Herbs For Beauty

Herbs have been used as beauty aids throughout recorded history. Ancient Egyptians employed plant extracts to outline their eyes, to redden their lips and cheeks, and to anoint and perfume their bodies. Romans applied herbal face packs and soaked in flower-scented baths. The basic recipe for cold cream dates to the Greek physician Galen in the second century A.D. Indeed, until mass-produced cosmetics became widespread in this century, most beauty products were concocted at home from herbs and other natural ingredients. The art of making beauty preparations in the kitchen is far from dead. Many people still prefer to make their own, both to save money and to have the assurance that the ingredients they are using are natural and pure. The chief advantage of making beauty preparations yourself, however, is that you can experiment with ingredients to find the combinations that work best on your skin and hair or to find the fragrances that are most agreeable to you.

The recipes given here cover facials, skin lotions, shampoos, conditioners, rinses, scented baths, and herbal soaps. All of the ingredients are widely available. Many are sold at drugstores or supermarkets. The rest can be obtained from a specialty druggist or a well-stocked herbal store. Nearly all of the recipes can be prepared in a short time. A few do need to be prepared ahead and allowed to stand so that the herbs can surrender their essences. In making any of these recipes, keep in mind that they are only starting points. Feel free to change the ratio of the ingredients and to substitute other herbs in much the same way as you would modify a dish you are cooking to suit your taste. There are many other possible variations besides the ones suggested.

When making any beauty preparation, use utensils and containers that are thoroughly clean. Most preparations that you make yourself will not keep as long as cosmetics off the shelf. Lotions and creams made from essential oils and other distilled herbal essences will generally last several weeks, especially if they are kept in the refrigerator. Vinegars and soaps will keep much longer. Any facial, shampoo, rinse, or other preparation made with an herbal tea or decoction should be thrown out if not used up after three or four days.

• HERBS FOR BEAUTY
  • Herbal baths and soaps
  • Herbal hair care
  • Herbal skin care
• HERBS FOR KIDS
• HERBS FOR WOMEN
• HERBS FOR MEN
• HERBS FOR DOGS
• A GARDEN OF HEALING HERBS
• DETOXIFICATION