It is said that we should put on our skin only what we would eat. Let’s experiment with the concept! I am introducing to you 3 magical potions for your inner and outer nutrition, health and beauty. We will create a series of superfoods that keep the raw properties of high quality nutritious ingredients that you can either mix in your smoothies (or add to your desserts or snacks, as highly concentrated foods) but that you can use at the same time as simple, homemade, easy, quick and healthy all-complexion face masks.

All three recipes have an energizing, cleansing, rejuvenating effect in and out.
They teach us to incorporate in our food and beauty rituals carefully selected natural raw products which have a high enzymatic impact on our body. Perfect for meeting spring in full health and radiant beauty!
​
INSTRUCTIONS
(valid for all three recipes)

As superfood: mix one tablespoon of the product in your daily smoothie or your freshly prepared dessert (such as fruit salad) or enjoy with whole grain crackers.

As face mask: gently rub the mask on your face and neck and leave for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with warm water or warm water and natural homemade face soap (I use goat milk soap after makeup removal). It is best however to not rinse excessively and to let the oils continue their absorption into the skin, after removing the mask.

Be careful for the turmeric mask can stain your clothes. You may need to use paper towels or makeup removal wipes to remove the excess turmeric color from your skin.

All face masks are highly rejuvenating and anti-wrinkle, so try to carefully apply the masks at eye corners, below the eyes and even below the eyebrows, gently, in very small dosage, and without touching the eye, for honey, coconut oil and turmeric can be irritants for the eye (they sting a little). If you don't feel skilled enough, avoid the area around the eyes.

You will notice the all the masks will leave your skin very very smooth and exceptionally glowy, clean, regenerated and healthy.
​​

​INGREDIENTS (version one)

1 tsp raw, high quality cocoa powder
1 tsp freshly ground coffee
1 tsp grated raw unprocessed cocoa butter
1 tbsp hot coffee from your daily coffee pot

​Finely grate the cocoa butter and add it to cocoa powder and ground coffee in a small bowl. Add the hot coffee  and mix  with a teaspoon until smooth  and having a yogurt-like texture. The hot liquid coffee will infuse the cocoa powder and the ground coffee.

NUTRITION

COCOA POWDER: Lowering blood pressure. Fibers. Minerals (iron, zinc, magnesium, manganese, potassium). Anti-depressant. Antioxidant. Low calories. Cholesterol balance. Anti-diabetes.

COCOA BUTTER: Immunity boost. Heart balance. Anti-constipation. Minerals and vitamins. Energizing. Anti-depressant. Dental health. Anti-obesity. 

COFFEE: Energy. Vitamin B complex. Minerals. Neural boost and healer. Burns calories. Antioxidant.


SKIN

COCOA POWDER: Exfoliant. Increase in oxygen saturation. Hydration. Minerals. Rejuvenating. Skin cells repair. Anti-wrinkle. Anti-age.

COCOA BUTTER: Rejuvenating. Moisturizer. General skin health. Anti-age and anti-wrinkle. Heals stretch marks, sores, rashes, sun burns. Soft lips. 

COFFEE: Exfoliant. Rejuvenating. Anti-wrinkle and anti-age. Detoxifying. Toner. Lightener. Skin-repair. Antioxidant. Anti-inflammatory. 

​INGREDIENTS (version two)
Instead of the liquid hot coffee, use 1 tbsp of raw, unprocessed coconut oil.

This gives a firmer, richer mask that includes the repairing benefits of coconut oil (see below).

​INGREDIENTS
1 tsp freshly and finely grated carrot
1 tbsp raw and unprocessed coconut oil
1 tsp acacia honey
½ tsp high quality turmeric powder

​Mix the honey, coconut oil and turmeric and add freshly grated carrot (use the finest grating degree).

NUTRITION

CARROT. Beta caroten. Heals the heart and the brain. Vitamin C. Anti-free radicals. Anti-cancer. Essential for eyes and skin. Fibers. Immune booster. Controls diabetes. Oral health. Digestive. Anti-cholesterol. 

COCONUT OIL: Good cholesterol. Weight loss. Anti-bacterial and anti-fungi. Memory and neural recovery. Hormonal balance. Heart, brain, pancreas help. Healthy digestion. Builds muscle. Heals joints. Oral health.

ACACIA HONEY: Anti-insomnia. Hormonal balance. Immune booster. Weight loss. Internal organs repair. Lowers blood sugar. Respiratory infections. Kidney repair. Analgesic. Minerals and vitamins. Anti-depressant.

TURMERIC: Anti-cancer, oxidant, inflammatory. General boost. Brain booster. Heart booster. Anti-Alzheimer and degenerative disease. Rejuvenating. 
​

​SKIN

CARROT: Exfoliant. Bright, rejuvenated skin. Powerful anti-age and anti-wrinkle. Cleansing. Anti-acne and dark spots. Heals scars and blemishes. Sun protection. Repairs dry skin.

COCONUT OIL: Anti-age and wrinkles. Deep cleanser. Moisturizer. Lighter skin. Anti-bacterial. Fit for both dry skin and acne. Skin repair. Heals and prevents breakouts.

ACACIA HONEY: Intense repair of all scars, wrinkles, blemishes, burns. Nourishing and moisturizing effect.

TURMERIC: Anti-acne, bacterial and inflammatory. Cleans pores. Calms the skin. Rejuvenating. Treats chronic skin conditions. Sun burns. Corrects oily skin.

​This recipe is best processed in higher quantity, for example when you want to indulge in homemade fruity frozen yogurt, being more difficult to prepare a small quantity in your regular blender.

INGREDIENTS
​
1 live culture yogurt (200g)
50-100g frozen or fresh berries (including seedy berries like raspberries, blackberries and strawberries). You can experiment here with different concentration of berries.
Honey to taste

​Blend them all in your blender. It is important to keep in mind that berries will become juicier upon blending, so try to use a thicker yogurt, or to use a fruit or seeds processor for the berries and subsequently add the berry puree in the yogurt. If you are using fresh berries, it is easier to just puree them with a fork and then add the yogurt and honey. Mix it all to obtain a smooth cream. 

NUTRITION

YOGURT: Rich, whole food containing protein, vitamins and minerals (especially calcium, potassium and magnesium). Probiotics essential for the digestive system. Immune booster. Weight loss.
 
BERRIES: Fibers. Iron. Anti-oxidants. Vitamins. Healthy heart. Anti-cancer. Bone balance. Rejuvenating effect. Low blood pressure.

SKIN
​
YOGURT: Exfoliant. Rejuvenates. Moisturizer. Nourishing. Anti-bacterial. Removal of dead skin. Skin cell repair. Calming effect. Prevents breakouts. 

BERRIES: The tiny seeds will act as a marvelous exfoliant. Anti-oxidants. Increase of elastin and collagen levels. Face lift effect. Moisturizer. Re-mineralization. Soften dry skin. 

ICY TIP!

You can keep your favorite superfoods for longer periods by freezing them in ice cube trays. When you need a boost for your tummy or face, you just remove one ice cube and use it over your face and neck or toss it in your blender to be mixed with your smoothie.

Thao Uyen

We know that Japanese women are famous for using natural ingredients to take care of their skin. One of their favorite ingredients must be red beans. They have been using red beans for skincare for more than a thousand years. Why do they love this particular bean so much?
​
Red beans are packed with vitamins and minerals:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B1, B6
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin C
• Magnesium
• Calcium
• Zinc
• Potassium
• Phosphorus
• Iron 
• Copper
• Fiber
• ...

 And because of that, red beans aid digestion and the body’s immune system. The minerals found in adzuki beans provide great energy level and keep stress at bay. They also help in repair and renew cells, maintain bone health, aid body’s detoxification and weight loss. And last but not least, red beans are the antioxidant hero which leads us to their skincare benefits.

As skincare ingredient red beans give the skin a shiny and radiant glow. They make the skin firm and silky, they’re especially beneficial for oily skin.
​
Of course Japanese people don’t just use the whole beans, they grind them into powder and mix with milk to wash their face or make them into face masks. You can buy red bean powder on the market or you can make it yourself. I will tell you how to grind red beans with your robot.
​

First rinse your red beans and let them dry completely. Then put a thin layer of beans in a saucepan and use the smallest level of heat to toast the beans. Toast may not be the right word here since you won’t burn the beans but help them getting dry deeply and therefore more easy to make into powder. Your dried beans will be good for use after 10 - 15 minutes of gentle toasting. This method is used in Chinese medicine to preserve ingredients without losing their benefits, so don’t be worry that your toasted red beans will be less beneficial than the raw ones. 

Grind them with your robot until they’re smooth. Store the red bean powder in a glass jar at room temperature. Voilà! It is now ready to be made into the face mask which is also a gentle face scrub. You’ll need:

• Red bean powder
• Coconut oil (about 1 teaspoon for your face and neck)
• Your favorite floral water (my skin is oily and witch hazel water works best for me, rose water is also a great option)

Make those ingredients into a mixture that’s not runny or too thick. 

Gently massage this face mask on your dry skin for 5 minutes, then keep it on your face for 3 minutes more. After this, rinse it off with warm water and pat the skin dry.

Your skin will be as good as new. It will feel so soft and silky, you’ll simply love it. As soon as the second use of this face mask, you will notice that your skin is brighter, the skin tone more even and the spots (if you have acne) are less noticeable.

I recommend that you use this face mask only once a week because it exfoliates your skin and if being used too often, it can make your skin too sensitive to sunlight.

You can preserve the red bean powder for months at room temperature so don’t hesitate to make a big batch and enjoy your red beans face mask whenever you want.