmother or mother knows just how handy this can be when it comes to beauty.  It works well alone to moisturize hair & skin, & creates a strengthening protein mask for hair when mixed with honey.

Brown Sugar Scrub
3/4 cup coffee grounds 
1/4 cup brown sugar
Olive oil

Mix together coffee grounds & brown sugar, add enough olive oil to create a thick paste.  Store in air tight container.  Apply scrub before showering & then rinse off.  Fights cellulite, sloughs away dead skin, & moisturizes.

Avocado Oil

Avocados are known for being loaded with healthy fats, when it comes to cosmetic use the high fat content in this oil equals mega moisturizing properties for hair & skin.

Homemade Avocado Oil Skin Cream
2 tbsp. avocado oil
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup shea butter

Put ingredients together in heat safe glass measuring cup, place in saucepan filled with water.  Heat on the stove on low/medium until the shea butter melts.  Remove from heat & pour into airtight container.  Place in refrigerator until it hardens.  This is an amazing moisturizer for skin.
*Recipe from eve out of the garden.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is crazy good for you when ingested & equally good when used externally.  It is insane how many uses it has, aside from a hair & skin moisturizer, it works as a natural shaving cream, deodorant, & sunscreen, among other things.

Coconut Oil Deodorant
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 arrowroot powder
4 tbsp. cornstarch
5-10 drops essential oil (optional)

Mix together baking soda, arrowroot powder, & cornstarch in a bowl.  Add coconut oil, using a fork to blend with dry ingredients.  Add essential oil if you want.  Store in airtight container.  Put on fingers & then massage into underarms.  Now you have natural deodorant free of parabens, aluminum, & other harsh ingredients that store brought deodorants have in them.
*Recipe from The Prairie Homestead.

Almond Oil

Nuts are raved about for their high protein & high 'good' fat content, both of these characteristics make almond oil a great moisturizer for hair & skin.

Almond Oil Moisture Mask
1/4 avocado
1/4 tsp. almond oil
1 tbsp. coconut oil
1 tbsp. honey

Mash avocado with a fork.  Mix the avocado with the oils & honey.  Apply to face & leave on for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, place a warm wet washcloth on your face, leave on for at least 30 seconds, then use to wash off the mask.  This works for dry, sensitive, & acne prone skin.
*Recipe from Overthrown Martha.

Castor Oil
I recently learned that castor oil has healing properties.  It is known for it's amazing ability to help hair to grow, make sure to massage into scalp & then distribute to ends.  It will also help to heal scars, cuts & burns.

Castor Oil Hair Mask
For Single Use
5 tbsp. castor oil
5 tbsp. coconut oil (melted)
5 drops tea tree oil
For multiple uses
1 cup castor oil
1 cup coconut oil (melted)
20 drops tea tree oil

Combine castor & coconut oil, mix well.  Add tea tree oil, again mix well.  If you made the larger batch keep in airtight container.  Begin by applying generously to scalp, making sure to massage the scalp while applying.  Continue to apply working your way down your hair to the ends.  Put on a shower cap (I got a really cool metallic one at the local beauty supply store that absorbs your body heat, causing the cap to warm up & giving your hair a deeper conditioning), leave on as long as you can--no shorter then 30 minutes & up to overnight.  Wash out of hair.
*Recipe from The Needle and The Damage Done.

Grapeseed Oil

A byproduct of wine, it's a more light weight oil then other oils listed making it a better option for people with oily hair or skin.  It is full of antioxidants, which gives it anti aging benefits, & it will also help to even out skin tone.  When applied to hair & scalp it will help to combat dandruff.

Grapeseed Oil Face Scrub
1 tbsp. almond oil
1 tbsp. grapeseed oil
Brown sugar

Mix together oils, add enough brown sugar to create a paste.  Apply to your face scrubbing in small circles for 1-2 minutes.  Do not wash off yet, leave on for 15 minutes then rinse off with warm water.
*Recipe from suvens.com.

Jojoba Oil
This oil is raved about by beauty aficionados all around for it's ability to make hair super soft & supple.  Jojoba oil also has antibacterial properties & will penetrate deeply into skin making it a great way to fight acne, using this oil regularly will lead to less oil production from your skin. 

Jojoba Oil Anti Dandruff Treatment
1 oz of jojoba oil
16 drops lavender or tea tree oil

Combine jojoba & lavender or tea tree oils, mix well.  Deeply massage into scalp for 3-5 minutes.  Put on a shower cap, & leave mixture in your hair for 20 minutes.  Store left over in an airtight container.  Wash out of hair.  Jojoba's antibacterial properties combat flakes & dandruff on the scalp.
*Recipe from Get Clean Girls.

Aside from everything mentioned above, you can use any of these oils as eye makeup remover & lip balm.  Each of the oils can also be mixed with things like sugar or coarse sea salt to create a body scrub.  If you prefer your oil to have a pretty scent then add a few drops of an essential oil like lemon, lavender, or peppermint.  With any of these in your beauty arsenal there's no need to purchase deep conditioner or thick body butters because these are a natural & healthier alternatives to the aforementioned items.

What natural oils do you use in your beauty routine?