Farm-Fresh Beauty

There’s a reason I love heading over to the Eagle Rock Farmers Market on Fridays or the nearby Atwater Village Farmers Market on Sundays—beyond gourmet tamales and chicken adobo. Scanning the pyramids of fruit, I see possibilities . . . for beauty.

And what better time of the year than Valentine’s Day to give yourself a beauty boost—without so much as stepping into a spa.

Yes, that’s right. You can transform fresh fruit and vegetables into a mind-and-body reviver. Ripe avocados promise a fragrant and natural hydrating masque, for example. Handfuls of straight-from-the-fields sage, rosemary, mint and lavender make a great beauty tonic, for outside your body and inside, too.

The dazzlingly easy recipe? Steep the bundle of herbs in five glasses of boiling water and then let it cool for an hour. Pour four cups into the bath and then drink the last cup of the concoction while you're luxuriating in the bath. The mint cools you on hot days. Rosemary helps skin cells repair and heal. Sage flushes out toxins. And lavender, with its heavenly fragrance, soothes and calms. Think of it as beauty from the inside out.

Want to turn your kitchen into a DIY Sephora? Hit the local outdoor market, scoop up some farm-fresh ingredients, slap on an apron and try out the following natural beauty balms.

Fresh Citrus Face and Body Scrub

Citrus brightens skin while also invigorating your body—and the grapefruit smells so amazing.  

1 cup of sugar  (organic is best, of course)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

½ cup agave syrup

Fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice—enough to moisten the scrub so that you can scrub easily.

Mix all of the above ingredients together. Rub all over your body and face for a very invigorating scrub.  Best to rub while in the shower, rinse off with warm water.

 Late Winter Bath Soak

The tradition of bathing for health began centuries ago. Baths not only make us smell good, they're also an essential part of balancing one’s health. Soaking in natural ingredients can heal wounds, detox the body and soothe the nerves.

3-4 sprigs of rosemary (4 to 5 inches long each)

1 inch chunk of fresh ginger root, peeled

1 cinnamon stick

Place rosemary, ginger root and cinnamon stick into a pot and add 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. As soon as water boils, turn off the heat and let the herbs and spices “stew” for a minimum of 1 hour. Strain.

When ready, add your herb infusion into warm bath water. Inhale deeply to enjoy the natural fragrance of this mixture.

Grapefruit and Rice Starch Skin Brightener:

Asians know that rice starch is a natural brightener. Geishas use to soak their hands in rice water to whiten them. One caveat: this recipe is messy. You’ll definitely want to put out an old sheet for this concoction.

1 organic egg white

¼ grapefruit juice

1 teaspoon of rice starch (available at Asian markets). Otherwise, substitute cornstarch or tapioca.

Whip egg white in a bowl, and then add the grapefruit juice and rice starch. This concoction will be gooey. Slather on face, décolletage and hands, and leave the mixture in place for 20 to 30 minutes. Use tepid water to rinse off.