The Perfect Winter Body Scrub

A few years ago I had the pleasure of interviewing Lisa Price, the founder of Carol's Daughter, about the expansion of her beauty business for Crain's New York Business. Lisa's story is inspiring, and her products are incredible.

My current favorite is: SweetHoneyDipChocolateBrownSugah Scrub. Brown sugar crystals, a blend of natural oils, and a chocolatey-honey fragrance make this a great body scrub for cold weather: The scent is warm and yummy and lingers lightly on the skin without being too overpowering. The sugar exfoliates, and the oils provide excellent moisture — no lotion necessary.

The scrub is paraben-free, and contains no petroleum, mineral oil, or artificial color. (In fact, the only potentially icky ingredient in the product is the generic "fragrance.") So scrub away — and be prepared for a post-shower chocolate craving.

The Great Pumpkin

As I flipped through the pages of EcoBeauty the other day, I couldn't wait to try one recipe in particular: the Pumpkin Pie Mask. Given the timing—and the fact that I already had a can of organic pumpkin puree in my pantry—it seemed only appropriate to debut my DIY beauty experiment with this mask.

Pumpkin, by the way, is a skin-care powerhouse: According to EcoBeauty authors Lauren Cox and Janice Cox, it contains antioxidants, has exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids, and even helps skin retain moisture. Here's the good-enough-to-eat recipe:

PUMPKIN PIE MASK

1/4 cup pumpkin puree

2 tablespoons vanilla yogurt or sour cream

1 tablespoon honey

Mix together ingredients to form a smooth paste. After cleansing skin, apply about 1 tablespoon of the mask on your face, avoiding eyes and mouth (um, why? It's edible! But maybe your lips don't need exfoliating antioxidants). Leave on for 15 minutes, then rinse with warm water. Use as often as needed—about once a week, or every other week if your skin is dry or sensitive. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Maybe it was just the specific brands I used, but my mask's consistency was less of a paste and more of a liquid. Still, I love the way it made my skin look and feel. I recommend following the treatment with a good moisturizer. I also recommend cutting the recipe in half: Even though I used more than 1 tablespoon on my face, I still have enough left over that I probably won't use it all up in two weeks. But I'll certainly try. This one's a keeper.

DIY Beauty

I'm not usually the do-it-yourself type. I dread putting together IKEA furniture, have never refinished anything in my life, and greatly offended my husband once when I suggested that we hire a handyman to install a pot rack in our kitchen.

But when it comes to DIY beauty, I'm all for getting my hands dirty in an effort to get my skin clean. Making your own beauty products can be easy, inexpensive, and—more importantly—an effective way to care for your skin. Why pay for a pricey, preservative-filled face mask when you can whip up your own using ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen?

Two books have become DIY beauty favorites of mine, thanks to their great recipes, pretty pictures and can-do enthusiasm: EcoBeauty by Lauren Cox with Janice Cox, and Naturally Beautiful by Dawn Gallagher. EcoBeauty emphasizes the fun of DIY beauty—in fact, the book's subtitle is "Scrubs, Rubs, Masks, and Bath Bombs for You and Your Friends"—while Naturally Beautiful, with its subtitle of "earth's secrets and recipes for skin, body, and spirit" takes a more New Age approach to DIY beauty. Both are available online.

I'll be posting about my own experiences trying the various recipes from these books. In the meantime, let me know if you have a favorite DIY beauty recipe to share.

We've Got a Winner...

Thanks to everyone who entered the Softlips PURE giveaway! I've picked (and alerted) the lucky winner. I hope the rest of you keep reading Pretty Natural—I'd love to get your comments and suggestions for future blog posts and product reviews. And keep an eye out for more natural-goodie giveaways!

Freebie Alert! Softlips PURE

I've blogged before about my love of lip balm, so I'm happy to help spread the news about the new additions to the Softlips PURE line of lip conditioners. The balms are USDA-certified organic (that's the gold standard, friends) and are available in four yummy new flavors:

• Acai Berry
• Chai Tea
• Papaya
• Peppermint

My favorite is Peppermint—it has a light, natural flavor and a nice tingle when you put in on your lips. Acai Berry is a close second (not that I know what an actual acai berry tastes like.) I'm even a fan of the products on Facebook.

I love the fact that these lip balms are USDA-certified organic. I love the fact that the tubes are slim enough to fit in the pocket of your tightest skinny jeans. And I love the fact that one of you dear readers can win a set of the four new flavors! Here's how:

• Sign up to follow Pretty Natural (if you don't already!)
• Become a fan of Softlips on Facebook
• Leave a comment on this post telling me why your lips need some TLC (include your email address so I can reach you if you win)
• I'll pick my favorite response and let the nice people at Softlips know who gets the goods.

Good luck!

Oil, Slick

My new favorite face cleanser is 100% organic, hand-crafted, and dirt-cheap. It's Olsen Naturals Almond Cleansing Oil, and it cost me just $7 at the Mill City Farmers Market in Minneapolis.

Oil cleansers aren't new, but I became intrigued by the idea of using oil to clean my face last winter, after I saw a bottle of DHC Deep Cleansing Oil on my Aunt (by marriage) Billie's bathroom counter. Billie is well into her 60s and has gorgeous, clear skin, so I started digging into the different options. First, I came across a web site called The Oil Cleansing Method, which gives instructions on how to create and use your own oil-based cleanser. Then I tried a sample of Nude Skincare's Cleansing Facial Oil. (It's perfectly lovely, but at $52, more than I want to spend on a cleanser.) So I was excited to discover Denise Olsen's equally lovely (and much more affordable) version this summer.

Since then, I've been inundated—in a good way—with oil: An email arrived in my in-box touting Molton Brown's trio of limited-edition facial oils, designed to be used as moisturizing night treatments. (I've been using the Hungarian Wild Carrot Revitalizing Facial Oil, $58, on nights when I don't use my oil cleanser.)

I've also tried suki's organic oil formulations ($29.95), including pure facial moisture-balancing and pure facial moisture-nourishing, and delicate hydrating oil ($24.95) for the body. (I love the fact that these oils are organic, but I'm not crazy about the scents.)

What's the difference between an oil cleanser and an oil moisturizer? Not much, to be honest. One you use with water and then wipe off; the other you leave on your face. And as the weather turns colder, both are excellent daily options for everyone. "I like oil cleansers for all skin types," says dermatologist Jordana S. Gilman, M.D. "They help break up and wash away excess oil for people with oily skin, and they are gentle and won't dehydrate people with dry or sensitive skin."

If you've always thought of oil as something you need to clean off of your skin, it does require a shift in thinking to start using it to clean and moisturize your face. But try it, and you'll be rewarded with soft, clean skin.

A Better Disposable Towelette

As a rule, I avoid using disposable cleansing wipes, for either my face or my house. (My kid's bottom? Well, that's another story.)

Still, I couldn't resist making an exception when I came across these new Organic wear Facial Makeup Remover Towelettes from Physicians Formula. The towelettes are 100% biodegradable, and, according to the label, 10% of the total ingredients are produced from organic farming. (Those ingredients include organic orange water, organic lavender essential oil, and organic aloe vera extract.) They're soft, they smell good, and they seem to effectively remove the mineral makeup I wear.

But really, I bought them simply because I thought the tin can–style packaging was adorable, and I'm a sucker for packaging. 

Disposable cleansing wipes, no matter how organic they are, will never be the best, most eco-friendly way to clean your face. But if you're not willing to give up the can't-beat-it-convenience they offer, at least now there's a better option.