We at Beautyschool.com appreciate skin care products that are eco-friendly and cheap! I have found a great way to have a luxury facial from the comforts of your own home. When I was reading one of my favorite beauty blogs, I came across a post about French green clay and how beneficial it was to all types of skin tones. The clay acts as a great an absorbent for oily skin tones and helps with acne-prone skin types as well.

You can make your own facial right at home and know that what you are putting on your face doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals or preservatives. That can only help the minds of your eco chicks who want to have a green alternative to facial masks.

Here is what you need:

•    1 tbsp French Green Clay
•    1/2 tbsp grapefruit juice (or carrot juice, if you have dry patches)
•    1 tsp honey
•    Drop of your favorite essential oil (optional)

Directions:

Mix the clay with the grapefruit juice and then add the honey and the essential oil, if using. Smooth the mixture onto your face and leave it on for about 15 minutes or until it dries completely. Gently remove it with a warm wet washcloth.

This facial mask is so gentle; you can use it twice a week. French green clay can be found at health food stores.

Home remedies fascinate me, especially when it comes to beauty products! There’s something reassuring about using food on my skin, as opposed to a product with several chemical ingredients that I can’t pronounce. And, with all the emphasis on “going green” these days, it feels good to know the natural ingredients I’m slathering on are safe for the environment!

So in honor of this month’s “Earth Day,” I’m going to find one homemade beauty recipe per week to try, and blog about! There are several great websites with lots of recipes (try Homemade Beauty Recipes and MakeYourCosmetics.com), but I’ve found that many of them require ingredients that I don’t have on hand in my pantry or fridge. Who’s got beeswax or Tincture of Benzoin lying around the house? As a working mother, I need something easy I can make out of typical grocery items.

So, this week’s experiment: Brown Sugar Body Scrub from MakeYourCosmetics.com.

Recipe: 1 ½ cups brown sugar
½ cup olive oil (or canola)
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Pack brown sugar tightly in bowl, mix in olive oil to form paste. Add vanilla extract last for scent. Massage the scrub gently from shoulders to feet and rinse.

Check back next week for the BeautySchool.com official review!