You want me to pay HOW MUCH!?

From left to right we have Aloe Vera gel, Grapeseed oil, Olive oil, honey in a little bottle,baking soda, ACV for my facial toner, and coconut oil.

My beauty secrets : )

Today my dears I want to discuss beauty routines.  As I get older I am starting to look at my skin and think "Do I need to get a special product for my skin?".  We are bombarded by commercials of 16 year old models selling anti aging lotions, cleansers, serums but do we really need them.  These cost quite a bit for a small container of ingredients that are supposed to make me look 14 years younger.

Exfoliation is removing dead skin cells that can block pores and leave the skin looking dull and lifeless.  The average drugstore brand of exfoliating face wash is between $5-$30, that is a lot to spend on a product that may not even work for your skin.  The cheaper way is plain old Baking Soda.  Simply add a teaspoon to your regular facial cleanser once or twice a week and scrub gently to remove dead skin cells.  At 40 cents a box it will last quite a long time.

Cleansing is an important step in a beauty routine and yes they try to sell you the alpha hydroxy, retinol, blah blahs but who says that is what skin needs?  A simple gentle soap like a castille soap or a moisturizing bar like Dove can do the job.  The point is to remove oils and gunk from your face.  You can even use honey, powdered milk, ground oatmeal, or even Castor oil to cleanse the skin.  Find out what works for your skin type.  Personally I have washed my face with honey and baking soda.  It worked well because honey is a humectant so it draws moisture to the skin.  When water is added to honey is produces a peroxide causing it to be mildly anti bacterial helping with acne. You can get honey at WalMart very easily and it is very shelf stable.

Toning or using an astringent is a good idea to remove any residue left behind by the cleanser and to help tighten the pores.  We have all used the alcohol based pads and such that dry the skin out and can burn.  A cheaper and still effective toner is Apple Cider vinegar.  You can use Braggs, musslemans, whatever brand you would like.  ACV is anti fungal, anti bacterial, and it has a PH similar to your skin.  Yes the smell is strong but once it dries the smell dissipates. Another affordable toner is Chamomile tea.   This smells better then the ACV and doesn't sting.  All you have to do is brew the tea, let it cool, and store is a clean bottle. The tea is a gentle cleanser and is anti inflammatory.  This one is good for acne prone skin that tends to be dry as well.

Moisturizing is a very important step and if you want to buy into all the hype it can be an expensive step.  They have olive oil, cocoa butter, coconut oil, vitamin E infused lotions but why buy a bottle of something with parabens and other non pronounceable ingredients.  Go straight to the source!  Buy a small bottle of EVOO for your skin and body.  I use EVOO on my face and body and it keeps my skin soft.  You can use it in your hair as well before you wash as a hot oil treatment.  Simply coat your hair is the oil, wrap in plastic wrap, cover with a towel, and finally blow dry the towel on low heat for five minutes.  Wait a half hour and shampoo out normally.  If you are looking for a vitamin E potion for your skin then use Grapeseed oil.  Grapeseed oil is very high in vitamin E and is very light on the skin.  A great thing about using these food grade cooking oils is that coupons are much more prevalent and you don't have to stick to one brand because the ingredients.  I still recommend following with a sunscreen if that is your preference.  EVOO and Grapeseed oil will not clog your pores so they are acne prone skin friendly.

When it comes down to it though the best beauty routine is healthy eating, exercise, and lots of water.
Don't forget to take care of your smile!

Now for todays recipe!
 Spiced Butternut Squash Muffins

Prep Time: 35 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 10 Minutes
Submitted By: Lindsay Ho Cook Time: 20 Minutes Servings: 12
"Here's another fantastic way to use up some of the squash harvest! These wonderful muffins are filled with flavor!"
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 pound peeled, seeded and cubed
butternut squash
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon butter, melted
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a 12 cup muffin pan.
2. In a medium saucepan with enough water to cover, boil squash 20 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, drain, and puree in a food processor.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, white sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
4. In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix together milk, egg and butter. Stir in squash. Fold the squash mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling cups about 1/2 full. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from muffin pan and cool on a wire rack.
Nutrition
Information
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Calories: 121
Amount Per Serving
Total Fat: 1.9g
Cholesterol: 21mg
Sodium: 129mg
Amount Per Serving
Total Carbs: 23.6g
    Dietary Fiber: 0.8g
Protein: 2.9g
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2012 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 11/3/2012

Now for my own tinkering to lower the carb count!

Replace the sugar with a no calorie sweetener, I used Splenda but I think Stevia would taste better.

Replace the milk with Unsweetened Coconut Milk, I used SoDelicious Unsweetened.

I also used whole wheat flour to add nutrients and fiber.

The total after using these substitutions for one muffin serving is.......*drumroll please*

66 calories,11 carbs, and 2 grams of fiber! Now that is a muffin I can eat two of.  Smear on some homemade apple butter and relax.

Coming up next is another Gluten Free recipe that can be low carb too.