This article contains sponsored links from my favorite brand Mountain Rose Herbs. I love their high quality organic/fair trade products, and am blown away by their commitment to zero waste.

Here is my newest and updated favorite skin and hair care recipes.  They are extremely easy to make as I love to simplicity.

1. Delicious Face Wash

My skin has fallen in love with my cacao facial mask so much that I decided to no longer save it only for special treatments.  I now include cacao in my daily regime by simply mixing it with my simply fabulous rhassoul clay.    I mix two tablespoons of rhassoul clay to one tablespoon of cacao powder and store in a small glass jar preferably and mix thoroughly.  To use this face wash, place half a teaspoon in your hand and mix with water.   Massage your face gently and rinse.

Since I have been washing my face with rhassoul clay and cacao powder my skin has improved immensely.  It has brightened my complexion while minimizing breakouts and fading scars.  I’ve also noticed smaller pores and smoother skin overall.   The mineral content in rhassoul clay is higher than most other cosmetic clays creating balance with oil production.

Cacao powder provides my skin with an intense antioxidant treatment while softening your skin.  The concentrated source of sulfur in cacao powder had also helped prevent breakouts.  Cacao powder and rhassoul clay together create a gentle detoxifying treatment as a daily facial cleanser.

2. Neat and Easy Henna Treatments

I’ve started to henna twice a month because it has made my hair stronger, prone to less breakage, and I absolutely love the color.  Henna tends to be messy unless you smooth out the consistency with a form of sugar.  I now mix 150g of Karishma Herbal Henna with a can of coconut milk.  This mixture has stretched out the henna for two applications on my hair since it is still above shoulder length.  Coconut milk adds great conditioning benefits, gives henna great dye release, and also smoothes the consistency for easy application and rinse out.  This is a simple mixture that I let sit over night and use in the morning.  I then take half of the mixture and place in the freezer for the 2nd application later that month.

Coconut milk has vitamin A and E, potassium,  chloride, and calcium.  The lauric acid in coconut milk is what creates a strong dye release when mixing it with henna.  Lauric acid is also anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral.  Coconut milk is hydrating and moisturizing to the hair which makes it a perfect addition to henna.

3. Lush Mango Butter

I adore mango butter.  The quality is unbelievable!   It is sometimes overlooked because of the popularity of shea butter.  Mango butter makes a wonderful all body butter and even lip balm.  It is a great source of EFA’s with amazing moisturizing properties.  Mango butter is similar in consistency to cocoa and shea butter.  Its benefits include promoting healthy skin, treating eczema, healing skin rashes and sunburns, UV sun protection, clearing blemishes, softening wrinkles, preventing stretch marks, healing tired muscles and aches, dry hair and skin, and much more.  Mango butter can be easily whipped with other butters and oils once melted.  Mango butter is a yummy luxury product.  It makes my skin super soft!

Another favorite is to add 4-6 drops of vanilla absolute to about 4 oz. of warmed and melted mango butter for a sweet summer fragrance.

(Image by D Sharon Pruitt)

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