The Simple Things

Taking time to live well
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • SHOP
  • Newsletter
  • About
  • Work with us
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • SHOP
  • Newsletter
  • About
  • Work with us

Blog

Taking Time to Live Well

  • All
  • Chalkboard
  • Christmas
  • Competition
  • could do
  • Eating
  • Escape
  • Escaping
  • Fresh
  • Fun
  • gardening
  • Gathered
  • Gathering
  • Growing
  • Haikus
  • Interview
  • Living
  • Looking back
  • Magazine
  • magical creatures
  • Making
  • Miscellany
  • My Neighbourhood
  • Nature
  • Nest
  • Nesting
  • outing
  • playlist
  • Reader event
  • Reader offer
  • Shop
  • Sponsored post
  • Sunday Best
  • Think
  • Uncategorized
  • Wellbeing
  • Wisdom

Illustration by Maru Godas

Make | Kitchen Face Masks

Iona Bower February 11, 2024

Natural balms and lotions are good for your skin but making them is good for your soul, too. If you’re new to homemade skincare, here are a few masks you can make with just a few kitchen ingredients - and they all take 15 minute or less to whip up.

Avocado, Banana & Honey Revitalising Mask

1 Using a fork, mash a banana and avocado together. Stir in 1 tbsp of honey.

2 Apply to your face and leave for 15 minutes. Remove with lukewarm water.

2-in-1 Nourishing Treatment with Egg

1 Separate an egg and, in a bowl, mix the yolk with 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp brewer’s yeast. Mix well.

2 Apply to the hair, focusing on mid length to ends, wrap in a towel and leave to work.

3 Meanwhile, beat the egg white and apply it to the eyelid and eye contour area using a cotton wool pad. To the rest of the egg white add 1 tbsp honey and a splash of almond or olive oil and spread over the face and neck.

4 Rest for 10 minutes then rinse in the shower.

Potato Power

1 Wash and peel a potato. Place some of the skins in the freezer.

2 Grate the potato and add 1 tbsp powdered milk or 2 tbsp yogurt. Spread the mixture over your face.

3 Take the skins out of the freezer and place them around your eyes (on the lids and underneath the eye), then relax for 15 minutes. Remove the mask with warm water

If you feel ready for some slightly more complex homemade beauty makes, don’t miss our feature, ‘Homemade and Healing’ in our February issue, which is in shops now. As well as these kitchen face masks there are also instructions to make Ylang Ylang Flower Hair Creme, Honey and Olive Oil Beauty Balm, Kaolin and Mint Toothpaste and a Natural Deodrant Stick. The ideas are all taken from Organic Beauty: An Illustrated Guide To Making Your Own Skincare by Maru Godas (Smith Street Books).

Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More projects to make you feel good…

Featured
Wellbeing.jpg
Feb 11, 2024
Make | Kitchen Face Masks
Feb 11, 2024
Feb 11, 2024
Bay Lemon Salt Scrub Kirstie Young.jpg
Nov 13, 2021
Make | Bay and Lemon Sea Salt Body Scrub
Nov 13, 2021
Nov 13, 2021
Lip Balm Kirstie Young.jpg
Apr 4, 2021
Make | Chocolate & Peppermint Lip Balm
Apr 4, 2021
Apr 4, 2021

More from our blog…

Featured
Water Boatman.jpg
May 24, 2025
Nature | Pond-Dipping for Grown-ups
May 24, 2025
May 24, 2025
RS2832_iStock-1278591330.jpg
May 23, 2025
Sponsored Post | Get your family active with Youth Sport Trust
May 23, 2025
May 23, 2025
Screenshot 2025-05-21 at 08.52.06.png
May 21, 2025
Playlist | Great Heights
May 21, 2025
May 21, 2025
In Making Tags make, homemade beauty, natural skincare
Comment

Photography: Kirstie Young

Make | Bay and Lemon Sea Salt Body Scrub

Iona Bower November 13, 2021

Bay and lemon are a happy pairing, both in the kitchen and in the bathroom. This scrub combines astringent lemon zest and juice with the exfoliating power of salt, while the dried bay leaves are anti-fungal.

Makes around 2x 500ml jars
1kg sea salt
750ml olive oil
5 lemons, zest and juice
10 bay leaves
100g thickener such as tapioca flour or arrowroot

1 Pour the salt into a large mixing bowl, then add the olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice.

2 Stir well, then crumble in the bay leaves. Break them up using your hands and scrunch into the mix (but keep pieces fairly large to avoid clogging up the plughole!).

3 Add the thickener, then stir until the mixture is well combined and it holds together.

4 Transfer to jars with seals. To use, grab handfuls of the scrub, avoiding the bay leaves if you can, and massage onto arms, legs, bums and tums. Rinse off using warm water.

Maker’s note: The scrub will keep for up to 12 months in a sealed jar.

This project, perfect for a weekend afternoon, is from our feature Heart, Body and Soul, which this month focuses on bay leaves. The feature also includes a project to make a bay and chilli ‘swag’, a panna cotta, a salad and a tea.

Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe

More inspiration for beautiful bathtimes…

Featured
Bay Lemon Salt Scrub Kirstie Young.jpg
Nov 13, 2021
Make | Bay and Lemon Sea Salt Body Scrub
Nov 13, 2021
Nov 13, 2021
bath with dog my place.jpg
Sep 12, 2021
Inspiration | In The Bath
Sep 12, 2021
Sep 12, 2021
Lip Balm Kirstie Young.jpg
Apr 4, 2021
Make | Chocolate & Peppermint Lip Balm
Apr 4, 2021
Apr 4, 2021

More from our November issue…

Featured
Kelpies statue Alamy.jpg
Nov 2, 2021
Visit | Giant Statues
Nov 2, 2021
Nov 2, 2021
Wellbeing Sleep Stocksy.jpg
Oct 31, 2021
How to | Get to Sleep More Easily
Oct 31, 2021
Oct 31, 2021
Black Widow Cocktail 2.JPG
Oct 30, 2021
Tipple | Black Widow Cocktails
Oct 30, 2021
Oct 30, 2021
In Making Tags bay, weekend project, homemade, heart body soul, make, homemade beauty, bathtime
1 Comment
Featured
  Buy ,  download  or  subscribe   See the sample of our latest issue  here   Buy a copy of our latest anthology:  A Year of Celebrations   Buy a copy of  Flourish 2 , our wellbeing bookazine  Listen to  our podcast  - Small Ways to Live Well
Feb 27, 2025
Feb 27, 2025

Buy, download or subscribe

See the sample of our latest issue here

Buy a copy of our latest anthology: A Year of Celebrations

Buy a copy of Flourish 2, our wellbeing bookazine

Listen to our podcast - Small Ways to Live Well

Feb 27, 2025
Join our Newsletter
Name
Email *

We respect your privacy and won't share your data.

email marketing by activecampaign
facebook-unauth twitter pinterest spotify instagram
  • Subscriber Login
  • Stockists
  • Advertise
  • Contact

The Simple Things is published by Iceberg Press

The Simple Things

Taking time to live well

We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.

facebook-unauth twitter pinterest spotify instagram