Dragon’s Blood & Dandelion: Concocting Fall Beauty Potions

 This post is brought to you by Target Style. Shop the new Beauty collection in stores and online.

Ok, so we many not be mixing up real  potions, but fall is the time to experiment with the unexpected, out of the ordinary and slightly wacky. And rather than get crazy with chemical-laden face paint, we thought we’d get creative and treat our skin to some natural treats instead.

Since Target now carries some of our favorite carrier and essential oils — which we were pleasantly surprised to discover is not a trick! — we trolled their aisles to see what interesting ingredients we could find and what health benefits they could afford us.

Below we sharing our findings and including a few recipes for you to get brewing, too!

Sweet Almond + Orange Face Oil

Almond oil has long been known to provide many health benefits, including fading dark circles, curbing sebum production (which helps to fight acne) and acting as a great makeup remover.  

Adding in a few drops of sweet orange oil is perfect for the fall and cooler months. Not only will a few drops help brighten your skin, the cheery scent will boost your mood and help lessen the winter blues.

To make: Add 1-2 drops of sweet orange essential oil in 2 tablespoons of sweet almond skin care oil and use as a moisturizer, nighttime mask, or facial cleanser. 

TimeBalm Dandelion Skin Brightening Moisturizer

Dandelions are for more than making wishes, they’re also known for helping to cure acne and improve liver function when their roots are ingested in tea or supplement form.

This moisturizer from TimeBalm isn’t edible, but it is infused with dandelion extract and contains light-reflecting pigments to perk up the skin, add a rosy glow, and provide a layer of moisture that’s smooth and quickly absorbing.

To use: Mix a small amount in with your normal moisturizer for a brightening boost, or dab a bit on the apple of your cheeks to act as a highlighter over makeup.

Grapeseed Clove Massage Oil

Similar to sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil contains a host of benefits primarily due to its high level of antioxidants (including oleic, linoleic, palmitic and stearic fatty acids) that help fight free radicals in the body. It’s very light, which means that it’ll be easily absorbed when rubbed onto the skin making it an excellent massage oil.

It does have a slight earthy smell, so adding in a few drops of clove bud oil creates a rich, comforting aroma that pairs nicely with cozier seasons. Less stress = less free radicals = better overall health.

To make: Mix 2-3 drops of clove bud essential oil into 1/2 – 1 cup of grapeseed oil and massage onto the body slowly. If needed in a pinch, just focus on your hands. Specifically adding pressure between your thumb and index figure can relieve stress and tension headaches.

Nip + Fab Dragon’s Blood Fix Plumping Mask

This is a weird one. Dragon’s blood? What even is that?  Turns out, dragon’s blood is actually a sap from the Amazon rainforest that’s been used as a topical agent to cure stings, bites and cuts, and is also revered for its high amount of antioxidant phenols, anti-inflammatory compounds, and proanthocyanidins — repairing molecules that help restore collagen to “plump” up the skin.

After one use of the mask, our skin already felt baby smooth and smelled great. No dragon scales here.

To use: Layer this on thick after washing off makeup at night. Leave on for ten minutes and then rinse with warm water or leave on overnight and wash in the morning for more intense hydration.

Do you have any strange or unique beauty ingredients that you love? What are they?

Images via Morgan Ashley Photography