8 jayplay.
thursday, September 4, 2003
do it yourself FACE OFF Beauty looks to nature for rejuvenation
By Tabatha Beerbower
tbeerbower@kansan.com
Jayplay writer
Kristina Garcia, 26 year-old Lawrence resident, started making her own face creams, lotions and body powder after she began to notice the ingredients in store-bought products. "Basically, I stopped and looked on the back of things and couldn't believe that I was even thinking about putting that on my face," Garcia says.
Garcia became conscious about natural products after her sister-in-law sent her an organic, homemade bath kit from California. "I got a kick out of it and started buying books," Garica says. Garcia has been hooked ever since, she makes her own organic products for herself and tries them out on friends and family members. She shares a few recipes from Janice Cox's book, Natural Beauty at Home, with Jayplay, along with some simple pieces of advice.
Garcia experiments with recipes found in books, mixing and matching ingredients. But she advises those just starting out to follow recipes exactly, as well as a few basic rules."If you are allergic to something when you eat it, chances are you will be allergic on your skin," Garcia says. She recommends trying out any product you make on the inside of your elbow first to test the reaction of your skin. Garcia also recommends buying organic products from organic food stores, such as The
Community Mercantile Co-Op, 901 Iowa St."You want to make sure the fruit you put on your face is organic. You can buy fruit from regular grocery stores, but you may have to worry about pesticides," Garcia recommends.
Before you snub your nose at trying to make your own products, give it a try and compare and contrast to store-bought products. You could be getting better products at better prices, or you could just discover a great hobby and pretty cool gift ideas. "What most people don't realize is that their grandmothers didn't use these products because they didn't have it," Garcia says. "They used their own remedies because they'd been proven sure."
Courtney Kuhlen/Kansan
TOP: Make your own natural products including bath salts, flower-shaped bath fizzies, and scented powder. BOTTOM LEFT:
Honey-oatmeal facial mask is gentle and mild. BOTTOM RIGHT: Colored bath salts help to exfoliate and soften the skin.