I've been longing for a juicer for a really long time and finally got one. Now I know a ton of people who have visions of daily juice-fests, they envision the vast varieties of fruits and veggie juice they'll produce on a daily basis...then a month goes by and the juicer ends up in the back of some kitchen cabinet only to see the light of day the next time its owners are struck by another health kick.
I knew I would not be one of those people and so far I have not been. I juice just about everyday and store jugs of juice for the days when I get too busy to whip out my new best friend, Jack Lalanne. The only issue I've encountered so far with juicing has been what to do with the pulp of the fruits and veggies I am juicing.
I always feel like I am wasting good stuff that I should be finding some use for. My very helpful boyfriend tried to use the pulp of a few juiced veggies to make a veggie patty, but I could barely look at his attempt at a veggie patty without gagging-- eating it was not an option. His attempts at veggie patty making did, however, give me a great idea.
Fruit enzyme facial masks and peels are EVERYWHERE these days, I've used a few and loved the results so why not make my very own facial mask with the leftover fruit pulp from juicing?
My first DIY fruit enzyme facial mask was a combination of pineapple and strawberry pulp from my juice of the same combination. I have to admit when I first laid eyes on the pulp I was a bit grossed out...it did not look very appealing, it did smell great though.
Just 30 seconds after applying the mask I felt a bit of a tingling sensation, this lasted only for about a minute. I left the mask on for ten minutes then rinsed and was I in for a pleasant surprise. My skin actually looked brighter and felt smoother.
The mask can get a bit messy so it's best to not walk around too much after applying it unless you want pieces of pineapple and strawberry pulp all over your floor. I definitely plan on trying a few more DIY facial masks in the near future.
Have you created DIY facial masks from your juicer? Share your recipes with me so that I can give them a try!
By now you all know how much those of us here at A Girl's Gotta Spa! adore spa treatments, we practically live for them. But we can all agree that spa treatments are not always budget friendly, so I am always looking for ways to get the results of spa treatments without shelling out a fortune. Lately I've been experimenting with a few DIY at home (or in the sauna at the gym) spa treatments and I thought I would share two of my favorites with you. I do have to warn you that you may get strange looks from a few people...just be prepared.
I love getting weekly deep conditioning treatments for my hair, but at about $50 per treatment and add in the cost of haircuts and coloring--and I would be devoting a good portion of my monthly income to my hair. So instead of going to the salon for deep conditioning treatments, I cart my deep conditioning treatments with me to the gym on the days I plan on using the sauna. While in the sauna I just apply whatever deep conditioning treatment I feel like my hair needs that week (a restructuring mask, hydrating treatment or nourishing oil) to my hair, wrap it in a towel and just sit there for 10-15 minutes and let the heat do its work.
Another treatment I do while in the sauna is a face mask (again either hydrating, deep cleansing or exfoliating.) I wait until about 5-10 minutes before I plan on getting out of the sauna then apply the mask. My favorite to apply while in the sauna is the Kate Somerville Exfolikate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment because I have noticed a big difference between using this in the sauna and just using it at home. Yes, it tingles 
more because the heat loosens the debris in my pores a lot more than just using it at home. My skin also looks and feels cleaner and brighter after I use this treatment in the sauna.
Whenever I use the sauna at the gym I always leave feeling a lot more relaxed and cleansed...very similar to the feeling I get when I leave the spa. So combine that feeling of relaxation with a few mini sauna beauty treatments and you've almost got yourself a bonafide spa experience...minus the plush robes, soothing music and so on, but you'll have better looking hair and skin without the spa price tag. Just don't say I didn't warn you about the perplexed looks might receive from a few people.
