Does a wafting of vanilla make you weak in the knees? Does the mention of
chocolate raise your blood temperature? Do you salivate for banana cream pies
and sugary sweet treats? Don't worry about the diet - you CAN indulge recklessly
when you use these delicious ingredients for the beauty of your skin!


Unfortunately, giving in to your craving for sugary treats too often
will not give you the lift you're looking for, but learning how these sinful
ingredients can improve the quality and tone of your skin means you can have
dessert anytime you want - guilt free.

What can these delightful
ingredients do for your skin? Use this guide and create your own home made
moisturizers, scrubs and face masks, or look for these ingredients in store
bought preparations.

SUGAR

Sugar makes an effective and sweet
body scrub. Brown sugar mixed with a small amount of liquid glycerin or massage
oil can be used all over the body. Apply the mixture using small, circular
motions to rub it on. The sugar grains will gently remove dry, dead skin while
the glycerin or massage oil will ease the application and keep skin soft and
supple.

You can intensify the sweetness of your body scrub by adding a
few drops of essential oils, like vanilla, for a luxurious and relaxing
indulgence.

HONEY

Honey is a natural anti-bacterial agent. You
can add a small amount of liquid soap or glycerin to a few tablespoons of honey
for a gentle cleanser that kills bacteria and helps heal scarring. This is great
for sensitive skin that's prone to breakouts.

Honey also makes an
excellent base for a mask and can be used with all of these other ingredients to
provide healing and cleansing properties to the formulations. A simple honey and
oat cleanser (using fine ground or powdered oats) will both exfoliate and
moisturize your skin.

CHOCOLATE

Chocolate in it's sugary form
may not be great for you but real, dark cocoa is an excellent source of
antioxidants that fight free radicals which can cause cancer. The caffeine in
chocolate is also useful in de-toxifying skin and has been used to fight
cellulite as well as purify skin.

Cocoa butter is a fantastic
moisturizer and by adding a few drops of vanilla and cherry essential oils you
can safely indulge while the aromatherapy effects can actually curb your
cravings!

VANILLA

Vanilla is one of the most popular scents for
bathing products. It's wonderfully rich aroma is relaxing while also being
studied for it's ability to curb cravings for sweets.

Vanilla blends
well with most other scents including the sweet offerings listed here as well as
other popular scents such as lavender and rose. Adding the essential oils of
vanilla to your bath, a moisturizer or scrub will intensify the aromatherapy
effects and leave you feeling restful and happy.

BANANA

Bananas
are naturally rich in vitamins, potassium and other skin-pleasing nutrients.
Nothing could be simpler (or cheaper) than mashing a banana and applying as a
mask for soft, smooth skin. Choose a banana that's ripened and soft (but not
with black spots).

Adding plain yogurt and honey will soothe sunburned
skin and kill germs. If you are allergic to bananas you should apply a test
patch on your skin before applying to the entire face.

So go ransack the
cupboards - binge all evening - these delicious beauty treatments will have you
feeling cleansed and soothed like no banana split or chocolate layer cake ever
could!

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