As much as we love fun in the sun,(even in the winter months) we often forget that the exposure from the sun and it's  harmful rays  have a lasting effect.

We must take extra measures to rejuvinate our skin from the hot, dry heat of the summer sun as

 well as the  cold winter months that can leave the skin dry, cracked and damaged. My suggestion is to Exfoliate, Cleanse and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!

 Seems simple enough but with tons of products to choose from it can all get a little frustrating, time consuming and lets not leave out costly.

So the goal here is to get back to basics. All natural ingredients, that are great for your skin,

Go green, cost effective and smells yummy to!

 Banana Avacado  Face  Wash

• 1/2 Bananna
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 Avacado pit

Always start with a avacado pit that has been dried out for at least 3 days. Grind the avacado pit (put the pit in a plastic baggie and hit it with a hammer).

Combine the avacado pit, bananna and olive oil.

Pat face with warm water, apply mixture to face in small circulair motion (be careful not to rub to hard)

Rinse with warm then cold water to close pores.

Note; This face wash works really well. Its gentle and left my face feeling clean and moisturized.

 Honey Scrub

• Grind together 2 almonds, 1 teaspoon
• lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of honey.
• Apply to face and scrub gently.

Sugar Scrubs

Brown Sugar Scrubs

• 1/2 cup brown sugar                                                            
• 2 heaping tablespoons almond oil
• few drops of honey
• 3 to 5 drops of your favorite essential oil

Or

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon jojoba oil
• 1 tablespoon almond oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 5-7 drops orange essential oil
• dash of cinnamon

Here's what you do:

Mix ingredients thoroughly in a glass bowl. In the shower, gently scrub all over body.

Fruit Sugar Scrub

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 Tbsp. coconut milk or oil
• 3 Tbsp. almond or jojoba oil
• 1/2 cup fresh papaya and guava

Mix sugar and coconut milk or oil with almond or jojoba oil. Puree fruit in a blender or food processor, stir into oil and sugar mixture. Exfoliate with dry brush or exfoliation gloves, rinse off in shower. Pat dry (skin should be damp) and apply mixture from feet to head in circular motions always towards the heart. Rinse with warm water, pat dry, and enjoy silky smooth, sweet-smelling skin!

Body Wraps                 

Clay Body Wrap (for oily skin)

• 1 cup bentonite or green clay         
• 1/4 cup sea salt
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cups water

Boil water and add sea salt until it is dissolved. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Adjust the water if necessary to form a wet paste. Rub the mixture over your entire body and cover yourself with a sheet.

Avocado Moisture Body Wrap

(for dry skin)

• 1 very ripe avocado
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 1/4 cup of aloe vera gel
• Lots of towels
• Plastic wrap

Here's what you do: Blend avocado pulp, cream and aloe vera gel to a thick paste. Place lots of old towels down where you will nap later. Apply paste to body. Wash hands and loosely wrap over masked areas. Lay down and relax for one hour. Rinse.

Oatmeal Wrap (for soft and smooth skin)

• 1 cup of oatmeal not the instant kind
• 1 cup of warm milk

Mix oatmeal and milk into a paste and apply to body. Rest one hour and rinse off.

Removing Extra Hair

Body Sugaring is a natural way to remove the hair that you don't want from your body. Basically, you are making a cooked paste out of white sugar and other ingredients that you will spread on your legs and, using strips of cloth, removing the hair. You will need a stove and pot to cook the sugar mixture in and an old sheet to cut up into strips or a couple of yards of cheap broadcloth from Walmart. The strips can be used again by washing in a lingerie bag in your washer.

Body Sugar Recipe                            

• 1-7/8 cups of white sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Use a fairly large, heavy pan because the sugar will foam up as it boils. Mix the ingredients in the pan and put on medium heat. Boil gently until a candy thermometer reads 120 degrees C. The mixture will turn an amber color as it cooks. Take it off the heat, let it cool a bit and pour into a container. A wide shallow one works best - if you have a tall container, the paste tends to get all over the stick. When cooled, it should be quite thick.

To use the paste, either microwave it (careful-it heats up fast) or boil some water and let the jar sit in the hot water for about 5 minutes. Be sure to test the temperature *very* carefully before you put a lot on your skin. Test a bit on the palm of your hand where the skin is a little thicker and tougher. Use a craft stick, like a tongue depressor, to spread the paste. The paste works best when it is very warm, it spreads thinner that way.

Take a bit of paste on the stick and spread it on, as thin as you can, in the direction of the hair growth. Put a strip on the paste and press it on firmly. Pull the strip off against the direction of the hair growth. Be sure to hold your skin taut, and pull the strip directly back, not up. You can use the same strip a couple of times. To clean up, all you need is soap and water. You can cream your legs after with a good natural lotion.

Natural Born Painkillers

Ease aches and pains without pills.

New strappy sandals. Flip-flops. That first verzealous tennis match of summer. But whether it's your back, your neck, a knee or a hip that's hurting, relief is just seconds away.

All you have to do is lie down and roll over.

Hitzmann's M.E.L.T. method uses rubber balls and foam rollers of various sizes to massage away pain. The program focuses on the health of your oft-overlooked connective tissue, which supports your vital organs. Hitzmann claims that if the tissue becomes dehydrated, your body's normal motor function can get thrown out of whack. (Translation: Achy, breaky parts.) But getting blood circulating to stiff or sore areas can speed healing.

You can find a class on M.E.L.T.'s website or buy a 6-piece hand and foot treatment kit with a DVD to use at home.

Ball's in your court. Vital Juice Daily LLC.

Note; I have used new tennis balls (2) tape them together with black electrical tape. I put the tennis balls between my back and a wall, allowing for as much or as little room to roll about. Sometimes just placing the tennise ball on the muscle and leaning into it against the wall (applying pressure) is just enough to relax the spasm. Warning, this can be addictive.