Well this is certainly new territory for The Vegetable Centric Kitchen! I’ve found that over the years and especially since the juice feast, my body has wanted simpler and simpler foods. I tried to fight it a bit (and I’ll post more on that later) but ultimately my body and my desire to feel good have won out. That being said I’m feeling really excited to expand this blog in other directions. The kitchen will still be a big part of it but the bigger picture of clean recipes is detoxing the body…so why stop there? Why not detox our minds? and homes? and (for the purpose of this post) faces? Since I’m no longer in the beginning stages of detoxing my body, things on that front are simpler. I feel as though I’m currently maintaining all the hard work I’ve put in (with a few steps back once in a while but nothing that can’t be corrected). With my body feeling in a good space most of the time I’ve felt inspired to move into other areas. Detoxing old thought patterns with meditation, detoxing my home with some serious de-stuffing, and detoxing my cleaning and beauty products. Most of what I use, at the very least, comes from the “natural” section of the grocery store. Amazingly, not all of these things are very natural and contain heaps of ingredients. There are some great options but I’ve just been having too much fun making my own!
This facial recipe feels so festive and decadent, I don’t like chocolate or stimulants to be a regular part of my diet but my skin doesn’t mind the treat! In this recipe I used raw cacao, Doterra essential oil, and Aztec Secrets Bentonite Clay. The ingredients are interchangeable for similar things but these are all my favorites.
Ingredients:
3-4 cups water
2 drops peppermint essential oil
1.5 Tbsp bentonite clay
1 tsp cacao powder
a small pot, a medium bowl, and a large towel
fabulous spa music or a great podcast (optional of course but 10 minutes of face-steaming can feel like a long time)
Begin music or podcast. Pour water into a small pot and bring to a boil. While waiting for water to heat, scoop your clay and cacao into a small dish. Remove boiling water from heat, pour into a bowl and add a couple drops of peppermint oil. Carefully lean your face over the steaming water, the peppermint can be a bit harsh at first so lean in slowly. Cover your head and the bowl with a towel so that you have created a sort of steam sauna for your face. Stay here for 10 minutes. When your 10 minutes are up, pat your face dry and scoop a couple spoonfuls of your peppermint water into the clay and cacao to create a thick paste. Smear the chocolatey peppermint goodness all over your face and wait for it to dry. I find removal to be easiest in the shower but you can also gently scrub it off with a wet hand towel.
One of the things I like most about this clay is the gentle pulling sensation I get when it’s completely dry. I like to imagine the clay just sucking at all my pores until they are completely clean. On the downside this does dry your skin out quite a bit so if you’re prone to dryness, wash it off before it’s completely set.
The Vegetable Centric Kitchen 