The following is an excerpt from Natural Beauty Basics by Dorie Byers (Square One Publishers, 2001). A registered nurse, master gardener and lifelong herb enthusiast, Byers shares homemade formulas to care for everything from your eyes to your feet, including hand creams, sunscreens, shampoos, deodorants, bath oils and much more. Natural Beauty Basics also provides an index of common herbs and essential oils. This excerpt is from Chapter 8, “Eye Care.”
The skin around the eyes requires extra care because it’s more fragile than the skin on the rest of your face. It should not be rubbed or scrubbed hard, as this can stretch the skin too much and help to cause the formation of wrinkles and lines.
The simple act of getting enough sleep will go far to reduce redness and dark circles under the eyes. If you haven’t been getting enough sleep, use one of the following Eye Soother recipes and close your eyes and rest for 15 minutes. You and your eyes will feel refreshed afterwards.
Special Precautions Regarding Your Eyes
Report eye redness that doesn’t go away, itching or burning eyes, visual disturbances, and unusual drainage or discharge from the eyes to your health care professional.
Do not introduce any drops or foreign substances into your eyes without professional supervision.
Avoid putting concentrated substances such as essential oils around your eyes. These can cause burning, stinging, redness and watering.
Make eye care products in small quantities. It is better to make small quantities frequently than to make large quantities that will sit around indefinitely and become contaminated with bacteria.
Avoid applying rich creams and oils around your eyes. They can promote puffiness and even cause possible allergic reactions.
Chamomile Eye Soother
Chamomile tea bags, with rare exceptions, contain German chamomile, although they are not always labeled as such. If you have an allergy to ragweed, use of German chamomile on a regular basis may produce allergic reactions.
Ingredients:
1?8 chamomile tea bags
1 cup distilled water
Instructions:
Heat the distilled water to boiling and remove from the heat after it comes to a full rolling boil. Add the tea bags to the water. Allow the water to cool to lukewarm with the tea bags in it. Remove the tea bags and squeeze the excess fluid from them. Place the tea bags on your closed eyes. Leave them in place for 15 minutes. Remove them from your eyes and discard. This infusion can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days and used as a hair rinse or facial rinse.
Calendula Eye Soother
Ingredients:
2 tbsp dried calendula blossoms
1?3 cup distilled water
Instructions:
Add the calendula blossoms to the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered for about 10 minutes. Strain the blossoms from the infusion and allow the infusion to cool to room temperature. Soak gauze squares, clean cloth squares or cotton pads in the infusion, squeeze out the excess, and place on closed eyes. Leave the squares on your eyes for 15 minutes. Remove and discard. The leftover infusion can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days and used as a skin or hair rinse.
Fennel Eye Soother
Ingredients:
3 tbsp crushed fennel seeds
1?3 cup distilled water
Instructions:
Add the crushed seeds to the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately strain the seeds from the infusion, and let the infusion cool to room temperature. Soak gauze squares, clean cloth squares or cotton pads in the infusion, squeeze out the excess fluid, and place on closed eyes for 15 minutes. Remove and discard. The leftover infusion can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days and used as a skin rinse.
Tired Eye Relief
Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried lavender buds
1/2 cup distilled water
Instructions:
Bring the distilled water to a boil. Pour over the lavender buds, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain the lavender buds from the infusion and discard. Let the infusion cool to room temperature. Soak gauze squares, clean cloth squares or cotton pads in the infusion, squeeze out the excess fluid, and place on closed eyes for 15 minutes. Remove and discard. The leftover infusion can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days and used as a skin rinse.
Around the Eye Oil
This formula is very light. It could also be used to remove eye makeup.
Ingredients:
1/8 tsp rosehip seed oil
10 drops evening primrose oil
10 drops vitamin E (use 400 IU per gel cap or concentrated liquid vitamin E 32,000 IU per fluid ounce)
10 drops jojoba oil
Instructions:
Mix all of the ingredients together. Gently massage a drop or two of the mixture into the skin around your eyes. Store any remaining oil in a small glass bottle.
Nourishing Eye Oil
Ingredients:
1/2 tsp jojoba oil
1 drop carrot seed essential oil
400 IU vitamin E
Instructions:
Mix all of the ingredients together. Gently massage a drop or two of the mixture into the skin around your eyes. Store any remaining oil in a small glass bottle.
Rosy Eye Makeup Remover
Read the labels on your products. Make sure that you are purchasing a hydrosol. Do not use rose water that contains alcohol for removing eye makeup. The alcohol can be very irritating to your eyes, causing redness and watering.
Ingredients:
Rose hydrosol
Instructions:
Saturate soft cotton pads or cotton balls with rose hydrosol and gently wipe away any eye makeup.
Variations: Substitute lavender hydrosol or neroli (orange blossom) hydrosol for the rose hydrosol, and use as directed.
Reprinted with permission from Natural Beauty Basics, published by Square One Publishers, 2001.