NATURAL BEAUTY TREATMENTS- 2

MOISTURIZERS:

Natural oils are nourishing to the skin and are absorbed quickly. Pat a few drops around
eyes and any trouble spots first. Add a few more drops to your palms and gently pat around the rest of your face and throat. If you have time, just let the oils soak in naturally into the skin, but if you are in a hurry, rinse a washcloth in warm water, ring out excess water and lay over face for a minute. Your skin will feel wonderful! Health food stores carry a lot of these oils. Grocery stores also carry some of these oils. Try to find oils that are cold pressed. Processing temperatures destroy the benefits of natural oils.

Almond Oil- Good for all skin types. Best if used as a message oil, it relieves itching, dry
skin. Will go rancid quickly, so buy in small amounts.

Apricot Kernel Oil- High in vitamin A, apricot kernel oil is rich and nourishing. It is especially
helpful for dehydrated, mature or sensitive skin.

Avocado Oil- A rich, heavy oil that is high in vitamin A and E. Good for dry, dehydrated or
mature skin. Goes rancid quickly.

Borage Oil- Stimulates skin cell activity and encourages skin regeneration. Beneficial to all
skin types.

Canola Oil- Penetrates the skin quickly and softens skin. It has a high content of linoleic acid,
which promotes skin health. Resists rancidity.

Evening Primrose Oil- High in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and helps the skin repair itself.
Good for dry and premature aging of the skin.

Flaxseed Oil- High in vitamin E, making it useful for preventing scarring and stretch marks. It
nourishes the skin and helps in cell regeneration.

Grapeseed Oil- A light oil that easily absorbs into the skin. Good for all skin types.

Jojoba Oil- Very similar in composition to natural skin oils and penetrates the skin rapidly to
nourish it. Has antioxidant properties and when combined with other oils will help keep them
from going rancid as quickly as they otherwise would. Excellent for all skin types and is very
healing.

Olive Oil- Soothes, heals and lubricates the skin. However, it has a strong odor.

Soy Oil- A light oil that can be used for all skin types. It is nourishing to dry skin and is readily
absorbed into the skin.

Sunflower Oil- Easily absorbed into the skin and can be used for all skin types. High in vitamin
E, which makes it especially helpful for delicate and dry skin.

Wheat Germ Oil- A thick, sticky antioxidant oil that is rich in vitamin E. Beneficial to all skin
types.

ESSENTIAL OILS

Adding essential oils to the natural vegetable oils not only adds fragrance but adds special
properties that are beneficial to the body and spirit. Just add 1 drop of any favorite essential
oil to a teaspoon of your favorite vegetable oil before using as a moisturiser to your skin.
Essential oils can be very expensive*, however, and are not “essential” to add to your
moisturizers.

Basil Oil- Enlivens dull looking skin, improves skin tone and gives the complexion a rosy glow.

Bergamot Oil- Antiseptic action makes it useful in treating acne and skin infections. A nice
orange smell. May make skin photosensitive.

Clary Sage Oil- Promotes regeneration of skin cells, helping skin to look young and healthy.

Geranium Oil- Helpful to most all skin types. Speeds healing of acne, soothes dry skin, and
imparts a healthy glow to the complexion.

Lavender Oil- Reduces inflamation of acne and soothes sunburned skin.

Lemon Oil*- Helps control oily skin.

Orange Oil*- Promotes the production of collagen which helps keep skin younger looking. An
interesting note: the big news in the beauty world is vitamin C serum for younger looking skin.
However, people are being charged exorbitant amounts for practically sample sizes. Orange
Oil has the vitamin C in it that penetrates the skin easily and deeply and costs only pennies in
comparison. May cause sensitivity to sunlight (but so does the expensive vitamin C serum).

Patchouli Oil- Regenerates skin cells and reputed to ward off wrinkles.

Rosemary Oil- Stimulates cell renewal. Improves dry skin and improves circulation.

Rosewood Oil- Balances all skin types.

Ylang Ylang Oil- Effective in treating oily skin by reducing excessive oiliness. Antibacterial
properties help fight and heal blemishes.

*These oils are the least expensive of all essential oils and have the overall benefits for all skin
types.

BEAUTY TREATMENTS FROM NATURE

Pampering yourself is soothing to the spirit and quite refreshing to the soul. Take a few
minutes each day to do something special for yourself. “Because your worth it!” can take on
a whole new meaning!

Try these beauty treatments that come out of your kitchen. They work as good if not
better than the expensive commercial cosmetics, but cost only pennies. In fact, all the
recipes I have included in this section are made from the simplest pantry items which produce
the best results.

CLEANSING: The first basic step in skin care, cleansing can be done simply and
inexpensively with just a few staples from the kitchen. Recipes are good for all skin types.

FARI-OAT SCRUB

1 cup oatmeal (uncooked)
1 Tbsp. farina (uncooked)

Grind oatmeal to a gritty powder in blender. Add farina and blend throughly. Store in closed container.
To use: Splash face with hot water several times to help dissolve accumulated dirt and grease.
Use about a Tbsp. of fari-oat powder and gently scrub over your face. Rinse well. Repeat if
you have very oily skin.

GENTLE FACIAL SCRUB

½ cup oatmeal (grind to powder in blender)
2 Tbsp. powdered milk
1 tsp. cornmeal

Combine ingredients in container or zip-lock bag and shake well. Combine 1 Tbsp. of mix
with enough water to make a creamy paste. Spread over face and throat. Message for a
minute and then rinse.

FACE AND BODY SCRUB

1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup warmed olive oil

Stir salt and oil together and apply over face (and body if desired). Massage until a rosy glow
appears, then rinse with water and blot dry with a towel.

SKIN BALANCING SCRUB (Good for evening out blotchy skin and fading tans.)

1 Tbsp. yogurt (plain)
2 tsp. ground oatmeal
1 tsp. salt

Combine ingredients and apply to face and throat. Massage for 5 minutes. Rinse and towel
dry. Use weekly until skin begins to become more uniform in appearance.


HONEY CORNMEAL EXFOLIANT

1 ½ tsp. cornmeal
1 tsp. honey
½ tsp. water

Combine ingredients and let soften for 2 minutes. Massage onto face and throat and let set for
20 minutes. Rinse with warm water and towel blot dry.

CREAMY OATMEAL CLEANSER

1 cup ground oatmeal
1 cup powdered milk

Combine ingredients in bag or container. When ready to use, mix 2 tsp. of mixture with
enough water to make a smooth paste. Massage onto face and let set for 5 minutes. Rinse.

GENERIC PANTRY INGREDIENTS AND THEIR USES IN SKIN CARE:

BAKING SODA -Baking soda has an anti-inflammatory agent as well as being a good exfoliant. Make a thin paste of baking soda and water, then smooth over face and throat. Do not scrub, simply rinse off with warm water.

MAYONNAISE-Amazingly effective as a cleanser! Spread over face and remove with warm, damp washcloth.

SHORTENING-This is good for very dry skin. Use the white, all vegetable shortening and smooth over your entire face. Let remain on face for a few minutes and remove with a warm, damp washcloth.

POTATO-Raw, grated and then massaged onto face, potatoes are a great cleanser with blemish healing properties. Remove raw potato with a warm, damp washcloth.

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR-Mix flour with a little water to make a smooth paste. Massage onto skin and then rinse. Cleanses and smoothes skin.

CLEANSING MILK-In small saucepan combine ½ cup milk, 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil and 2 Tbsp. chamomile flowers. Heat together over very low heat for 30 minutes and do not let boil or form a skin. Let stand for 3 hours, then strain. Pour in jar and keep refrigerated. Apply with cotton ball, then wipe off. Will keep for 1 week.
A quick and simple cleansing milk is to combine 2 Tbsp. milk and ½ tsp. oil in small jar. Apply
with cotton ball, then wipe off.

SELF PRESERVATION

“...One of the adversaries favourite tactics among righteous LDS women is busyness -
getting us so preoccupied with the flurry of daily life that we fail to immerse ourselves in the
gospel of Jesus Christ.” – Sheri L. Dew

Taking time for ourselves is vital for our self preservation as stay-at-home women. This helps us to reestablish our self-worth and reduces the stress of day-to-day living by slowing us down. Elder Ballard counseled women last April conference to cut out all the extras that make us too busy as women and mothers. "... As you try to cut out the extra commitments, sisters, find some time for yourself to cultivate your gifts and interests. Pick one or two things that you would like to learn or do that will enrich your life, and make time for them. Water cannot be drawn from an empty well, and if you are not setting aside a little time for what replenishes you, you will have less and less to give to others, even to your children. Avoid any kind of substance abuse, mistakenly thinking that it will help you accomplish more. And don’t allow yourself to be caught up in the time-wasting, mind-numbing things like television soap operas or surfing the Internet. Turn to the Lord in faith, and you will know what to do and how to do it."

BEGIN WITH YOUR FOUNDATION

The most essential daily thing that we can do for our self-preservation is to take the time to
replenish our spirits by reading the scriptures. This is the foundation of our very essence and
connects us to God. If we are to have the moral strength, commitment and courage to stand
for women and families, then we need to re-fortify daily by immersing ourselves into the
scriptures and other words of church leaders. This is just the beginning of taking time for
ourselves.

NATURAL BEAUTY VS GLAMOUR

Another important part of self-preservation is taking time to care for our outward bodies.
Each of us needs to feel beautiful and pampered, but do we confuse beauty with that glamour
that bombards us on the television and other media? When I think of glamour I think of artificially contrived beauty. A counterfeit to natural beauty, it is designed to keep our minds and hearts upon ourselves. Glamour is an illusion and nothing is as it seems. Glamour involves the purchase of exorbitant amounts of make-up, creams, lotions, patronizing expensive big name salons, spas, and health resorts. Skin deep is a concise way of describing glamour.

Contrast that with natural beauty. Natural beauty begins deep in our souls, after all, real
beauty comes from the serenity and joy that we radiate. When we truly know that we are
daughters of God it shines for all to see. Beauty is only then enhanced by a healthy body and
clean appearance. Of course, make-up can be used to augment our features, but, if used in
excess can destroy our beauty.

Natural beauty is not expensive to reach. Healthy glowing skin, shining hair, sparkling
eyes and gleaming teeth, all stem from a little personal attention, cleanliness, exercise,
nutritious foods, a positive attitude and spirituality. Even if vibrant health is unattainable we
can still have the truest beauty available...the “goodness and beauty of angels”.

CLOTHING CARE

Keeping clothing “neat and comely” can be a constant challenge. Just remember to read the care label on each article of clothing and keep whites, darks, and colors separated when you wash.

Try to keep away from purchasing “dry-clean only” items as this increases the price of the clothing article every time you clean it.

GENERAL METHODS OF STAIN REMOVAL

Always remember to treat stains as soon as they happen. If a stained article of clothing slips
past your notice, the heat of the dryer may set the stain permanently. Try these economical
methods of stain removal before you go out and buy the more expensive cleaners.


STAIN....... METHOD OF REMOVAL

BLOOD: Treat spot with hydrogen peroxide. After foaming has stopped soak in cold water for 30 minutes. Wring out garment and apply laundry detergent to spot and rub in. Launder as usual. Warning- when removing blood from colored fabrics, make sure it is colorfast by applying peroxide to an area that cannot be seen. If the peroxide doesn't bleach out the color then it is safe to use on blood stain.

CATSUP/TOMATO: Soak in cold water and treat spot with Dawn dish soap. Wash.
SAUCE

CHOCOLATE: Wash stain in warm, sudsy water with a few drops of ammonia rubbed in. Rinse.

CRAYON: Loosen stain with small amount of shortening. Apply detergent on stain, working until outline of stain is removed. Launder as usual.

GRASS: Rub detergent or Enzyme detergent into stain. Wash with bleach safe for fabric.

GREASE, OIL : Treat spot with paint thinner. Rub detergent into spot and wash.

GUM: Harden gum with an ice-cube. Scrape off as much as possible with a dull knife. Dab a few drops of Orange essential oil on residue spot until remaining gum is loosened and blot with paper towel. Wash as usual.

INK : Spray spot with hairspray or alcohol. Blot with paper towel until ink is gone. Launder as usual.

MILDEW: Pretreat stain with hydrogen peroxide. Rinse and then wash with bleach safe for fabric.

MUD: Allow to dry. Brush off dirt. Pretreat with liquid laundry detergent and wash as usual.

NAIL POLISH: Do not use nail polish remover! Treat spot with a solution of equal parts of alcohol and ammonia. Scrub and wash as usual.

PAINT: Work quickly before paint is dry. Most paints today are acrylic and water based, so quickly scrub spot with soap and water. If paint is still there, scrub spot with paint thinner, pre-soak with laundry detergent and wash.

RUST: Apply lemon juice and salt and place in the sun. Keep area wet with lemon juice until rust stain disappears. Launder.

YELLOWING: (For white fabrics only)
1/4 cup dishwasher detergent
½ cup bleach
1/4 cup soda
Dissolve and agitate in hot water. Add whites and soak for 1-8 hours. Drain and wash as usual. *This method is great for getting formula stains out of baby tee shirts and for getting the pink out of whites that accidentally got a red sock in them!

RECYCLING CLOTHING

Clothes can be made for all member of the family from used clothing or items around the
house for little to no cost. By using your creativity and artistic abilities you can create clothing for your family. You can accomplish this in several ways– by adding an accent, an additional piece (as in a new collar, cuffs, pockets, etc...), refitting a size or making an entirely new outfit for a small child from an adult’s piece of clothing. Make sure fabric is not so worn out that it will fall apart when being remade.

IDEAS TO HELP YOU GET STARTED:

ITEMS AROUND HOUSE- RECYCLED INTO...

Yarn Scraps- Granny Square Afghan, Poncho, Skirt
Potholder, Doll Clothes, Crafts


Old Levis- Purses, Skirts, Patchwork Jacket, Quilt,
Small child's pants or jackets

Old Acrylic Blankets- Coats, Inside batting for Quilts, Bunting
for baby

Old Coats/Furry linings- Stuffed Animals, Slippers, Child’s coat

Torn Sheets- Pillow cases, Costumes for Halloween (I
made a cute Indian girl costume by using
using an old, white flannel sheet that I
dyed tan, fringed the edges, added beads
and then sewed moccasins to match
from the scraps of leftover sheet. The
texture looked like real buckskin.

Man’s White Shirt- Child’s Slip, small boy’s White Shirt

Old Nightgowns and Slips- Children’s nightgowns, Underwear

Old Woolen Sweaters- Mittens, Caps, Child’s Sweater

Jumpers, Dresses, Skirts, Slacks, Shirts- Children's clothing


The ideas are only limited by your imagination.

SHOPPING, "SAILING," AND THRIFT STORES

I detest clothes shopping! It makes me tired and discouraged, besides the fact that it
depletes the pocket book very quickly. Because of this hatred for shopping, I’m probably the last person that could give any amazing tips on shopping for clothes, but I do have a few strategies that are helpful to those of you who are shopping fanatics.

First of all, never buy anything full retail price. In her book, “Tightwad Gazette”, Amy
Dacyczyn explains the differences between disposable purchases and investment purchases. Disposable purchases are items we buy for short term use, such as, food, clothing, toiletries, etc... When we pay high prices on disposable purchases we are basically throwing money down the drain. That is what we do when we pay full retail on clothing. Clothing goes out of style, is grown out of, can be irreparably damaged or soiled which makes that purchase a waste of resources. (Read Amy’s article as soon as possible!)

Next, shop the clearance racks. Stores always have racks at the back of the clothing
department with items marked down at great savings. My daughter and I went shopping at an
expensive department store and found a formal dress on the clearance rack marked down from
$129.00 to $19.00 and it was darling on her! Shop for the seasonal clearances. Usually, stores will clear out their winter clothing in January/February and their summer clothing in July/August. This may mean you’ll find a nice coat for the next winter but the savings will be over half the price. If shopping for growing children, buy larger sizes that they can grow into. It also helps to buy “unisex” styles so the article of clothing can be passed down from one child to another.

“Sailing” is what I like to call garage sale hunting. This is one of our family’s favourite things to do together on a summer Saturday. We live in a small town and many times we would just hop on our bikes and ride to the sales that were closest to us. Garage sales are vehicles in which God has seen that many of our needs are met. We’ve had some amazing miracles happen through garage sales. When my husband’s job was transferring him from St. George, Utah, to Southeastern Idaho, we were concerned about the need for winter clothing. We were living in a place that rarely, if ever, got snow to a place where snow was measured in feet during the winter. The
Saturday after we received the news of the transfer we went “sailing” with the sole purpose of
finding winter clothes and boots. At our very first house we found BOXES of coats, sweaters, snow suits, boots, mittens and whatever we needed for the snow in varied sizes! All of these winter clothes in a place that gets so hot that the Devil doesn’t even want to live there! And what was even more incredible was the price...a dollar a box full! There is no one that can convince me that God didn’t watch out for us and fulfill our every need. And this isn’t an isolated experience either. Many times we would make our list of things we would need and find it at garage sales. On several occasions I remember our eldest daughter, when she was little, would decide what special item she really needed for that “saling” day. She was so darling, as a little five year old, darting over to the area, scanning sharply for that item that she wanted and immediately wanting to leave if she didn’t find it. Nothing distracted her and without fail she’d come home that day with new shoes, or a dress, or whatever happened to be what she felt she had need of at the time. As I have said many times before, God wants us to succeed. He will provide us with our needs if we just have faith. Garage sales are a simple way for this to happen.

It is important to make a list out for garage sales, otherwise, purchases can be wasteful and all you end up is having a lot of other people’s junk messing up your house. That isn’t to say
that if you discover a real find that you shouldn’t buy it because it isn’t on the list. Just make
sure it is truly worth buying. Make sure you involve the children. Garage sales are a great way to teach children the difference between needs and wants, how to economise and how to use money. These are ideas that I would use for garage “saling”. You will probably want to add your
own needs to the list. Write them on a 3x5 card and carry it with you.

1- Clothing items and sizes (boy, girl, man, woman, baby)
2- Shoes and sizes (colors)
3- Books
4- Children’s toys (legos, porcelain dolls, stuffed animals)
5- Dishes, Cookware, Tupperware
6- Tools
7- Frugal Elegance (china pieces, crystal glasses and vases, silverware)
8- Craft/Decorating items (silk flowers, baskets, paint, frames, etc...)
9- Special Need Items_______________________________________

Thrift stores are just organized garage sales. Most of the time the prices are a little higher
than what one can pay at a garage sale, but many store’s profits go to helping those who
cannot help themselves, so I don’t mind paying a little more. Be mindful about prices. There
have been times that I have gone into our local thrift store and found a used item higher in
price than a brand new store purchased item.

CLOTHING: THAT WE MIGHT BE... “ NEAT AND COMELY”

“And they did impart of their substance, every man according to that which he had, to the
poor, and the needy, and the sick, and the afflicted; and they did not wear costly apparel, yet
they were neat and comely.”
— Alma 1:27

I find it interesting that repeatedly in the Book of Mormon, a symptom of the moral decay
of the people was pride and the wearing of costly apparel. (See 2 Nephi 28:13, Jacob 2:13,
Alma 1:6, Alma 1:27, Alma 1:32, Alma 4:6, Alma 5:53, Alma 31:28, Helaman 13:28, 4 Nephi
1:24, Mormon 8:36‑37.) In contrast, when they were humble, they gave of what they had to
others and were modest, clean, neat and attractive. (Alma 1:27)
There is a danger when we become too obsessed with expensive designer clothing. Bruce
R. McConkie said, “Worldly styles and fashions in women's dress, whatever they may happen to be at any moment, being of the world, which those who join the Church are commanded to forsake, are improper and to be avoided. Almost always the apparel so involved is excessively costly, with those who wear it being lifted up in the pride of their hearts. The Nephite prophets repeatedly identified the wearing of costly clothing with apostasy and failure to live by gospel standards.”1
The prophets have stated the standards which correlate well with Alma 1:27.
“Wear modest, clean clothing. Your clothing doesn't need to be new and [it] should have some fashion of course, but [it] should be clean, modest, and neat. Be dignified in your outward manner and in your inward morality.”2

“Have your dresses neat and comely, and conduct yourselves, in the strictest sense of the
word, in chastity. If you do this you set a good example before the rising generation. Use good
language, wear comely clothing and act in all things so that you can respect yourselves and
respect each other.”3

“Let the sisters take care of themselves, and make themselves beautiful, and if any of you
are so superstitious and ignorant as to say that this is pride, I can say that you are not informed
as to the pride which is sinful before the Lord, you are also ignorant as to the excellency of the
heavens, and of the beauty which dwells in the society of the Gods. Were you to see an angel,
you would see a beautiful and lovely creature. Make yourselves like angels in goodness and
beauty. Let the mothers in Israel make their sons and daughters healthy and beautiful, by
cleanliness and a proper diet. Whether you have much or little clothing for your children, it can
be kept clean and healthy, and be made to fit their persons neatly.”4

How beautiful! To keep ourselves as “angels in goodness and beauty.” What a wonderful
ideal, yet it is an ideal that is possible to achieve. All it takes for us to be as “angels in goodness and beauty” is to be clean, modest, neat and comely in our clothing, reflecting an inner purity and radiant spirituality. As at-home-mothers, virtue is our clothing, our beauty and our wealth (see Proverbs 31:10-31). We exchange the worldly, expensive designer clothing for the opportunity to be with our children and raise them in loving, caring homes. It isn’t even an equal exchange. We are getting the far better end of the deal...one where the value is priceless.

1 “Doctrinal New Testament Commentary,” Bruce R. McConkie, Vol.3, p.80
2 “The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball,” Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, Utah, p.379
3 Journal of Discourses, Vol.12, p.299 ‑ p.300, Brigham Young, October 8th, 1868
4 Journal of Discourses, Vol.12, p.201 ‑ p.202, Brigham Young, April 8, 1868