This Thanksgiving do more than eat your food, smear it on your face. Pumpkins, cranberries, sweet potatoes, and even green beans can be used as natural, inexpensive beauty treatments. Many SPA’s are falling in love with fall food. Creating original treatments using pumpkin, cinnamon, cranberries and spice. But why go to a SPA when you can do it at home?  It is easy to put pumpkin paste into your next at home treatment. Adding your thanksgiving leftovers to your beauty regimen will help you glow from the inside out.

Here are some of our favorites:

Pumpkin Facial

Eating pumpkin isn’t the only way to enjoy its fantastic nutrients.  Pumpkin offers lasting benefits when applied to the skin. They are rich in antioxidant beta-carotene, as well as other cancer-fighting carotenoids. Pumpkin boasts B vitamins, Niacin, Riboflavin, Ascorbic Acid, and Vitamins A and C. Pumpkin is known for it’s amazing exfoliating and anti-oxidizing abilities.

Ingredients:


2 teaspoons canned pumpkin

1/2 teaspoon honey

3 tablespoons of plain yogurt (milk or egg whites)

¼ teaspoon cinnamon spice

Directions:


Blend all ingredients together until it turns into a paste. Brush onto freshly cleansed skin. Let it dry for 15-20 minutes, and then rinse off with warm spring water.  For better results use a pumpkin-infused moisturizer for an immediate glow!

Sweet Potato Facial and Eye Rejuvenator

Just like the pumpkin, sweet potatoes are full of Vitamin A and antioxidants. They are excellent for deeply nourishing and moisturizing the skin. 
If you are cooking sweet potatoes and adding a lot of ingredients for your Thanksgiving dinner (such as marshmallows), consider setting aside a couple of cups for this facial.

Ingredients:


2 ounces cooked mashed sweet potatoes

1 tbs oats (oatmeal)

1 tbs raw sugar
1/2 tsp olive or almond oil (or any oil you have on hand)
 pinch of nutmeg

Directions:


Mix all of the ingredients together to form a thick like consistency. Adjust the ingredients if needed, add more oats to make it thicker or add more liquid (water or milk) to thin it out. Apply this mixture to face and neck, leave on for about 5-8 minutes. Use warm wash cloths to gently remove the bulk of the paste, then rinse with warm water, and gently pat skin dry.

Cranberry Spa Drink and Facial Scrub

Cranberries are the power house of healing properties. They rejuvenate the skin and restore the bodies natural balance. Cranberries help to kill bacteria so are useful for treating blemishes and breakouts. They are a rich source of flavonoids, polyphenols, vitamin C and natural fruit acids.

Cranberry Drink

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon of Cranberry Sauce

2 Tablespoons of Cranberry Cocktail (use the frozen blend found in the cans in the freezer section)

Sparkling White Wine, or Sparkling White Grape Juice chilled

Directions:
Put in the Cranberry Sauce first, then the Cranberry Cocktail, then either the alcohol or the juice. Mix thoroughly before serving. Serves 4.

Cranberry Facial Scrub

Blend 1/2 cup raw or frozen cranberries, 1 teaspoon almond oil, 2 teaspoons raw sugar, 4-5 drops orange essential oil and 1 tablespoon oatmeal. Gently press onto a clean face and neck, using your fingers to roll the product on the skin instead of scrubbing the skin.
Rinse with luke warm water and moisturize.
Note: Get good quality orange essential oil at a health food store (or below). Orange is known for its ability to lift your spirits. Almond oil is also available at health food stores.

Yum Pumpkin Facial

Image : yumdeal.com

- Shannon K.