DIY Cranberry Beauty Recipes

Have any leftover cranberries from all the Thanksgiving festivities? Fantastic. While cranberries are a yummy addition to any meal, the tart holiday berry has its roots in medicinal healing. One of the only three fruits indigenous to North America, cranberries were used by medicine men to draw poison out from arrow wounds. The crimson beauties have been valued for their antioxidant and anti-aging properties, and have highly concentrated amounts of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B-3, and vitamin B-5. Cranberry juice is a known remedy for urinary tract infections, and the same bacteria-blockers that fight UTIs can also help acne-prone skin. Cranberry oil is high in healthy fatty acids omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9—some of the most moisturizing properties of any oil. Here are three cranberry beauty recipes you can use keep your lips, hair, and face nourished in the cold weather.

Cranberry Lip Balm

• 10 fresh whole cranberries
• 1 Tbsp sweet almond oil
• 1 tsp honey
• OPTIONAL: 1 drop vitamin E oil

Blend all of your ingredients together in a microwave- and oven-safe bowl, then heat the mixture in the microwave or on the stove until it begins to boil. Carefully remove from the heat and stir with a metal spool, mashing the berries into a mush. Let the blend cool for five minutes, then strain it through a sieve to remove cranberry skins.  Stir again, then pour the mixture into a small portable container. Enjoy naturally berry-flavored lips.

Crimson Cranberry Hair Rinse

• 1/2 cup pureed carrot
• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries, mashed
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice

Add luster to your red or auburn locks by applying this rinse right before taking a shower and washing your hair. In a small bowl, mix the carrot puree and mashed cranberries with lemon juice. Then, apply the mixture evenly all over your dry hair and seal your marinated locks with a shower cap. Step into the shower and run almost-hot water for 10 minutes. The steam combined with the shower cap will help the mixture penetrate your strands. After 10 minutes, rinse out the puree and condition your hair. You’ll reveal golden undertones you never knew you had!

Cranberry Cleansing Mask

• 1/2 tsp bentonite clay (available at health-food stores)
• 1 tsp organic yogurt
• 1 Tbsp raw honey
• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries, blended to a pulp
• 1/4 cup natural cranberry juice

This purifying beauty recipe was created by Chanel Bratcher, co-owner of the Scandinavian skin care line Arcona. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Apply a thick layer of your mixture to clean skin and leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes. When time is up, rinse thoroughly with cold water and apply a light moisturizer.