A little bit of pampering...

I've just gotta love my kitchen pantry.  Combined with the content of my refrigerator I can save many $$'s.

I got a job interview the other morning that I wanted to look my best for - so time to pull out the big guns and have a bit of a pamper party - for one that is.  I did a bit of Googling and came up with some great recipes all made from items (or substitutions) from within my kitchen pantry and refrigerator.

First of all a Facial Scrub/Exfoliator:

The recipe called for equal amounts of white sugar and vegetable glycerin (although it did say you could substitute the glycerin with avocado oil - I used olive oil and would prefer something a little less pungent but it will do), small amounts of aloe vera gel, vitamin C crystals, or anything healing that dissolves in water (I used four Vitamin E capsules I had in the cupboard, cutting them and squeezing the oil out), and 1 or 2 drops of essential oil if desired

So my recipe ended up being...

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup raw sugar (I had to keep adding sugar because the mixture initially got too wet for my taste)
• 1/2 cup oil (I used a mix of some almond oil I had left from previous preparations and olive oil - I would suggest NOT to use olive oil as I said before - very pungent)
• 4 Vit E capsules
• Lots of drops of essential oil (but then mine isn't strictly the good essential oil so it took a lot more to mask the smell of olive oil - do it by sniff - you'll figure out what's best for you.

I mixed it all together and popped it into an empty Mocconna coffee jar (love that coffee and the jars have all sorts of uses).  I'd like to decorate it to look pretty but don't have the time today :o)

Body Scrub (although mine is pretty harsh with the Rock Salt so prob better on feet)

• 1/2 cup of salt (I used rock salt but fine sea salt would be better)
• 1/2 cup of raw sugar.
• 1/4 cup of oil (I used the olive/almond mix I had left over from the previous recipe so again I'd probably go with something a little more pleasant or neutrally scented.)
• Essential oils to smell.

Hair Conditioning Mask
This was what I was initially looking for when I started Googling.
Banana and Avocado Hair Mask

• 1 medium banana
• 1/2 avocado - mmm you get to eat the other half.
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 Tbsp buttermilk
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Mash banana, egg and avocado in a small bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well combined. Apply to hair from roots to tips. Leave in for 30 minutes and then wash out with a moisturizing shampoo. Double the recipe for long hair.

Well I've got hair just below my shoulders and this was plenty, believe me.  I didn't have buttermilk (or normal milk for that matter) but after reading how mayonaisse is supposed to be be so good for hair conditioning I substituted the buttermilk for three Tbsp of Himselfs best mayo - don't tell!!!  I also used the remaining 1/4 cup of oil I'd initally measured out for the first recipe so there's prob a hint of almond in there too.