There's a slight chill in the air in many parts of the country, people are wearing their boots again, and our thoughts are turning to Halloween.
Pumpkin season means jack o'lanterns, carving, and roasted pumpkin seeds, but it can also mean beauty. Oh yes, that's right. Pumpkins are rich in vitamins A and C and zinc as well, all of which heal and protect the skin from free radicals and help slough off dead skin cells.
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Pumpkin is a great base for many do-it-yourself beauty treatments. And after a day spent handling knives around children, carving through thick pumpkin skin, wouldn't you like a relaxing (and beautifying) reward?
Here are some recipes for Do-It-Yourself Pumpkin Beauty Treatments:
If you want to slough off the dry skin that accumulates during colder months, try:
Pumpkin Pie Skin Scrub
1/2 cup of cooked (or canned) pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Combine ingredients. Apply to body in the bathtub and scrub gently. Rinse off.
Follow it up with:
Pumpkin Body Butter
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (cooked)
1/2 cup of the solid creme that forms at the top of a can of coconut milk.
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix ingredients. Apply to skin, massaging gently. After 15 minutes, rinse with warm water.
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To tighten the facial skin and bring some life back, try:
Pumpkin Facial Mask
1/4 cup cooked or canned pumpkin
Optional additions:
For any skin type: 1 teaspoon of milk
For dry skin: 1/2 teaspoon of honey
For oily skin: Add a teaspoon of apple cider
Combine ingredients and apply to face. After 15 minutes, rinse with warm water.
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Or:
Pumpkin & Papaya Facial Mask
2/3 cups of mashed fresh papaya
15 oz can of pumpkin
1 beaten egg
Mash a fresh papaya. Beat an egg until frothy. Mix the two and add in the pumpkin. Whip together. Once done, apply to face and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Enjoy.
Do you have any favorite fall beauty treatments?
Written by Sasha Brown-Worsham for CafeMom's blog, The Stir.
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