1. Uplifting chocolate

• Benefits: The delectable scent of chocolate alone makes it a naturally uplifting ingredient for the skin. Plus, inflammatory properties soothe the skin, the cocoa bean is full of antioxidants and chocolate contains moisturizing ingredients such as shea butter and cocoa butter.
• DIY: Chocolate facial from Bukisa. Chocolate lovers will appreciate this tasty mask both for its lovely aroma and skin-healthy benefits. This powerful combo of common ingredients helps to exfoliate, heal and soften the skin.

• Ingredients: ½ tsp. baking powder, 1 tbsp. honey, ½ tbsp. pure cocoa powder, oatmeal and water.
• How to make: Combine baking powder, cocoa powder and honey. Mix in the oatmeal (and add water) until you reach the desired consistency. Massage the mixture into your skin and let sit for about 10 minutes, and then rinse well.

• Ready made: Colorescience Chocolate Mousse Foundation Primer, Philip B Chocolate Milk Body Wash and Bubble Bath, Colorescience Box Of Chocolates Lip Glaze.

2. Aromatic vanilla

• Benefits: There’s nothing bland about vanilla. The soothing aroma reduces stress and calms the entire body, while antioxidants offer protective benefits.
• DIY: Vanilla and rosemary skin oil from eHow. Use this sweet-smelling skin oil for massages or moisturizing dry skin.

• Ingredients: Olive oil, rosemary, fresh basil, sage, thyme, hot red pepper and a vanilla bean.
• How to make: Heat the oil until warm, not hot. Cut the vanilla bean open and scrape out the seeds; then mix them into the oil. Add the herbs and cook until the herbs turn brown, which takes about five minutes. Finally, strain the oil into a bottle.

• Ready made: L'Occitane Shea Vanilla Caress Kit, Bliss Vanilla and Bergamot Body Buff, Melvita Sweet Vanilla Cream Soap.

3. Sweet honey

• Benefits: Honey’s naturally occurring antibacterial agents make it ideal for acne sufferers. Honey also increases moisture retention, leaving skin soft and smooth.
• DIY: Honey protein face mask from Healthy-Skincare. This mask is chock full of good-for-you ingredients. The natural alpha hydroxy acids in honey gently exfoliate dead skin cells, while the lemon juice brightens the skin.

• Ingredients: 1 tbs. honey, ½ tsp lemon juice or cider vinegar, 1 tbs. bee pollen, ½ tsp. wheat germ oil or glycerin, and 1 egg white at room temperature or 1 small whole egg.
• How to make: Combine honey, pollen and lemon juice and mix until the honey softens. Then add the remaining ingredients and stir until you reach the right consistency.

• Ready made: FarmHouse Fresh Honey Heel Glaze, NUXE Reve dE Miel Honey Facial Cleansing Gel, PCA SKIN Dry Skin Relief Bar.

4. Invigorating coffee

• Benefits: This vasodilator can smooth wrinkles and refresh the skin’s surface. You can use the grinds as a mild exfoliant to slough off dry skin and stimulate blood flow. And like other members of the tropical plant family, the coffee bean has antioxidant benefits.
• DIY: Cinnamon swirl coffee scrub from Bath and Body Recipes. Not only does this scrub have a warm and enticing aroma and exfoliate the skin, but it also helps to wake up the skin.

• Ingredients: 2 cups ground coffee, ½ cup raw sugar or sea salt, 2-3 tbs. almond oil, grapeseed oil or jojoba oil, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 2-3 drops cinnamon fragrance oil (optional).
• How to make: Simply mix the ingredients, and massage into the skin using circular motions. Be aware that cinnamon can cause irritation in certain individuals, so you might want to patch test the mixture on a small section of skin before applying to your entire body.

• Ready made: Juara Invigorating Coffee Scrub, REVALESKIN CoffeeBerry Night Cream.

5. Divine almond

• Benefits: These delectable nuts are prized for their skin-protecting qualities; at one point, they were even used as a form of sunblock (although you shouldn’t rely on almond oil to block UV rays today). Plus, they may have anti-aging benefits.
• DIY: Almond facial cream. This is a simple cream to make and is great for nighttime use — the smell and texture are just right for a night cream. However, it’s not a good option for oily or acne-prone skin.

• Ingredients: 3 tbsp. lanolin, 1 tbsp. sunflower oil, 1 tbsp. almond oil and 1 tsp. lavender essential oil.
• How to make: Put the lanolin in a double boiler and heat until completely melted. Next, add the oils, adding the lavender oil last. The mixture will thicken as it cools, so pour into a jar and let it sit in a cool place.

• Ready made: L'Occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil, Whish Almond Three Whishes Body Butter, Dr. Michelle Copeland Honey Almond Scrub.

6. Soothing mint

• Benefits: Mint’s benefits go beyond being a breath freshener. Antiseptic and anti-inflammatory, mint cleanses skin and eases acne infections. A hint of mint oil helps skin retain moisture. Mint can even penetrate cracked, over-worked feet.
• DIY: Minty fresh facial cleanser from Skincare Resource Center. This cleanser is exfoliating and rejuvenating. It’s simple to make, and you can use an inexpensive store-bought cleanser to give the formula a foaming quality.

• Ingredients: 1/3 cup chopped mint leaves, 1 tbsp. sea salt or kosher salt and 1 tbsp. commercial soy-based facial cleanser.
• How to make: Mix ingredients in the order listed above, and apply to skin using a circular motion. Rinse with warm water.

• Ready made: Archipelago Botanicals Morning Mint Body Wash, H2O Plus Smoothing Mint Foot Rub, Cover FX Mint Glaze FX Clear.

7. Succulent orange

• Benefits: This uplifting citrus fruit has multiple uses. As a cleanser, orange essence removes excess oil from the skin. As a lotion, orange feeds vitamin C to the skin. And during balmy nights, the peelings from this pleasant-smelling fruit repel insects.
• DIY: Shiny orange hair rinse from Care2 Healthy and Green Living. What better way to treat your hair than with an awakening citrus rinse? Use after shampoo for silky, healthy hair.

• Ingredients: Juice from one small orange, an equal measure of water and 1 tbsp. honey.
• How to make: Combine ingredients in a cup, then massage into freshly shampooed hair. Leave on for five to 10 minutes and rinse with warm water. Follow with conditioner, if desired.

• Ready made: Bliss Blood Orange and White Pepper Body Butter, Melvita Orange Zest Cream Soap, The Art of Shaving Moisturizer – Orange and Calendula.

8. Luscious lemon

• Benefits: Full of alpha hydroxy acids, lemon is a gentle exfoliator that smoothes aging skin. It’s an ideal ingredient for night creams and masks. Naturally antiseptic, it’s also a beneficial ingredient when used in cleansers and toners for problem-prone, oily skin.
• DIY: Lemon cheesecake whitening maskfrom The Green Beauty Guide by Julie Gabriel. If you’re looking for a more even-toned complexion or want to fade post-acne marks, this is a great mask to try. Lemon and yogurt are natural skin peels, and honey is added for its antibacterial properties. The egg white strengthens the skin.

• Ingredients: 2 tbsp. honey, 4 tsp lemon juice, 3 tsp. plain or Greek yogurt and 1 egg white.
• How to make: After combining all ingredients in a bowl, use a wire whisk to stir until the concoction thickens. Apply to the face and let sit for 15 minutes, and then rinse. You can make larger batches of this mask. But be sure to store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• Ready made: Bliss Lemon and Sage Body Butter, The Art Of Shaving Pre-Shave Oil Lemon, Sundari Lemon Cleanser for Oily Skin.

9. Juicy strawberry

• Benefits: Strawberries are actually a powerful acne-fighting agent. Salicylic acid, found in strawberries, can be used in cleansers and masks to gently exfoliate the surface of the skin. Although it doesn’t fight the bacteria that cause acne, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, “salicylic acid helps correct the abnormal shedding of skin cells and unclog pores to resolve and prevent lesions.”
• DIY: Sweet strawberry facial mask for oily skin from Organic Skin Care. The best part of this mask is the simplicity and it’s good enough to eat (and safe, too!). It’s a great treatment if you have acne and are looking for a gentle way to soothe the skin and reduce breakouts.
• Ingredients: 9 whole strawberries and 3 tbsp. honey.
• How to make: Mash strawberries into a smooth, pulpy consistency, and then add honey. Mix slightly, but don’t let the mixture get runny. Let sit on skin for a few minutes; then rinse. You can store the mixture in the fridge for about a week.

• Ready made: FarmHouse Fresh Strawberry Smash, Philosophy Strawberry Milkshake Shower Gel.

10. Potent red wine

• Benefits: The grapes used to make this delicious beverage are full of antioxidant polyphenols that fight free radicals. Treatments made with grapes may help boost the look of skin by refreshing and brightening your complexion. Resveratrol, found in grape skins, is a potent anti-aging ingredient. Plus, ingredients found in wine can also help with acne and eczema.
• DIY: Egg white, red wine face mask from Natural Home Remedies for Life. This mask tones, tightens and refreshes the skin. The honey is full of antibacterial benefits and is also a gentle exfoliator.

• Ingredients: 1 egg white, 3 tbsp. red wine, 1 tbsp. honey
• How to make: Mix ingredients until smooth, and spread onto your face and neck. Let the mask sit for 10-15 minutes.

• Ready made: Caudalie Merlot Friction Scrub, GliSODin Skin Nutrients Advanced Detoxification Formula, Tracie Martyn Firming Serum.

Tips to enhance facial treatments

• Start by using a mild cleanser and makeup remover to remove all traces of dirt and grime.
• Don’t be afraid to adjust the proportions if your mask is too thick or too runny.
• If you’re sensitive to certain ingredients, it’s wise to do a patch test on a small section of skin before applying to the entire face.
• If needed, make adjustments to the time you leave the mask on and the areas of your face you use it on. If a mask starts to feel itchy or irritating, rinse off early. If you have combination skin, you might want to use an oil-absorbing mask only on the T-zone and a moisturizing mask on the cheeks.
• Rinse with warm water — not hot — and finish with just a splash of cool water. Try to be gentle and don’t scrub the skin too much.
• Finish with a moisturizer suited to your skin type.

Truly like having your skincare and eating it too, applying these scrumptious treats is great for your skin and creates an instant pampering and relaxing treatment. So go ahead and spice up your skincare and enjoy the spectacular results!

See also:

Beauty on a Budget Handbook

5 DIY Treatments to Boost Winter Skin and Hair

10 DIY Summer Treatments to Rejuvenate Skin from Head to Toe

How to Add Skin-Boosting Kiwi To Your Routine