Natural and Organic Beauty Recipes

Natural and Organic Beauty Recipes that You Can Make at Home

It might interest you to know that cosmetics are not always safe. Many cosmetics contain ingredients that are carcinogenic. The Enviromental Work Group (EWG) has a wonderful website for publicizing the health risks of everyday cosmetics, so you can see which products are safe and which are not. It is available at Skin Deep. Also, there are natural and organic beauty recipes below as alternatives to commercial products.

Natural and Organic Beauty Recipes

• Skin Care
  Your skin is the largest organ of the body. It protects you from the environment, enables you to feel, and regulates your body's temperature. Many commercial skin care products contain questionable ingredients. Consider caring for your hardworking skin by using these natural and organic beauty recipes. You can turn your own home into a spa with a few simple ingredients and give your skin the nurturing it deserves.
  Cure Acne Naturally
  Natural Liquid Soap for Dry Skin
  Liquid Castile Soap
  Olive Oil Soap for Dry Skin
  Oatmeal Soap
  Apricot Mask
  Clay Mask for Beautiful Skin
  Body Powder
  Bath Salts
  Sea Salt and Sugar Scrub Recipes
  Cold Cream Recipe
  Lotion Recipe Made with Olive Oil
  
  
• Hair Care
  A great head of hair can do a lot for your self image. It isn't that hard to achieve beautiful hair. Shampoos are designed to clean your scalp. The hair itself can be protected through the use of natural and organic beauty recipes to add more body, shine, or hydrate dry hair. All this can be done naturally and beautifully with no risk to your health.
  Hair Treatment for Extra Body
  Beer Shampoo
  Condition Your Hair with Eggs
  Repair Dry Hair Naturally
  Add Volume to Hair Naturally
  Lighten Hair Naturally
  Condition Your Hair Naturally with Food!
  Hair Gel
  Condition Hair with Olive Oil
  Condition Hair with Mayonnaise
  Avocado Hair Conditioner
  Condition Your Hair with Coconut Oil
  Color Grey Hair Naturally
  Sage and Rosemary for Covering Grey
  
  
• Fragrance
  Fragrance originated from the extraction of beautiful scents from flowers and plants. Today, chemical perfumes are the norm, but understand that these fragrances carry a host of concerns. Fragrances are a considerable health risk posing neurotoxin, allergen and sensitizers risks. The synthetic fragrances found in soaps and shampoos are risky for young children and it is a good idea when using commercial products to choose fragrance-free varieties. For your own personal care, you don't have to expose your health to risky ingredients. Natural and organic scents made from plants are still widely available today in the form of essential oils. Essential oils are often used for aroma therapy, but they can help you smell your best too with these recipes:
  Use 11 Common Essential Oils
  Massage Oil from Essential Oils
  Dry Perfume
  
  
• Lips
  Have you considered that most of what you apply to your lips is swallowed? Don't consume large quantities of chemicals in an effort to have beautiful lips. Natural and organic beauty recipes for glosses, balms, and lip color area easy to make yourself at home with a few simple ingredients that won't leave you exposed.
  Natural Lip Balm
  Lip Gloss Recipes
  

Wen - The unshampoo

Shampoo your hair without stripping out the natural oils and get movie star hair!

More Information on Making Natural Recipes for Beauty

Overview and recipes for herbal oil, natural conditioners, lip balms and skin care products and other organic homemade beauty recipes.

• More Organic and Natural Beauty Recipes
  Overview and recipes for herbal oil, natural conditioners, lip balms and skin care products and other organic homemade beauty recipes.
• Liquid Castile Soap
  Recipe for making liquid castille soap at home.

Heather's Raw Oatmeal Cookies

You'll Need

• 1 cup raw macadamia nuts
• 2 cups raw oats
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup raw wheat berries
• 1/2 cup raw cocoa nibs

Instructions

1. Soak the wheat berries for at least 4 hours. Drain.
2. Combine the oats, macadamia nuts and cocoa nibs in a food processor. Run it on the lowest setting for 30 seconds to 1 minute, the dry ingredients should be well distributed.
3. Continue to run the processor on the lowest setting and add the wheat berries and honey a little at a time.
4. You've now finished the dough. If you like raw cookie dough, you can shape into balls eat them this way. They should be stored in the refrigerator.
5. To dehydrate the dough into oatmeal cookies, shape into balls and then press the cookies flat. Lay the oatmeal cookies onto a lined dehydrator tray and dehydrate until crispy below 105 degrees.

Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 3 tomatoes
• 1/4 cup water
• 1clove crushed garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 ripe avocado chopped
• 1tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons dill weed

1. Place everything except the avocado and olive oil in a blender and process until smooth.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and blend again until smooth.

Creamy Cucumber Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 cup peeled and chopped cucumber
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 clove garlic 1 1/2 teaspoons dill weed
• 1 teaspoon minced onion

Instructions

1. Put everything except the dill weed and onion in a blender and process until smooth and creamy.
2. Add the dill and onion. Blend long enough to mix them in.
3. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

How to Make Raw Almond Milk at Home

Ingredients:

• 5 cups water
• 3 cups soaked raw almonds
• 6 pitted dates, soaked

Instructions:

1. Put 3 cups of water, the almonds and the dates in a blender. Run the blender on high until the liquid is very smooth and free of lumps. Add the remaining 2 cups of water and blend again. For a thicker almond "cream," omit the last 2 cups of water.
2. Place a very fine mesh strainer, or cheese cloth over a large bowl. Pour the almond mixture slowly through it to strain any remaining lumps. Squeeze any pulp collected to extract the remaining milk. Alternatively, a sprouting bag may also be used to strain the pulp from the raw almond milk.
3. Store the almond milk in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
4. To use the almond milk, shake it well before serving it.

Other Tasty Options for Making Raw Almond Milk

To further sweeten the raw almond milk, the following ingredients may be added:

• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 2 packets of stevia powder

Alternatively, a cream can be made by omitting the last 2 cups of water.

Using Raw Almond Milk:

Almond milk can be used on cereal, or for anything calling for cow's milk. Here are a few delicious recipes to ensure that almond milk never goes to waste.

Almond Milk Shake
Ingredients:

• 2 frozen bananas
• 1 cup almond milk
• 3 teaspoons sweetener, such as pure maple syrup, raw honey or agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Place all the above ingredients in a blender. Process until smooth. Serve immediately. Add 3 tablespoons carob powder for a chocolate flavor, or strawberries for a strawberry flavor. Ten to twelve strawberries will be needed.

Almond Milk Ice Cream
This recipe is made from almond "cream" rather than milk. The last 2 cups in the almond milk recipe are omitted.

• 3 cups almond cream
• 4 tablespoons sweetener, such as raw honey, agave nectar, or real maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or the seeds of 2 vanilla beans

Place all the ingredients listed above in a medium bowl. Whisk them to combine. Use an ice cream maker, or frozen yogurt machine, to freeze.

The Health Benefits of Raw Almond Milk

Almonds are rich in magnesium and Vitamin E, as well as selenium. Because this milk is made with raw almonds, it is also rich in enzymes, which help your body digest foods. The almond skins are rich in flavinoids, which are very good for your heart. If you are lactose intolerant, homemade almond milk is a good alternative to cow's milk. It is easy to make and much more nutritious that the boxed non-dairy milks you will find on many store shelves.

More Raw Food Recipes from this Author:

Visit "Easy Raw Food Recipes for Kids," for more quick, easy and tasty recipes that kids (and adults) will love!

2 Raw Food Salad Dressing Recipes - Ranch and French

The french dressing is similar in flavor to the Dorothy Lynch brand and the Ranch dressing is great for salads or as a vegetable dip too. These dressings are sure to be kid-pleasers, but adults will enjoy them too.

Raw Food French Salad Dressing

What you will need:

• 2 medium tomatoes (approximately 1 ½ cups)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• Food processor or blender

Place all the ingredients in the food processor and blend, or process, for about a minute until all the ingredients are well mixed and smooth. This recipe is sweet, with a distinct onion flavor. If you like less onion, try using just 2 tablespoons instead of 1/8 cup.

Raw Food Ranch Dressing Recipe

You will need:

• 1 cup of soaked raw cashews
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 T fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon minced fresh basil
• 1 Tablespoon minced fresh dill weed

Add all ingredients except the fresh dill and basil to a blender, or food processor. Process until smooth and creamy. Add the fresh dill and basil and pulse the processor, or blender, just slightly to mix in the fresh herbs. This ranch style salad dressing also makes a great vegetable dip.

Storing the Dressing

Store these raw food salad dressings in the refrigerator for up to five days. Ensure they are kept in a well-sealed container for maximum freshness.

Benefits of Raw Food

If you are new to raw foods, you may not know that raw foods are healthier and more nutritious. This is because the cooking process has not destroyed the nutrients in raw foods. In addition, raw foods have enzymes that help your digestive system break down foods and reap all their benefits. Cooked foods do not have natural enzymes, as enzymes are destroyed in the cooking process.

It is not always easy to maintain a raw food diet. Simply ensuring that you get some raw food each day will keep you healthier than the average person, who eats very little raw food. Trying and testing new raw food recipes will also help you find some tried and true cooked food substitutes. The substitutes will prevent you from feeling deprived of foods you are accustom to eating. Raw food salad dressing is a perfect example, of a raw food recipe you need. Everyone trying to eat more raw food needs to have a good raw food salad dressing recipe on hand.

It is hard to beat the taste of these dressing recipes. Everyone loves the flavor, including kids and adults who prefer to eat like kids. Eating raw food does not have to be boring.

More by this author:

Looking for more raw food recipes? This is from my collection of easy raw food recipes for kids online.

Raw Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

When I was new to making raw food, I had the problem of frozen foods being watery after thawed and not being able to cook them down. I soon learned that you can make watery vegetables, like salsa, thicker by adding a few dried vegetables to it to soak up the excess liquid as it thaws. No more watery salsa!

This spaghetti sauce recipe is wonderful because it uses dried tomatoes and it's easy to get it to the consistency you want with a little practice.

• 2 ripe tomatoes chopped (1 cup)
• 1 cup dried tomatoes soaked for 30 minutes
• 1 cup red bell pepper chopped
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• Black or cayenne pepper (optional)

In a food processor, process all ingredients until they are smooth. The spaghetti sauce will last in the refrigerator for 3 days. If the sauce is too thick, soak the dried tomatoes longer. You may adjust the sauce to your desired taste. If the sauce is too thin, soak the dried tomatoes for only 10 minutes before adding.

For more easy raw food recipes visit:
Raw Food Recipes for Kids!

Raw Mango Pudding Recipe

It's hard to believe this mango pudding recipe is simply mangoes and water. It is sweet and tasty. Mango pudding can be used as a pie filling or eaten plain.

• 1 Cup dried mangoes (8 ounces)
• Water

1. Place the dried mangoes in a large measuring cup that holds at least 2 cups. 
2. Cover the dried mangoes with water until the water reaches 2 cups.
3. Soak the mangoes for 2 hours.
4. Puree the mangoes in a blender until the pudding reaches the desired consistency. It may be necessary to stop the blender and scrape the sides with a spatula to insure it is well blended. If the mixture becomes to thick, add more water one tablespoon at a time.

Mango pudding is best served chilled. It can be eaten plain or used to make a pie. It can also be layered with vanilla pudding and topped with fruit to create a more sophisticated dessert.

More raw food recipes that are kid pleasers.

Raw Vanilla Pudding Recipe

Chocolate or vanilla? I am usually a huge fan of chocolate, but not when it comes to raw pudding. This vanilla pudding recipe is so good, it might have me switching sides in the chocolate vs. vanilla debate.

• 2 Cups raw cashews
• 3/4 Cup water
• 1/4 Cup agave syrup, maple syrup, or honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, or seeds of 2 vanilla beans

1. Soak the cashews in a bowl by covering them with water and allowing them to rest for 2 hours. 
2. Place all the ingredients above in a blender. Blend on the highest speed until smooth. Keep extra water on hand in case the mixture becomes too thick to blend. Stop the blender occasionally to push the pudding down on the sides of the blender with a spatula.

The vanilla pudding is best served chilled. It will last in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It can be eaten plain or layered with raw chocolate mouse, raw mango pudding, or raw fruit. It also makes an excellent pie filling.

More raw food recipes that kids will love.

Raw Chocolate Mousse Recipe

• 1/2 Cup pitted medjool dates
• 1/2 Cup pure agave nectar, maple syrup, or honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 1/2 Cups mashed avocados (approximately 3 avocados)
• 1/2 Cup carob powder
• 1/2 Cup water 

1. Cover the dates with water and allow them to soak for 30 minutes. 
2. Put the dates in a food processor along with the sweetener (agave, maple, or honey) and the vanilla. Process these ingredients until they appear smooth.
3. Add the carob powder and the avocados. Run the processor again until the carob powder appears to be mixed in well. You may need to stop occasionally to scrape the sides with a spatula.
4. Add the water and process until it reaches the consistency of mousse. (When I made this I had to use more than 1/2 cup of water to get it to the desired consistency. I simply added small amounts at a time and ran the processor after each addition.)
5. Chill the chocolate mousse and serve, or store in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Layer with the Vanilla Pudding Recipe and top with fruit to serve as show in the photo on the right.
If you are making raw food for kids, check out my list of favorite kids recipes.

Natural and Organic Beauty Recipes

Today's recipe isn't a food recipe, but anyone concerned with eating raw for overall health can certainly appreciate the fact that some ingredients in cosmetics are allergenic, or worse, carcinogenic.

Are you lathering up your body with cancer-causing ingredients? You don't need to! There are homemade alternatives, or at least, safer commercial alternatives available. To learn more about the risks of many personal care products, or for my index of natural and organic beauty recipes that you can make yourself at home visit: Natural and Organic Beauty Recipes.

Raw Food Salad Dressing

I've been working on perfecting a raw food salad dressing that my kids will love. I created something that looks a little like Dorthy Lynch. I'm still amazed that it is RAW. It is so yummy. I am tweaking the sweetness to make sure my kids love it every bit as much as the bottled dressing. If I were making it for me, I would add more onions and spices, but I am catering to an 8 and 9 year old so it will be a kid pleaser.

This is the raw food "french" dressing as of today, ·   

• 2 medium tomatoes (approximately 1 ½ cups)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup raw honey

Oodles and Oodles of Information About Drying Food

I wrote about the art of drying food today. It contains details about pre-treating foods before drying, the best temperature, hanging versus dehydrator methods, prepping the food to be dried, and tons of recipes for drying specific fruits and vegetables and meats. In addition, it contains ideas for using dried foods. For more information visit, "How to Dry Foods."

Raw Food Nut and Seed Butter Recipes

Throughout time, people have eaten seasonally from necessity. There are health benefits to eating foods that are in season. Energy consumption from storage is reduced. Transportation costs to transport food to areas where it is not currently in season is avoided. There is also data that suggests our bodies crave and benefit from eating foods that are in season. To learn more about eating seasonally visit: How to Eat Seasonally

A favorite seasonal food of winter is nuts and seeds. This is because nuts and seeds harvested in the fall can be stored without energy consumption throughout the winter. The native Americans had a process for harvesting, storing and using acorns that I find fascinating. Acorns are the fruit of the oak tree and are abundant in many places. To use acorns the tannins must be leached from them.

To use other types of nuts, raw peanuts, raw black walnuts, or any other raw nut your heart desires, I suggest making raw nut butters. The are created by adding a small amount of raw honey to the nuts in a food processor and processing well. Yum!

Benefits of a Raw Food Diet

Have you ever wondered why people choose raw food? Most people who follow a raw food diet do not eat 100% raw, but some do. I try to get at least 75% of my food raw.

The benefits of raw food are enzymes, higher nutrient content and micro-organisms that are good for your digestive system. To read more about the benefits of raw foods visit: How to Be a Raw Food Junkie

Flax Seed Crackers

Everyone gets the munchies. With these raw food flax seed crackers, you will always have something healthy on hand when that happens. Use these crackers as a substitute for chips and as a foundation for guacamole, salsas, humus, or anything else that sounds good. The recipe is quick and easy and sure to be a hit with the whole family.

Make Raw Food Flax Seed Crackers

Raw Food Mango Pie

Mango pie is delicious and so easy to make. I was amazed at how sweet the mango filling is without adding any type of sugar to it. The dried mango hydrates quickly making this recipe as easy as chocolate pie from an instant pudding mix, but it is sooo much healthier. My kids just loved it and so did I. I would have to say that this mango pie makes raw food very enjoyable. Just as good as a smoothie. :)
How to Make Raw Food Mango Pie