This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Eye Candy! Healthy treats for the eyes.

Homemade Eye Cream! (NOT- homemade ice cream, as my kids thought!)

Ok. This may be less than interesting for those of the under 20 crowd, but... keep reading because it might also appeal to you; it could be a cuticle cream, and we all need good nail beds, right?

This simple little project began when I recently noticed some nice little *ahem* laugh lines appearing around my eyes.  (Actually, I did not notice - I was gently enlightened by someone who shall remain nameless because I'm nice like that!)  Like any good, somewhat-vain 40-something, I promptly began the search for a good cream.  Several of them, while good, burned my eyes.  When my husband challenged me to try to make my own- the idea stuck!  I loved the idea of making it my "own" by personalizing the recipe and doing so, it would be at a fraction of the cost of some of the more expensive creams.

Find out what's happening in Restonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Enter: the 3 ingredient cream: coconut oil, vitamin Eessential lavender oil.  

Each of these has amazing benefits for our skin.  

Find out what's happening in Restonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Vitamin E has high antioxidant levels, which help protect against ultraviolet rays, pollution, damaging free radicals, helps regulate vitamin A, helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, age spots, stretch marks, etc.  

Coconut oil has so many benefits.  You've likey heard of it for cooking, as it is making a resurgence in popularity as a healthier cooking oil. For the skin, there are many advantages as well.  Anti microbial, anti fungal and anti viral, it helps with tissue healing and repair, can be a protective antioxidant, helps to protect the body from free radicals that can cause premature aging and degenerative disease, and is a protective antioxidant.

Lavender Oil  is both medical and therapeutic.  It's been shown to relieve stress and anxiety, it can help with insomnia, it helps with rashes, scrapes and burns, and is antibacterial and antiviral. 

This could easily be adapted  to suit your smell preferences (mint, cinnamon, vanilla, chamomile) Additionally, if you don't need this as eye cream *yet* (ominous foreshadowing here!!) it could be a good cuticle cream, too. 

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?