I want to share about a fun event I hosted for some lady pals recently. A natural skin care party, otherwise known as a skin cleanse! What the heck is that? Let me explain: The major inspiration behind the party was threefold:

1. INSPIRATION: I heard an interview on one of my favorite podcasts (ONE PART) with SKIN CLEANSE author Adina Grigore, which got me even more motivated to put only natural things on my skin.

2. BAD HABIT: I have a slight addiction to beauty products. True confession: I worked at Sephora in high school and got hooked on expensive brands young! I have purchased the gamut of skin care lotions at most major beauty stores, usually to be left disappointed with my million dollar lotion.

3. SIMPLIFY: My bathroom was feeling like a place plastic bottles go to die. I wanted to clear the clutter and get natural!

At the end of Adina’s book there is an entire section with natural skin care recipes. I wanted to make them all myself, and it seemed like more fun to do it with friends! Plus, from a financial perspective these recipes are more affordable to make in bulk. I did test a few recipes myself (before hosting) and tried a few new ones at the party too. They are ALL really good! No joke, this is not a plug for the book. I’m a huge believer in simplifying and taking the natural route whenever possible in my life. Starting with simplifying my beauty products felt great! (Wish I could say the same for my kitchen cabinets).

I’m hoping Adina won’t mind me sharing a few recipes with you! There are probably close to 50 in the book, but I have three favorites. Here’s what we made at the party:

• Pumpkin Pie Glow Mask
• Squeaky-Clean Foaming Face Wash
• Super-Rich Cream

I love the face wash and cream because they have a long shelf life. The pumpkin mask will only last a few days and needs to be refrigerated so it’s more of a one-time use product. I purchased 2oz glass tubs for the cream and 2 – 4oz plastic squeeze bottles for the face wash on Amazon. These were great for a group event, or perfect if you want to make gifts! All the ingredients can be found at natural grocery store (i.e. Whole Foods), and I ordered some of the bulk items like 16 oz blocks of shea and cocoa butter online.

First we made the squeaky clean face wash. This is SO EASY. Also, it’s a great place to start because everyone needed to wash their face before the pumpkin mask!

Natural Face Wash Recipe:

• 1/2 cup unscented castile soap (like Dr. Bronner’s)
• 2 tbs. jojoba oil
• 10 drops tea tree oil
• Put all ingredients in a glass jar with lid, seal and shake! Let set overnight and shake before use. Perfect to use everyday for oily skin. If your skin is on the drier side, use only for deep cleansing. I use it after a big sweaty workout, or 1 -2x a week.

Then we were onto the mask. This part was so fun and everyone was a really great sport about smearing pumpkin all over their face!

Natural Pumpkin Face Mask:

• 1/4 cup full fat greek yogurt
• 1 tbs. raw honey
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree (best to make your own) I used a leftover Halloween pumpkin, cleaned, baked, and processed in the food processor with a little water (just the pumpkin flesh not rind).
• 1 tbs. ground flax seeds or meal
• Blend ingredients in a large mixing bowl and apply a generous amount to face! Leave on until it feels dry (or close to it) and rinse with warm water.
• Great for removing dead skin cells, unclogging mores, and increasing hydration! Loved it!

Lastly, we finished the evening with the super rich cream. This is my absolute favorite from the book. It’s actually more like a paste or salve that you can put on just about everything – dry cracked lips, elbows, feet, legs, etc. I use it on my face every night before bed. Perfect for dry skin and winter temperatures.

Natural Face Cream:

• 1/4 cup shea butter
• 1/4 cup cocoa butter
• 2 tbs. avocado oil
• Melt cocoa and shea butter together in double boiler on stove. Remove from heat and stir in the avocado oil. Pour into storage vessel and allow to solidify in fridge overnight. Once solid, it can remain on your shelf for several months, try to keep the cream free of bacteria by using a little spoon to scoop out product. This will help it last longer.

No party is complete without a sound track and beverages. I served sparkling wine with a dash of cranberry juice and broke out the vinyl collection. The recipe amounts listed are for 1 – 2 people, so multiply accordingly if you’re inspired to host a skin party of your own!

Here’s to happy healthy skin!

XO – CLAIRE