Mint is brilliant in DIY skincare recipes, it’s invigorating and uplifting and you can use fresh mint, just crush up some fresh mint leaves with a mortar and pestle until the juice begins to form and then spread the mint ‘juice’ over the skin to help hydrate.
It takes quite a lot of fresh mint leaves to yield a lot of juice and so another great option is to use peppermint oil.
Here are some delicious minty recipes you can make at home:
Choccy Mint Lip Balm
You will need:
1 tbsp. raw extra virgin coconut oil
1 tbsp. beeswax (available from farmer’s markets)
Half tbsp. cocoa butter
Half tbsp. sweet almond oil
Couple of drops peppermint essential oil
Melt the cocoa butter, coconut oil, sweet almond oil and beeswax in a glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir in the peppermint essential oil and pour quickly into the tubes (it will probably fill around 5 tubes), then allow it to set before putting the cap onto the tubes.
Mint Chocolate Body Butter
You will need:
1 cup raw organic coconut oil
Half a cup of cocoa butter grated or shea butter
Half a cup jojoba oil
1 tsp. peppermint essential oil
2 tbsp. raw organic cacao powder
Melt the cacao butter or shea butter, add the coconut oil and allow to melt, add the cacao powder and stir in the jojoba oil. Mix thoroughly and then place the mixture in a chilled bowl and allow to cool. Once cool, whisk it up and it’s ready to use.
DIY Natural Minty Toothpaste
You will need:
1 tbsp. bicarbonate of soda
Pinch Himalayan salt
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 drop peppermint essential oil
Simply add enough filtered water to mix the ingredients to form a paste. The paste will harden if left, so keep in an airtight container and use within a day or so.
Janey Lee Grace is the author of ‘Look Great Naturally Without Ditching the Lipstick’ (Hay House)
Summerdown Mint have ‘revived’ the use of English Black Mitcham mint, their farm is hidden away in the foothills of the Hampshire Downs and it has taken over 20 years to establish the productive fields where they cut each Autumn and distil their pure single estate oil.
Their range of beauty and home products is scented with the fresh, invigorating bouquet of their single estate peppermint oil to create a collection unlike anything else on the market, transporting you straight to the heart of the English countryside.
Explore the product range here: