DIY skin care remedies for your body

We spend a lot of time worrying about the skin on our face, though most of it exists from the neck down, and faces many of the same challenges of facial skin. Luckily, these traditional treatments soothe and restore.

Legend has it that Cleopatra indulged in daily milk and honey baths. Now you can soothe and refresh your skin with time-tested, natural ingredients that provide nutrients, moisture, and subtle fragrances.

•  Make a body-nurturing cream by mixing two millilitres (1/2 teaspoon) of lanolin and five millilitres (one teaspoon) of cocoa butter melted in a hot double boiler. Then add 50 millilitres (1/4 cup) of almond oil and stir frequently until the mixture cools. Add fragrance by blending in five drops of rose oil (for women) or sandalwood oil (for men).
• Make your skin soft and silky with a poultice of 100 grams (3 1/2 ounces) of Dead Sea mud (available at health food stores or online). Mix with 10 millilitres (two teaspoons) aloe vera gel and apply to clean, dry skin. Wrap your body in a large towel and let work for 30 minutes before showering. Use weekly.
• Refresh your skin with body powder. Mix 75 grams (2 1/2 ounces) each of arrowroot starch and cornmeal. Stir in five drops each of ylang-ylang and neroli oil. Store the powder in an opaque, sealable container and apply with a powder puff to clean, dry skin.

Oily skin looks shiny, with large and clearly visible pores. The overproduction of oil gets trapped inside your skin's pores and, in that oil-rich environment, bacteria proliferate, causing inflammation in the form of pimples and blackheads on your face, back and neckline.

• Moisturize skin with a nurturing body oil of 75 millilitres (five tablespoons) of jojoba oil with 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) of almond oil and five drops each of lavender and geranium oil. Apply sparingly to your skin after bathing or showering.
• Fight blemishes on your back and neckline with a lavender-honey mask. Stir together 30 millilitres (two tablespoons) of whole wheat flour, 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) of honey, and 30 millilitres (two tablespoons) of orange blossom water in a double boiler to form a paste. Add five drops of lavender oil and spread on problem areas. Shower off after 20 minutes. Apply once or twice a week.
• Remove shine from your skin with body powder. Mix 15 grams (1/2 ounce) of talcum powder, a pinch of zinc oxide, and two drops of lemon oil.

We rarely see our own elbows, but that does not mean we should ignore them.

• Treat raw, rough elbows to a poultice on occasion. Apply a mixture of 30 millilitres (two tablespoons) of warmed honey and 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) of lemon juice and leave on for 30 minutes. Rinse and liberally apply moisturizing cream to your elbows.
• Alternatively rub your elbows with warm almond oil, wait five minutes, and wipe off with a clean cloth. Then treat your skin with a mixture of equal parts lemon juice and glycerin.

This will provide moisture that is appropriate for every skin type.

What you will need:

• 100 g (3 1/2 oz) squash, skin removed
• 1 peach
• 50 g (2 oz) cucumber, unpeeled
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) cocoa butter
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) honey
• 1 egg white

Puree ingredients in a blender. Apply to skin, wrap your body in a linen cloth or large towel, and let work for 20 minutes before showering.