5 Self-Care DIYs during COVID-19

This time can be filled with a lot of uncertainty and uneasiness, but we’re here to help you take charge and focus on various activities and DIY-projects you can do for yourself and around the house. Here are some of the ReLiv team faves.

Who doesn’t love radiant skin always? When you are looking your best and taking care of yourself, you start to feel great inside and out.

This face mask can be made with anything you have around the house. The base should be something moisturizing such as ½ cup of yogurt or a ripe avocado.

Additional ingredients would be 1 tablespoon of raw honey and/or 1 tsp of lemon juice. Traditionally, honey has been used as an anti-bacterial to seal wounds and prevent infection [1]. Quality is important when it comes to honey and its beneficial effects to ensure that it has the natural polyphenols which are anti-inflammatory. Lemon juice acts as a mild exfoliant and brightening agent.

Feel free to add a few drops of an essential oil of your choice! Lavender is great for sensitive, acne-prone skin. Learn more about lavender essential oil here.

Add all ingredients together, and apply it liberally to the face. Leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes and then rinse off.

This recipe is pretty straight-forward, and can be used once or twice a week. Make sure to be gentle on your face, especially if you have acne-prone skin. Scrubbing too hard can cause damage to the outer layer of skin cells and remove healthy oils, which can actually trigger increased oil production and clogging of pores.

• 1 cup of granulated sugar (organic, if possible)
• ½ cup of coconut oil
• Any essential oil(s), 20-30 drops - we like lemongrass and sage, similar to the essential oils in our organic Matcha Tea Cleanser that is soon to be released. Check out the benefits of these oils here. 
• A glass storage container, or mason jar

Mix all the ingredients together and keep in your storage container for up to two months!

This toner is great to reduce redness and inflammation of skin. Both green tea and witch hazel are astringent, which means that they close pores and tighten the skin. Green tea is a powerful antioxidant both when ingested and applied topically. In research, application of green tea polyphenols has shown to be anti-inflammatory and decrease damage from UV-radiation, which allows the skin to have a more even tone [2]. Witch hazel is one of the feature ingredients in our Seaweed Toner, which you can read more about here. All you need to make this DIY-toner is:

• 1 cup of steeped green tea, cooled (organic if possible)
• 1 tbsp witch hazel
• Carrier bottle (spray or pour)

Mix all of these together in the carrier bottle and use morning and/or night after cleansing and before moisturizing!

Lavender is well-known in the aromatherapy world for relaxation and relief of stress and anxiety [3]. Make your own lavender pillow spray to activate your parasympathetic nervous system and allow yourself to decompress. All you need is:

• 1 tbsp of loose leaf lavender buds
• 15-20 drops of lavender essential oil
• Distilled water (boiled)
• Small glass spray bottle
• Optional: 1 tbsp witch hazel (this helps the essential oil mix better with the water, and is great for skin as we learned above)

Directions:

1. Pour boiling water into a cup with the lavender buds. Cover it to keep all aromatic oils in the cup, and steep for 25-30 mins.
2. Use the spray bottle to mix all ingredients together once the water has fully cooled.
3. Shake well before use, and spray on linens, your pillowcase and even your face!

There’s a use for those orange and lemon peels you were just going to compost! All you have to do is collect enough peels to fill a mason jar, then cover them with white vinegar. Seal the lid and let it sit on your counter for about two weeks.

Strain out the peels, and pour the vinegar mixture into a spray bottle with water (1:2 parts ratio of vinegar to water).

Vinegar is a great cleaner because it is acidic, so can cut through mineral deposits in the sink or bathtub. Avoid its use on natural wood and stone surfaces because it may be damaging to their appearance. Lemon and orange peels are a positive, environmentally-friendly addition because not only does it cover up the smell of vinegar, these peels have antimicrobial capabilities [4].

 By: Dr. Arlene Dubier ND

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