In the animal kingdom, the cold season means a period of hibernation. Luckily, we're rather more sophisticated than that and, despite the inconveniences that come with bad weather, we know how to take care of ourselves. Three homemade recipes for getting through winter looking beautiful: a clay or argan oil mask for hair, a sugar scrub and sugaring for the skin, and an essential-oil serum for dark circles. Here's how to make them yourself.
Silky hair, even in winter
Hair is one of our most precious assets. Stress, age, breastfeeding, motherhood, and hormonal changes can weaken it. Here are two little tricks for taking care of it according to your hair type.
Clay, for oily hair
Thanks to its purifying properties, clay is the ideal remedy for oily hair. Used in ancient Egypt for mummification, it's extracted from a loose sedimentary rock formed by the breakdown of minerals called "feldspars". Water-resistant and greasy to the touch, it becomes easy to shape once soaked in water; it's typically found underground, about a metre deep. Rich in numerous minerals (silica, aluminium, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, copper, zinc, selenium, cobalt, manganese, lime), its therapeutic effectiveness increases the more it has been exposed to sun, air, and rainwater. Thanks to its absorbent action, it's the product of choice for oily hair.
To make it yourself: in a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of green clay with a little water, until you get a slightly thick, smooth paste. Add 2 drops of ylang-ylang essential oil for its strengthening properties. Part your hair down the middle, apply the mask directly to the scalp and massage to spread the product evenly, then part it again to the side and repeat until the whole scalp is covered. Leave on for 15 minutes, rinse thoroughly, then shampoo as usual.
Argan oil, for dry hair
Rich in vitamin E and antioxidants, argan oil is pressed from the argan tree, native to Morocco and western Algeria. Widely used in cosmetics for its nourishing properties, it's perfectly suited to dry hair. Mixed with other oils and brewer's yeast — itself rich in B and E vitamins, zinc, and selenium — its power is multiplied: hair becomes stronger and shinier, hair loss is reduced, and regrowth comes in thicker.
To make it yourself: in a bottle, mix 1/3 argan oil, 1/3 castor oil, and 1/3 avocado oil, then add half a teaspoon of brewer's yeast. An hour before your bath, apply the mixture to your hair (focusing on the ends if they're very dry) and leave it to sit, then rinse when you bathe before applying your usual shampoo.
Velvety skin in winter
In winter, the skin's discomforts are many: itching, tightness, dryness. All of this is caused by the cold and the shifts in temperature between indoors and out. Soft skin remains possible, even so.
A gentle scrub to make yourself
Once a week, if you don't have time to visit the hammam, it's easy to prepare a small mixture, just as effective as an exfoliating glove, to apply in the shower. You'll need: a handful of salt crystals, 2 tablespoons of argan oil, 1 gram of cinnamon, and a zest of dried orange peel. This recipe, with its toning and hydrating properties, smells wonderfully of the Orient.
Nourishing your skin
For a perfect result and satin-smooth skin, you need to nourish it properly — that is, hydrate it and never neglect it — and this doesn't happen overnight. Care needs to be daily, from the outside but also from within (drinking plenty of water, keeping impeccable lifestyle habits, cutting back on fatty foods, quitting smoking, sleeping enough). Applying a moisturiser right after your shower is essential.
Sugaring, a traditional recipe
Women of the East are renowned for the softness and velvety touch of their skin. Plenty of waxes are sold in shops today, but none as effective as the ones made at home with caramel.
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 150 ml of water, the juice of half a lemon, a tablespoon of honey.
Preparation: mix the water and sugar in a saucepan, bring to the boil, and let it caramelise over low heat. To check the texture, drop a little into a glass of cold water — if the drop holds its shape, take the pan off the heat and add the lemon and honey, then stir. Pour the paste onto a smooth surface and let it cool slightly, then roll small balls to spread over the area to be waxed, working from top to bottom, before pulling the paste off in one sharp motion. You can reuse the ball several times; clean wax keeps for 2 months in the refrigerator (warm it for 30 to 60 seconds in the microwave before reuse).
The result is impressively smooth and precise: hairs are pulled out at the root, which delays regrowth (results last 3 weeks to a month). This technique doesn't just remove hair but also helps slough off dead skin — skin is left clear, softer, satiny, and radiant.
A radiant gaze
They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. Everything is in the gaze, which can be charming, mysterious, seductive, intelligent, mischievous, playful, or bright — and that comes down partly to getting rid of dark circles and under-eye bags. What's needed are molecules that drain the lymphatic and circulatory systems: by stimulating lymphatic drainage and blood circulation, a good share of the toxins, fat, and water stored under the lower eyelids gets eliminated. For a faster effect, pair the treatment with a small exercise — gently tapping under the eyes with your fingertips.
Serum recipe (for a 30 ml bottle)
- 11 ml safflower vegetable oil
- 12 ml Tamanu vegetable oil
- 6 ml avocado vegetable oil
- 6 drops rock rose (cistus) essential oil
- 6 drops carrot essential oil
- 6 drops cypress essential oil
- 6 drops Italian everlasting (helichrysum) essential oil
- 15 drops vitamin E
This serum contains essential oils of exceptional effectiveness. Their draining properties can cause increased watering of the eyes; these essential oils are not recommended for people with sensitive eyes.
How to use it, and precautions
Each evening, apply a drop of serum under the eyes, tapping gently with your fingertips, without massaging, and without layering a conventional cream over it, so as not to hinder its effectiveness. This serum is not recommended for people with hormone-dependent cancers (because of the cypress) or for pregnant women (because of the Italian everlasting). Result: the thin layer of skin under the eyes regains a supple look, its colour becomes lighter, and puffiness is reduced.
What's in these oils: on the vegetable side, safflower is known for its exceptional circulatory properties (anticoagulant vitamin K), Tamanu for its remarkable venous circulatory molecules, avocado for its anti-dehydrating action. On the essential-oil side, cistus is healing, tonic, astringent, and cell-regenerating; carrot is purifying, brightening, and antioxidant; cypress is draining and fat-dissolving; Italian everlasting is anticoagulant and decongestant. Safflower oil, dry and penetrating, is rounded out by avocado oil to preserve the skin's natural hydration, while Tamanu contributes its healing and venous circulatory qualities. Combined with cistus, carrot, and cypress, these oils form a unique treatment, well suited to dark circles and under-eye bags. All these natural products are available at pharmacies, drugstores, or specialist shops.
Three simple rituals, made from natural ingredients, to get through winter without sacrificing your hair, your skin, or your gaze. To carry these home beauty rituals further, head over to our article on ancestral beauty rituals.
