The Holiday Season is upon us! Tis’ the season to flaunt gorgeous skin and even more gorgeous makeup!

While we have talked a tonne about all things Holiday Shopping and Makeup, we missed out on some essential skin pampering in between prepping meals, attending Holiday parties and binging on Holiday delicacies!

Here is a DIY beauty guide for all your skin ailments; for a smooth, radiant complexion before Holiday parties begin, for a camera-ready complexion during the parties and for a post Holiday detox session!

DIY Skincare Guide

DIY Facial for Acne Scars and Hyperpigmentation

If you have suffered from acne in the past, chances are you are still battling the war wounds, aka acne scars, years after the struggle.

Here is a quick DIY facial to help you brighten skin and diminish those acne scars. Remember, DIY tricks take more time than your usual beauty products so give yourself this facial regularly to help get rid of acne scars over time completely.

Exfoliant

Honey
Sugar
Tumeric

Mix equal parts honey and white sugar and add a pinch of turmeric to the mixture. Scrub away in small circular motions to get rid of all dead skin cells.

Mask

1 Cup Water
½ Cup Oatmeal
1-2 Lemon Drops
1 Tsp Cinnamon (Optional. Avoid if sensitive skin type)

Mix in all ingredients in a pan over medium heat and cook the oatmeal until done. Blend in the mixture using a food processor and then, apply all over the face.

Healing Serum

1 oz Sweet Almond Oil
2 drops of Sandalwood Essential Oil
3 drops of Lemon Essential Oil

Mix in all ingredients in a dropper bottle. Apply only on acne scars to heal them. Do not use it if you have acne.

DIY Masks for Different Skin Types

Acne Prone Skin

2 tablespoons Bentonite Clay
2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
4 drops of Lavender Essential Oil (optional)

Mix bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar in a food processor until well blended. Apply all over face avoiding eye area and allow to dry for 10-20 minutes or until it hardens. This mask also helps tighten pores while working to heal acne.

Dry Skin

½ Avocado
½ very ripe Banana
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2-3 drops Essential Oil

Mash in the ingredients together using a fork. Apply it all over your face, avoiding your eyes and let it sit on your face for 10-15 minutes. This mask can also be used as a hair mask for dry hair types.

Aging Skin

½ Cup of Chopped Spinach Leaves
1 tablespoon Pure Honey
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or Almond Oil)
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice

Wash spinach leaves (contains retinol for anti-aging properties) in cold water. Blend all ingredients together until the consistency is smooth. Apply to your skin and let it sit for 15-20 minutes and rinse it off with warm water and splash cold water for final rinse.

Oily and Combination Skin

¼ teaspoon of Turmeric Powder
1 tablespoon of Honey
¼ cup of Plain Yogurt
2 tablespoons of Flour

Mix in all ingredients and apply the mask on for 15-20 minutes and rinse off with warm water. Tumeric can be staining so if you have very fair skin this may not be the best mask for you to use.

DIY Spa Treatments

Bring the spa home with these easy DIY spa treatments. They work amazingly well pre and post Holiday season both, to give your skin a boost before the parties begin and to help detox them after the crazy party season.

Mint Cucumber Gel Mask

Mint contains salicylic acid which helps fight acne breakouts while aloe vera and cucumber work to reduce puffiness and inflammation.

¼ Cucumber (peeled and chopped)
4 tablespoons Aloe Vera Gel
2-3 Mint Leaves

Blend all the ingredients in a food processor till the mixture is smooth. Apply all over your face for 15 to 20 minutes for a cooling, soothing experience.

Pumpkin Peel Facial

Pumpkins are loaded with fruit enzymes, otherwise known as AHAs in the beauty world, and vitamin A and C. All these ingredients not only help exfoliate and soothe the skin but also, boost collagen production.

½ cup Organic Canned Pumpkin
1 tablespoon Raw Honey
1 tablespoon Unflavored Almond Milk
1 teaspoon Coconut Oil

Mix in all ingredients in a bowl and apply the mixture all over your face and neck for 15 to 20 minutes. If you have sensitive skin, do a patch test since pumpkin’s exfoliating abilities might cause some irritation or redness.

Coffee Eye Mask

This mask is perfect for tired, puffy eyes. The caffeine is going to wake up puffy eyes and energize and rejuvenate them for an instant brightening effect.

1 part Fine Coffee Grounds
1 part Honey

Mix in both ingredients and apply under eyes for 10 to 15 minutes before washing off with cold water.

DIY Body Care Guide

For an absolute body bliss experience, try these DIY body care recipes. Start off by choosing one of the three DIY body scrubs, then have a blissful bath using the DIY bath bomb, before finishing off with a relaxing massage with the DIY body butter.

DIY Pumpkin Pie Scrub

If you have sensitive skin, skip the pumpkin spice pie.

½ cup Sugar
¼ cup Coconut Oil
2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 teaspoon Vanilla

Mix in all ingredients and scrub away.

DIY Lime Scrub

The coconut oil makes the scrub perfect for the winter season as it provides intense hydration. Pay special attention to dry areas like elbows and knees.

¼ cup Coconut Oil
1 cup Sugar
2 large Limes (3-4 tablespoons Lime Juice)
3 tablespoons Lime Zest

Mix in all ingredients and use the body scrub for an instant brightening effect and a gorgeous body glow.

DIY Green Tea Sugar Scrub

This exfoliant works wonders for dry skin too in the winter season.

½ cup White or Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon Dried Green Tea Leaves (2 tea bags)
1 tablespoon Raw Honey
1 tablespoon Olive Oil or Vitamin E Oil

Mix in all ingredients and scrub away.

DIY Bath Bomb

These bath bombs work as well as the store bought ones and are super easy to make. You can customize their smells using different kinds of your favorite essential oils and their colors using different food colorings.

4 oz Baking Soda
2 oz Corn Starch
2 oz Citric Acid
2 oz Epsom Salt
2 teaspoon Water
2 teaspoon Coconut Oil
Few drops of Essential Oils

Mix in dry ingredients first. Once they are mixed perfectly together, slowly add wet ingredients making sure the mixture doesn’t fizz up as you mix them. Mix in slowly until it is thoroughly mixed up and starts to ball up in a crumbly dough. Fill in moulds with the mixture and let it dry overnight.

DIY Whipped Body Butter

This body butter can last up to a few weeks in an air-tight container and is extremely moisturizing for dry skin in the winter season.

1 tablespoon Shea Butter
3 tablespoons Sweet Almond Oil
1 tablespoon Jojoba Oil
1 tablespoon Emulsifying Wax (or Beeswax)

Melt all ingredients over a double boiler, and let cool down for between 1-5 minutes. Add to a bowl and whip with a hand mixer or stand mixer until a stiff whipped texture emerges. Massage it all over your body, again paying special attention to hands, feet, elbows and knees.

Image and Recipe Credits: Rachel Talbott