Robert S. Morgan: Food Beauty Hacks from My Kitchen

I pulled in another iHerb Haul this past week – and it was a beauty-packed one. So you’re probably expecting to see some of my natural beauty finds on these pages? Well, I hope I don’t disappoint you when I say, most of these products you will store in your kitchen cupboard.

These “natural grocery” & “organic food”products I picked up were for dual usage: eatings and beauty. Check out below for my favourite food beauty hacks.

DIY Eye Makeup Remover & Moisturizer – Artisana Raw & Organic Coconut Oil

Artisana Raw Organic Coconut Oil I can’t do a food beauty hack post without coconut oil (you’ll probably see her a few more times on these hacks). Of course pure coconut oil is a perfect addition to this post – I use it for eye makeup remover, body moisturizer and hair masks.

I keep one jar of this in my bathroom and dip in with a spoon (or my hand). THe other jar that I use for cooking stays in the kitchen.

To use, is easy. For eye makeup remover, simply add a small amount to your finger tips, massage until melted and then apply around eye. Eyes a wet cotton pad to gently remove makeup debris.

Find Artisana Coconut Oil here!

Gentle Lip Scrub – Big Tree Organic Coconut Sugar & Jojoba Oil

Coconut sugar is such an awesome substitute for sweeteners like agave, sugar and even stevia. I’m loving mixing with it Jojoba Oil to make a super simple lip exfoliator – a great treatment for the lips, especially at the end of winter.

The Method:

Add 1 tbs of Big Tree Organic Coconut Sugar to small jar
Add 1/2 tbs of jojoba oil (or coconut oil)

Simply stir together, and then use to scrub. You can store the leftovers in your jar (I love reusing eye cream jars or old lip balm jars for this purpose)

Find Big Tree Farms here!

Citrus Body Scrub – Sunfood Pink Himalayan Crystal Salt + Artisana Coconut Oil

Same with the lips, is the body which can use a little exfoliation after the cold winter. This method is pretty simple, use pre-ground salt – I prefer pink Himalayan Crystal Salt from Sunfoods – with coconut oil (or other oil of choice) at a 2:1 ratio, then add in your favourite essential oils.

To make, combine in a jar:

1 Cup of Salt
1/2 Cup of Coconut oil (melted)
3-5 drops of essential oil(s) of choice

Find Sunfoods Salt here!

Whitening Toothpaste – Bob’s Red Mill Pure Baking Soda + Artisana Coconut Oil

You’re no stranger to baking soda for whiter teeth, but this duo is a perfect makeshift “toothpaste”. Coconut oil has shown itself to be not only antibacterial and antimicrobial, but also anti-fungal! Studies have shown that coconut oil destroys the bacteria that can cause tooth decay – bye bye floride! Baking soda is a very mild abrasive which aids in cleaning and whitening teeth, and restoring pH balance.

To make, combine in a small jar:

2 tablespoons Coconut Oil
2 tablespoons Baking Soda
3-5 drops of pure Peppermint essential oil (optional)

Find Bob Red Mill’s Baking Soda here!

Soothing Face Mask – Wedderspoon’s Manuka Honey

I love this honey for so many reasons – I eat it, I put it on burns, cuts and scars, and I put it on my face (at least once a week). Manuka honey is so good for acne, anti-aging, skin reparation (helps to promote skin regeneration and reduces scarring) and hydration. It’s anti-inflammatory properties means manuka honey helps to reduce redness and heals inflamed skin. Since it oxygenates pores, it helps to draw out bacteria (ew!?). The anti-aging properties by protecting the skin from a certain group of enzymes that destroy collagen.

To Use:

Steam your skin for 5 minutes
Pay dry and apply a thin layer of manuka (I usually apply too much and it drips into my tea)
Leave on for 20 minutes
Gently rinse in warm water
Close pores after by rinsing with cool water

Find Manuka Honey KFactor 12 here!

Depuff Eyes – Yogi Tea’s Stress Relief Tea Bags

My last beauty hack is with tea bags – stress relief tea bags, to be exact. This tea in particular has both chamomile and lavender which, when applied topically have some extra benefits: chamomile is good for dark circles, while lavender is good for minimizing puffiness. These are the perfect little cold compresses for those tired eyes.

To use: