Homemade Burdock Root Oil

I purchased a stalk of organic burdock at the local Food Coop not really knowing what to do with it. I thought about sautéing the root with other vegetables and just eating it. After all, burdock is good for the liver, hair and skin.

Then I thought – instead of eating it – I can make my own burdock oil and use the substance on my hair as a hot oil treatment and to seal in moisture. I would also be able to use the oil on my skin as a make-up remover in addition to adding a few drops to shampoos and conditioners to give each product an extra kick.

So the use for the root was set in place. I was happy I came up with that idea. Then I thought – how do you make burdock oil? It can’t be hard, I convinced myself. I’ve made other oils and they turned out just fine. So why was I nervous about this one? I’m not sure. But I kept things simple. This is what I did.

The burdock root. Ultimately I added another root because one wasn’t enough.

After washing the root in hot water and peeling it. I left a little skin on and chopped it up in small pieces. Once I finished chopping, I noticed that the burdock started to turn colors, sort of like a brownish beige.

I placed the chopped pieces in a glass jar.

And saturated them with Safflower oil.

Here it is in my pantry next to the Thyme and Rosemary oils plus the Nettle and Horsetail herbs. I will let the mixture sit between four to six weeks before I use it.

If you decide to make this oil, you may notice little air bubbles in the jar. Just release the cap to let them out. But be careful not to waste too much of your oil.

Homemade Facial Tonic

Twice a day, or sometimes more, I use a facial tonic that I created based on my skin type. I’ve been using this homemade remedy for about a year. Over the years I made other remedies but this one I like the most because it seems to be keeping my oily skin and pimples under control.

The recipe is so simple. Seriously. It takes just a few minutes. Check it out below.

Glass Jar – I always use glass jars when making homemade stuff. Glass is better than plastic. This goes for plastic Tupperware too. Plus glass bottles look prettier on my shelves. This jar is about 4 oz.

Rose Water – Use Rose Water that you can cook with and drink. Rose Water is an excellent treatment for acne and wrinkles. It is a fantastic healer for many skincare problems. I will be transferring the remaining Rose Water into a glass jar I already have. The plastic container was cheaper to buy to temporarily store the fluid.

Vitamin E Skin Oil – I love Vitamin E. It can do no wrong. I put 1/8 of a spoon into my tonic.

Peppermint Essential Oil – I used 3 drops. Peppermint increases blood flow and stimulates nerves. Plus I like the cooling effect it provides to my skin.

Frankincense Essential Oil – I used 3 drops. This is an anti aging ingredient. It also heals scars and controls oil returning the skin to normal.

Myrrh Essential Oil – I used 3 drops. Myrrh maintains firm, youthful skin by helping to prevent tissue degeneration. It also cools, soothes and heals scars.

Shake the bottle.

And that’s it.

Homemade Oil-Based Facial Cleanser

I may be an adult but I still experience break-outs. So to keep the acne and oil in check, I cleanse my face twice a day with a homemade oil-based facial cleanser.

Cleansing the face with oil is not new. I’ve been following this method for years and so have others (check out a couple of articles on the subject by clicking HERE and HERE). The oils in the cleanser can also be taken internally. I like to add a few drops of my favorite essential oils to give the remedy a little kick. This is what I do.

Glass Bottle – This is a about 4oz. I always use glass bottles or jars when making my homemade stuff because all of the goodness from the ingredients last longer in glass than plastic. 

Castor Oil- I fill about half of the jar with Castor Oil. This oil cleanses and heals the skin.

Grapeseed Oil- Then I add a little Grapeseed Oil. This is another light cleansing oil.

Hazelnut Oil- I try to equal the amounts of Hazelnut and Grapeseed Oils. This oil helps fight oily skin and acne.

Lavender Essential Oil- Another acne fighting ingredient. I added 2 drops.

Tea Tree Essential Oil - Tea Tree cleans, heals and prevents acne. Plus it keeps oily skin under control. Another 2 drops was included in the mixture.

Frankincense Essential Oil – Used for anti aging purposes. Two drops was put into the cleanser.

Myrrh Essential Oil – Anti aging. I used just 2 drops.

I like to shake the bottle.

Done.

How to use the facial cleanser:

First I take off my make-up using my homemade lavender oil (excellent for controlling acne) with a hot wash cloth. The temperature of the heat is as hot as I can stand it.

• Pump 2 or 3 squirts of the facial cleanser into the palm of my hand
• Warm up the oil by rubbing my hands together
• Apply the oil onto my face and massage it in. This lifts the dirt and oil
• I then use a hot face cloth and wipe away the oil
• I may repeat the cleansing steps at least 2 or 3 times
• Splash cold water on my face to close the pores
• I like it when my face squeaks

Homemade Brown Sugar Facial Scrub

Since my teen years I have had many skincare regimens. The oil, pimples, blackheads and whiteheads forced me to always find new and interesting ways to take care of my skin.

Now that my skin is more mature, the oily and acne haven’t gone any place. To help maintain a youthful look, and to prevent breakouts and excessive oil, I like to exfoliate once a week with my homemade Brown Sugar Facial Scrub.

 Below is how I make it.

1 cup of Brown Sugar – cleans and tightens pores giving the skin a more even uniformed appearance

Honey – Add enough to make a consistency you like. Honey softens and heals the skin tissue bringing natural moisture to its surface.

1 tablespoon of water – To help loosen the mixture so it will go on easier (you can use less H2O or not at all)

• 1 drop of Lavender Essential oil – Great for acne and scars
• 1 drop of Tea Tree Essential oil – Best known for its antiseptic properties (I use Tea Tree to clean my makeup brushes as well). It is useful in treating and healing acne and scars.
• 2 drops of Frankincense Essential oil – I love everything Frankincense. This is a very powerful ingredient and it can be used in many things. In this mix it is suitable for anti aging benefits and as well as scars.
• 2 drops of Myrrh Essential oil – Myrrh has been used for hundreds of years as a skin preservative and is often used to prevent tissue deterioration.

The mixture should look like this

The brown sugar and honey will harden and crystallize when they are exposed to air. So pour the scrub into a glass jar and seal it to eliminate waste.

I also use the scrub on my:

• Ankles
• Knees
• Elbows
• Body and
• Anyplace I have a scar

Turkey and Pullet Eggs

I really enjoy shopping at local Farmers’ Markets especially since I moved to New Mexico.

While browsing around a market one  Saturday morning I noticed a farmer had  a bunch of small colorful eggs as well as large eggs with polka dots. I inquired about them because they looked interesting and I wanted to know more.

The farmer told me that the small eggs are known as Pullet eggs and are from young chickens just starting to lay. The large eggs with brown speckles were from local wild Turkeys.

I couldn’t walk away after learning that information. I had to buy them. What a great shampoo, I thought. I purchased six Pullet eggs and six Turkey eggs for $4. What a bargain for eggs coming from free range and drug free poultry.

I offered to cook a Turkey egg for my Mom but she declined. If I ate eggs I would have at least tried it but my vegan diet did not allow me the opportunity to do so.

However, I do use vegan and vegetarian haircare products, and egg shampoos are a perfect vegetarian protein source for the hair that I highly recommend. Check out one of my older posts on using eggs as a shampoo by clicking HERE.

First, I shampooed my hair using Beautiful Curls and afterwards I shampooed with the eggs. Below is what the eggs looked like.

Pullet eggs. They are really small. I like the blue one.

Turkey eggs.

The blue Pullet egg.

This is the Turkey egg. The yolk looks just like a Chicken egg to me.

Side by side. Look at the difference.

Both eggs mixed together.

The eggs in my hair. It lathered rather nicely. After I rinsed out the eggs my hair was literally squeaking clean. Seriously.

Homemade Rosemary and Thyme Oils

Okay. Making my own Lavender oil inspired me to make other oils from herbs I love to use.  I put Lavender Essential Oil in all of my homemade products and I also must use Rosemary and Thyme Essential Oils because they are great ingredients for the hair and skin!

After discovering the Lavender farm I searched really hard to find an exclusive Rosemary and/or Thyme farm someplace within the Albuquerque area but was unsuccessful. However, local farmers here grow the herbs, and then sell them exclusively at various farmers’ markets. So off I went to a farmers’ market super excited to buy fresh Rosemary and Thyme straight from the ground. But by the time I arrived they were sold out.

Then I remembered Rosemary and Thyme are also sold at the local supermarket. So off I went to the market and purchased three small plastic containers of fresh organic Rosemary and Thyme. 

I plan to use the Rosemary and Thyme oils on my hair and skin as well as in my food! For the hair and skin, I will add several drops of Rosemary and Thyme Essential Oils in the proper bottles to enhance its use.

The recipes are so simple its ridiculous. Check out what I did below.

Rosemary leaves.

Thyme leaves.

I love to use glass bottles for everything. Glass maintains nutrients in recipes better than plastic. Organic Safflower or Sunflower Oil is wonderful to utilize. These oils are mild and won’t compete with the flavor of the herb. I am using Safflower Oil.

Thyme stems after pulling off the leaves.

Rosemary in a bottle.

Thyme in a bottle – get it – Jim Croce.

Marinating for two weeks or maybe more. I haven’t made up my mind yet.

Homemade Lavender Oil

I like that New Mexico has a lot of local farms and farmer’s markets that sell a variety of organic produce and other foods within an hour or less from where I live.

One morning while driving on Rio Grande at 25 miles an hour (this is the speed limit on this strip and they are very serious about not going any faster than that for at least a mile or so) I discovered a farm that grows and sells all things Lavender.

Since Lavender is one of my favorite essential oils, (I use it in all of my home made stuff) I became excited when I saw the farm and decided to stop and take a look around.

With all of the fresh organic Lavender for sale (I missed the harvest in June) I purchased a bunch for $10 to make my own oil along with the strongest organic Lavender essential oil I’ve ever experienced. That was the best $15 I spent to date.

Below are photos of the farm and how I made my verison of Lavender oil. This was my first attempt at doing this. It’s a very simple recipe. Check it out.

Los Poblanos Farm House.

Lavender fields

My bunch of Lavender

A goat grazing.

Lavender after I pulled all of the flowers off of each stem.

I placed the flowers in a glass bottle.

I saturated the Lavender flowers with organic Safflower oil.

I added seven drops of organic Lavender essential oil to the bottle

And I was done.

I poured enough Safflower oil into the bottle of Lavender to cover the flowers only.

I plan to let the mixture sit in a dark cool place for two weeks before I strain it and use the Lavender oil on my hair and skin. 

I will post an update about the oil in about two weeks or so.

Homemade Natural Protein Treatment

This is the best homemade all natural protein treatment I know. I have been using this method on and off since I was a teenager.  It works like a charm and I think everyone should implement this technique into their hair care regimen.

I like to use treatments that are vegan or vegetarian. This method is vegetarian. 

If an egg shampoo was good enough for our grandmothers and great grandmothers it is good enough for us. Check it out.

I like to use Grade A Extra Large Organic Eggs for my protein treatment.

To me brown eggs look more farm-like and natural.

I use two eggs to make sure I have enough  to cover all of my hair.

Crack the eggs in a bowl.

Mix the eggs together using a fork.

The eggs should look like this after beating them for a few seconds.

A little at a time, pour the mixture on wet hair rubbing it in so the eggs won’t fall out. You can wash your hair using the egg mixture only or add a little shampoo and wash as usual. Depending on the length and thickness of your hair you should be able to do at least two washes using this amount.

I do not recommend letting the eggs sit for penetration purposes. The hot water and steam will cause the eggs to cook and there may be little pieces of cooked egg stuck in your hair. If this is the case, don’t worry, you can pick out the egg pieces or they will rinse away with your conditioner.

Homemade Hair Rinse

In a previous post I included Horsetail and Nettle herb tea in my homemade shampoo in place of water. Now that I am using over the counter products instead of my own concoction I decided to add the herb mixture to my weekly ritual as a rinse before shampooing or co-washing.

Horsetail and Nettle are excellent elements for hair care. You can find them in many store bought products and they can also be purchased in the form of a supplement, powder, tincture or leaf. I bought my leafs from an herb store in the East village in New York City called Flower Power.

Horsetail has been used as a remedy for hair growth and to prevent hair loss for thousands of years. Horsetail is rich in silica which is what the body needs to naturally stimulate thick, long, healthy and strong hair.

Nettle, also known as Stinging Nettle because of its tingling sensation that irritates the skin to increase blood flow and nourishment, has been used to achieve healthy hair since the ancient times. Applying a Nettle solution can increase the blood flow to the scalp. It also oxygenates hair follicles and strengthens hair fibers, promoting healthier, shinier, fuller hair. The results of Nettle do not happen overnight, but continued use will eventually produce excellent results.

In addition to achieving healthy long hair, I am on a quest to make my hair thick and full, so Horsetail and Nettle are perfect plants for me to use. During my weekly ritual on Saturday, I combined the two herbs and used them as a hair rinse. This is what I did:

One teaspoon of Horsetail (l). One teaspoon of Nettle (r).

Two cups of water.

Pour the water in a pot and boil. Make sure the water is at a bubbly boil before adding the herbs.

Turn off the fire and add the plant mixture.

Steep the leafs. I steeped for 24 hours. The longer it steeps the stronger the rinse.

Strain the liquid.

The rinse is ready!

On dry hair, bending over a sink, I poured on the Horsetail and Nettle rinse. I put on a plastic cap (have a towel handy because the liquid will run down your face and neck) and left it in for approximately 45 minutes. I rinsed it out then proceeded with my weekly hair care regiment.

Carrot Juice

As a kid I always enjoyed eating carrots. I used to watch Bugs Bunny on television with a carrot in hand every day. I would eat mine, whenever Bugs ate his, and then said in unison with the cartoon character; “Ehhhh, What’s up doc?” This went on for years, and because of my ritual, my mother had to always kept a supply of carrots in the house.

Years later I discovered juicing fruits and vegetables and all of its benefits. Carrots are the main ingredient in many recipes, and carrot juice by itself provides a lot of health benefits for various body elements, including the hair.

Carrot juice is known to grow hair and is really good at preventing balding and hair loss. Some people have said that drinking freshly juiced carrots regularly has improved the look and length of their hair faster than taking vitamins!

Overall I just wanted to share my love for carrots and write another post on juicing. Juicing may be a lot of work but it is extremely beneficial. Purchasing a juicer is an excellent investment. You can’t go wrong. I highly recommend it.