Heyhey! We haven't done a skincare post in a while so we know you're probably itching for some new ideas (or should I say, greasing, since it's summer). Our friend Beverly from BEV (Bev's Eye View) dropped by our kitchen to share some recipes that she uses herself. 

BEV's blog is a treasure trove of interesting and introspective life advice, style tips, and personal reflections. Some posts are quick reads to get you through the commute, like 5 Ways To Get Out Of Your Reading Slump, some are bright and uplifting, and others are personal and very honest. Whatever your flavor, Bev has an intriguing read for you. 

My personal skincare routine has been in flux lately. Stress is causing my eczema to flare up, on my face of all places, and the cream I've been buying since childhood was suddenly reformulated. I am not happy with the new formulation. So I've been piling on the coconut oil every night to try to remedy the situation. My skin is so dry it literally sucks up any oil I put on it and becomes mattified again within seconds. You can imagine my eagerness to get ahold of Bev's skincare solutions!

We made one treatment for exfoliating, moisturizing, and calming ...

½ Cup Whole oats, 1 bananas, 1 tablespoon coconut butter, ½ teaspoon lavender oil, 2 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon of lime juice.

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mash it up until it's a uniform texture. Use your fingertips to spread it onto your face and gently massage to exfoliate the skin. Rinse off with warm water and pat dry with a towel. You'll feel soothed instantly.

This mask is good for exfoliating the skin (oats), moisturizing (honey, coconut butter, bananas), and healing the skin (lavender oil, lime).
 

...and one for moisturizing and reducing the appearance of pores

1 Tablespoon coconut oil, 2 teaspoons honey, and 1 teaspoon lime juice

Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and beat until smooth and silky. The coconut oil will begin to melt a little but that's fine. Use the pads of your fingers to coat your face and then rub lightly to let the mixture soak in. Rinse off with warm soapy water, or try this right before you step into the shower. 

Honey is known to be healing and moisturizing, and coconut oil is of course a very moisturizing natural fat. Lime juice reduces the appearance of large pores.
 

The results are practically instant. Bev used the oatmeal scrub and Joella used the coconut oil serum. Immediately Bev's skin looked brighter and more even. Joella's looked refreshed and energized. And both of them smelled like they came straight from the spa. In total it only took us about a minute to whip up both skincare recipes. 

There are so many benefits to playing around with your own natural skincare recipes at home. We got to talking about our use of natural products and all admitted we had only begun switching over in the last year or so because your skin becomes "addicted" to the synthetic formulations and it's hard to make a big change. It's also nerve-wracking to try new things on your face! Once you do make the switch though it's undeniable that your skin feels different, better. And free from peanuts, nuts, dairy, legumes, egg, and shellfish, if you're using these recipes. 

Finding allergen-free cosmetics and skincare products can certainly be a challenge. It's not uncommon to find almond oil and goat's milk, or additives and preservatives derived from allergens in all kinds of products. So that's one more reason to try your own! Do you have any recipes? Let us know in the comments box below.