Salt is a very beneficial ingredient for the skin. However, we have not been seen it much in cosmetics. Only soaps contain salt nowadays commonly. Salt is a problematic ingredient. It is unsuitable for emulsions. Salt is also not suitable for products that are left on the skin. Long-term skin contact may cause irritation to sensitive skin. However, salt minerals are valuable to our skin. I’d like to share some few salt recipes now. You can easily make these products at home.
Peeling agents
Salt fits into scrubs just like sugar. Salt has a dual action exfoliating effect. The crystalline composition of the salt acts as an abrasive ingredient. In addition, salt also has a chemically peeling effect. The salt softens the stratum corneum, the outer layer of our skin. This makes it easier to clean off dead skin cells.
All salts are suitable for salt peeling
I would use fine sea salt to scrub myself. Sea salt is a good quality basic salt. Save some special, fine salts for bath salts or for products you’ll leave on your skin.
This time we do two peelings using salt. First one is a gentle mung bean-salt facial scrub and the other one is a very fresh and cleansing salt – oil scrub for hands and feet.
Mung bean salt scrub for face
Mung beans are popular in China and India not only for nutrition but also for beauty care. Mung beans are deep cleansing but on the same time very gentle on the skin. They brighten and soothe the skin. Usually the skin tolerates to mung bean peeling well. Instead of mung beans, you can also use azuki beans (red mung beans) or gram flour (aka besan) made from chickpeas (found in grocery stores selling Indian food).
Mung bean salt scrub recipe is very simple to prepair
The only requirement is that you can grind the beans into a really fine powder. You should be able to do that with a coffee grinder.
An electric coffee grinder is really handy if you want to make powder cosmetics that is so popular nowadays. They are very cheap; I bought my own for 10 euros a couple of years ago. It grinds still well.
For mung bean salt peeling you will need the following ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons dry mung beans
- 1 teaspoon really fine sea salt or rose salt, grind finer if necessary
Do like this:
- Grind the mung beans in a coffee grinder to a fine powder
- Strain the mung bean powder. The purpose is to get the powder as finely as possible. So strain it carefully.
- Mix the salted mung bean powder with salt
- Pack the powder in a can/jar with a lid.
How to use mung bean salt scrub?
- Take a small amount (1 teaspoon) of scrub powder in your hand and add some drops of water to form a paste. Mix well.
- Use the paste for scrubbing your face and neck very gently and without applying too much pressure.
- Then rinse face and neck with lukewarm water. Dry your face and add few drops of good oil to your face by tapping gently. Use a mung bean scrub once a week.
- The mung bean peeling is very gentle. It does not scrub toughly your face like so many scrubs do.
Modifications to mung bean peel
If you want a really sensitive skin exfoliating cream, add 1 teaspoon of moisturizing cream to a single dose (1 teaspoon of mung bean scrub powder).
If you want a softer exfoliation on your skin, add 1-2 teaspoons of fine oatmeal, preferably colloidal oatmeal, to the whole set of exfoliating powder.
For oily skin
If you want make exfoliating powder for oily skin, add 1 teaspoon of Rhassoul clay or bentonite clay to the whole set of mung bean exfoliating powder. Clay absorbs extra fat from the skin.
If you want anti-ages peeling, add 1 teaspoon of green tea to a single dose (1 teaspoon) of mung bean peeling powder.
Invent yourself more variations of mung bean peeling. I’m sure you’ll be thrilled to bean powders.
Fresh mint-lemon-salt peeling for hands and feet
This oil-containing exfoliator is emulsifying. It turns white in water and it is easy to wash off. Thanks to the coconut oil, this exfoliator is super moisturizing and healing. Use this scrub only for feet and hands.
These ingredients you will need for mint-lemon-salt peeling:
- 50 gr. fine sea salt
- 1 grated rind of lemon
- 1 tablespoon of dried mint
- 30 ml of coconut oil
- 10 gr. Olivem 1000 emulsifiers
Do like this:
- Grate the lemon and place the grated rind with the mint on the baking tray. Owen should be heated to 100 degrees Celsius (212 F). Put the tray in the owen for 30 minutes.
- Use water boiler (double bath). Place coconut oil and Olivem 1000 emulsifier to inner container.
- Heat the oil until the Olivem has completely melted. Use frother to make the liquid smooth.
- Let the mixture stay at 80 degrees Celsius (176 F) for 30 minutes.
- Remove the mixture from the water bath and add sea salt, grated lemon rind and mint you kept in the owen.
- Cool the mixture down to 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) and add 5 drops of essential oils (like grapefruit) if desired
Bath salts
Bath salts are really wonderful. They are perhaps the best-known salt cosmetics. Salt softens water and brings minerals to the bath. The Dead Sea salt is definitely the best bath salt. Dead Sea salt is extremely rich in minerals, not just sodium, like other salts. Use Dead Sea Salt as a bath salt: 2 decilitres of salt in a bath of warm water. Allow salt minerals to soak for at least 20 minutes. In salt the minerals are in the form that are best absorbed in the skin.
Oats-salt-Marseille soap baths
Oats are a very good conditioner for eczema skin. It soothes the skin and reduces itching. This bath contains also grated soap and salt. Grated soap emulsifies the oil in the bath. The oil spreads evenly on the skin and does not float on the surface of the water. Adding soap to the bath also helps to clean the bath tub.
You will need the following ingredients for oat-salt-Marseille soap bath:
- 2 decilitres of sea salt
- 1 ½ decilitres of sunflower oil or any other vegetable oil you prefer
- 1 decilitres of very fine oatmeal
- 2 decilitres grated Marseille soap
- 2-5 drops of essential oils if desired
Do like this:
- Grate Marseille soap. Measure airy 2 decilitres of grated soap in a bowl.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix until you get a smooth paste.
- If desired, add essential oils and mix the paste thoroughly again.
- Use about 2-3 tablespoons of ready make paste in your bath water. Yes, really, 2-3 teaspoons is enough.
Disinfectant and soothing Facial spray
Saline solution reduces the oil in the skin. It is worth of trying this if your skin gets oily very quickly after cleansing.
- 120 ml of hot water
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
Mix the ingredients in a small spray bottle. Cool the mixture to room temperature. Spray 1-2 times a day. Avoid skin around the eyes.
Salt for nail care
Salt cares for the nails and softens the cuticles. This recipe also contains baking soda and lemon to brighten nail colour and eliminate yellowing on your nails.
For nail care you will need the following ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Mix the ingredients and 1 ½ decilitres of hot water in a bowl. Soak the nails in a bowl for 10 minutes. The cuticles have now softened. Wash your hands with a soft brush, dry and moisturize.
Here are some of the saltwater cosmetics I tried out. I really hope you are excited to try one or more of these recipes. Please tell me how you did it!