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And the list of natural ingredients used in cosmetics continues.  It’s kind of encouraging to know that many of these are used commercially. It’s a great improvement on the whale oil, bear fat, musk and arsenic concoctions of the Victorian age… if Victorian ladies owned up to using them.

Milk: Cleopatra’s favourite cosmetic, and it makes a wonderful skin softener. Unsurprisingly, powdered milk makes a first-class addition to the bath. The lactic acid is a mild chemical exfoliant, so milk powder and other dairy products go well in face masks. Milk products go off quickly, so don’t be tempted to add them to lotions that you want to last for a while. Use a vegetable oil instead.

Neem oil:  If you have discovered this first class organic pest control and can spare a little from the garden, you can use it cosmetically, like they do in India. You can use it as an insect repellent, as  a hair oil, and as an acne remedy. Why don’t they sell this almost miraculous oil by the litre like they do petrol?

Nut oils (all sorts): While each different type of nut oil (hazelnut, walnut, macadamia nut, etc) has its own benefits, they’re all excellent for use in moisturisers and bath oils.  They can be substituted for each other and blended at random.

Oatmeal: In powdered form, it’s soothing. It also makes a good scrub that’s excellent for sensitive skin, as it gets all slippery like soap but is soap-free. Now you know what to do with leftover porridge – make it into a face mask or tie it into a flannel and use it in the bath. Damp oatmeal has a tendency to ferment if left, and it may need a bit of help getting down the plughole after the bath.

Olive oil: Very rich and with a distinctive scent. It can even be a bit too rich for use on the face (this writer has dry skin and tried making an olive-oil only moisturiser; galloping acne was the result) but can be blended with other oils. Great for the rest of the body and for the hair. If you want to use it in a face cream, blend it with other oils.

Papaya: Papaya contains an enzyme that eats protein, so it is a first-class chemical exfoliant. Don’t overdo it, though, or it will start on the good skin under the tired, old dead skin.  Pineapple and kiwifruit have similar properties.

Peaches (and apricots): A mildly acidic skin toner when used as a pulp in masks. Smells exquisite. Some natural cosmetic recipes recommend blending succulent summer fruits with cream and using this as a face mask, but this seems like a real waste of a good peach (or strawberry or apricot) – I’d rather put this mixture in my face rather than on my face.

Rosemary: A tea made from these leaves makes a great hair rinse, especially with a dash of vinegar in the mix. It’s supposed to darken hair slightly, making it best for brunettes and raven-tressed beauties, but blondes and redheads can use it, too.

Sea salt: A deep cleansing scrub that helps clear up scratches, grazes and acne. Add it to bathwater or use it directly as a scrub, but be careful if you have broken skin as it will sting.  But stinging is all it will do – it will also help heal and disinfect the wound.

Shea butter: Very thick and very rich. Might be a bit hard for DIY cosmetic people to source, but is widely used in commercial moisturisers and body lotions. You can substitute cocoa butter.

Sugar: Use as a skin scrub, as it sloughs off dead skin with the granules and with the natural acids in the sugars. An old acne treatment involves washing the face with a mixture of soap lather and sugar. If someone gives you white sugar, this may be the best use for it.

Vinegar: All vinegars can be used for face masks, in the bath or as a hair rinse. Neutralises the alkalinity of soap. Vinegar can be used as a deodorant.

Vodka: This alcohol acts as a disinfectant and can be used as a base for homemade perfumes and aftershave. It also can be used to spot-treat acne and as a deodorant.

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