DIY facial: 3 natural beauty recipes

When it comes to getting an enviable, radiant glow, there’s a whole host of superfoods that can work magic even some of the world’s top beauty products can’t claim. We all know that beauty is as much about topical application as it is nourishing from the inside out, which is why we love Lemons Are A Girl’s Best Friend. This pocket-sized guide to 30 of the most nutrient-rich ingredients includes recipes to help make you beautiful, inside and out. These use all-natural, common ingredients to make deliciously clean dishes and easy treatments for healthier skin, hair, and nails.

We’ve selected three of our favourite beauty recipes for an at-home spa experience:

Goji berries: goji berry exfoliator
Apply this nourishing exfoliator for smooth, supple and youthful-looking skin

You will need:
1 tbsp dried goji berries
½ avocado

To prepare:
Roughly chop the goji berries and blend with the avocado to make a paste.

To use:
Gently massage onto your face and neck to exfoliate, moisturise and enliven the skin.

Dates: date, yoghurt and honey face mask
Cleanse and nourish your face for a radiant and youthful complexion

You will need:
4 dried dates
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp thick yoghurt
1 tsp clear honey

To prepare:
Remove the pits from the dates and soak in warm water for one hour. Drain, and place in a blender along with the yoghurt and honey. Blend together until smooth.

To use:
Gently massage the mask onto your face – right up to the eyes and down the neck. Leave for fifteen minutes, before rinsing off with warm water to reveal softer, refreshed and healthier looking skin.

Green tea: green tea steam facial treatment
Combine green tea and lavender for a powerful antibacterial cleanser

You will need:
2 green tea bags
4 drops lavender oil*

To prepare:
Place the tea bags in a small bowl and cover with freshly boiled water. Allow to infuse for two minutes – it should be cooler but still steaming – then add the lavender oil.

To use:
Lean your face over the bowl with a hand-width distance from your nose to the water. Breathe deeply, allowing the steam to open your pores. Stay in this position as long as is comfortable, then gently splash cool water over your face to refresh and close the pores.

Lemons Are A Girl’s Best Friend: Super Fruity Beauty Food For Glowing Health Inside And Out by Janet Hayward is published by Modern Books, £8.99.

*Oils should be diluted before direct use on the skin. Always read the label.