Cook up your own natural beauty with Heather Marianna
Since launching her “Beauty Kitchen” YouTube series in July 2012, showcasing simple, do-it-yourself beauty recipes made with common kitchen ingredients, Heather Marianna (heathermarianna.tv) has earned a reputation as the queen of DIY home beauty. It also inspired her to launch her own all-natural beauty and skincare product line, which delivers a luxurious at-home spa experience — all with ingredients you can actually pronounce. Here, the Las Vegan shares DIY beauty tips, favorite ingredients and recipes you can try at home.
What was your first DIY beauty creation?
My first DIY creation was a sugar body scrub about 10-15 years ago — and it wasn’t that great, honestly! At the time I didn’t have a clear direction of what ingredients carry what benefits. I’ve managed to perfect my sugar body scrubs by lots of trial and error, research, education and traveling. Now my Beauty Kitchen sugar and salt body scrubs are some of my most popular products.
What’s your favorite DIY beauty ingredient?
Geranium essential oil. It’s nature’s Botox and prevents sagging skin while promoting a glowing, radiant complexion. You can use it to treat acne, reduce inflammation and balance hormones. You can pick this up at any high-end grocery store. It’s great to add to scrubs and facial oils.
How does the process of creating a product work?
I come up with an idea and then source the ingredients. After I create it, I try it on myself for a few weeks, changing the recipe as I go until I am 100 percent confident and in love with the product. I then send it off to about 50-100 random VIP Beauty Kitchen customers to test it out. (That’s one of the perks of being one of my Beauty Box subscribers.) If it doesn’t get a 100/100 rating, we don’t move forward with it. Not everything is a winner every time.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about beauty products?
There are often a ton of harsh ingredients jam-packed in common beauty products that can actually cause more damage to your skin-care routine by causing you to break out, have red patches or throw off your skin’s natural pH.
What’s your best piece of DIY beauty advice?
Wash your face every night. Leaving makeup on overnight clogs pores and adds a ton of stress, pollutants and damage to the skin. Use a face mask at least once a week. Regular cleansing will remove surface dirt, but only a face mask will actually draw out impurities from beneath the top layers of the epidermis. Also, go makeup free every now and then. Your skin needs to breathe, too.
Are there any natural ingredients to avoid?
I sometimes see some DIY beauty recipes that use corn oil, which was a short-lived trend a few years ago until it came out that it clogs pores and causes acne. It was popular at one time, but now true beauty experts prefer to substitute it out. I personally like to use grapeseed oil instead.
What about those of us who are kitchen-challenged?
Most of my beauty recipes are very simple. Trust me — I’m not the best chef, so I definitely make sure that all of my recipes are very approachable and not intimidating. The top three things you need: A small mixer, a bowl and measuring spoons/cups. It’s all actually very simple to do!
Recipes for beauty
Anti-cellulite coffee scrub
Caffeine tightens and provides antioxidants to the skin when applied directly. When used regularly, it has been shown to reduce the appearance of cellulite over time.
1 cup coffee grounds
6 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp sea salt or sugar
empty jar
dry brush (optional)
1. Measure out the dry ingredients and combine in a large measuring cup or bowl.
2. Melt the coconut oil in the microwave if solid and add to the mixture. Mix well.
3. Transfer contents to a waterproof jar or container.
4. In the shower, apply your scrub to areas with cellulite. Massage the scrub onto the skin in a circular motion before rinsing. Repeat every time you shower for best results.
Dark circles minimizer face mask
This mask will fade dark circles and bags under the eyes, while nourishing the smooth, gentle skin in your eye area. You can use this mask two times a week.
1 small-medium potato
1 tbsp honey
extra-virgin olive oil
1. Peel a small-medium potato and finely grate it.
2. Mix the grated potato with 1 tbsp honey and extra virgin olive oil (enough olive oil to keep the mixture at a paste-like consistency).
3. Apply on your under-eye area and leave on for half an hour.
4. Wash off with warm water.
Rejuvenating ginger foot scrub
Ginger has a long-standing reputation as a healer. This recipe will bring your feet back to life, making them feel extra soft and rejuvenated after a long day (or night) of being on your toes.
1 tbsp mustard powder
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1. Add mustard powder and ginger in a bathtub containing warm water. (Do not use hot water, as it can deactivate the effects of mustard.)
2. Immerse your feet in it for 15-20 minutes.
3. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.
Five things I can't live without
Strawberries
They have a high potency of salicylic acid, which is the number one acne fighting ingredient. They’re great for face masks, and they actually even help whiten teeth.
Coffee
It’s great for waking up — and for waking up your skin. Coffee is an antioxidant and helps reduce the appearance of cellulite by stimulating the skin.
Sugar
Sugar is one of my favorite natural
exfoliators. It removes oil, dirt and dead skin cells while encouraging skin renewal.
Pumpkin
Often found in luxurious spa treatments, the enzymes in pureéd pumpkin are loaded with antioxidants, offer many inflammatory benefits, and even boast natural UV protection.
Egg whites
An egg white face mask is perfect for drying up pesky blemishes. You can add a few crushed Tylenol to one egg white, and you will see vast improvement in acne almost immediately.