You may discount the one hundred brush strokes for your hair that your great grandmother swore by. You almost certainly do not wash with lye soap. However, many homemade beauty tips are just as sound now as they were in your great-grandmother’s or great-grandfather’s day. In fact, your kitchen and your pantry represent potential treasure troves for beauty and grooming products that work just as well or better than commercial products that are much more expensive.
1. Sea Salt Scrub
Exfoliation eliminates dead skin cells that can clog pores and potentially cause breakouts. Commercial products often feature ground walnut shells or avocado seeds in a cream or lotion base. You can achieve the same exfoliation results with a scrub made up of sea salt in an olive oil base that is gentler to your skin than many products sold in stores.
2. After Bath Almond Oil
If your skin is dry, try smoothing a few drops of almond oil onto your body after you emerge from the bath or shower. The light, fragrant oil absorbs quickly into your skin with a minimum of greasy residue and leaves your skin silky soft. Best of all, it smells wonderful. Almond oil is also wonderful for massages.
3. Cleopatra’s Milk and Honey Bath
Legendary Egyptian beauty Cleopatra reportedly swore by bathing in milk and honey. Both milk and honey contain substances that work wonders on softening your skin without clogging your pores. However, you would probably be wise to finish with a quick soap-and-water shower to eliminate any residual odor on your skin.
4. Skin Soothing Plants
Plant-based treatments using aloe vera, turmeric and green tea have been used for centuries. You can grow your own aloe vera plant indoors, snapping off just what you need to relieve the sting of burns or for general skin conditioning. Other plant-based treatments such as basil, chamomile, tea tree oil and lavender can be obtained in your local natural foods stores or at a farmers’ market.
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5. Egg Yolk Face Mask
If you have dry skin, mix the yolk of one egg with olive oil and yogurt and apply to the affected areas on your face. Allow the mixture to remain on your face for fifteen minutes, and then rinse with warm water. For oily skin, substitute honey for the olive oil and yogurt and leave the mixture on your face for twenty minutes before rinsing. Both remedies will refine your pores and leave your skin feeling smooth.
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6. Homemade Acne Fighters
Got acne? Boil a potato and a tomato, and reduce both the tomato and potato into a semi liquid form. Mix the two together and apply the mixture to your face. Leave the mixture on your face for twenty minutes before rinsing with warm water. An exfoliant made of two crushed almonds mixed with a teaspoon of honey and a small amount of carrot juice will banish blemishes by clearing your pores of dead skin. Another clear skin concoction combines half a mashed papaya mixed with lemon juice. Apply the mixture to your skin for twenty minutes and then rinse with a cotton ball soaked in chamomile tea.
7. Olive Oil for Silky Hair
For chronically dry hair and split ends, apply a few drops of olive oil. Work the oil through the entire length of your hair, placing emphasis on the ends. You can enhance the healing properties of the oil by wrapping your hair in a warm towel. Leave the oil on your hair for five to ten minutes, and then rinse your hair thoroughly.
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8. Natural Sunburn Relief
For sunburned skin, apply apple vinegar, cold green tea or cucumber juice to the afflicted areas. Aloe vera is also excellent for sunburn, and the aloe vera serum is especially soothing. Mix the aloe vera serum with lemon juice for added sunburn relief. Applying raw potato slices to sunburn affected areas also brings relief.
9. Under Eye Puffiness Reducer
Even if you have had a good night’s sleep, you may sometimes face the morning with under eye bags that appear sufficiently large enough to pack for a week’s vacation. To relieve under eye puffiness, lie back, relax and apply cold cucumber slices over your closed eyelids. Another remedy for bags under your eyes is a mixture of cucumber juice and lemon juice applied once every day. You can also relieve under eye puffiness by applying coconut oil under your eyes every night before going to bed.
10. Natural Tooth Polish and Dental Stain Remover
If you want whiter teeth without the hassle and expense of whitening strips or trays, try brushing your teeth with baking powder twice each day. For stained teeth, rinse your mouth with a lukewarm solution of water and iodized salt, and then rub a lemon rind on your teeth and rinse thoroughly with cool water. Brown stains should begin to disappear immediately. For a delicious way to brighten your smile, simply bite into a crisp, juicy apple. You will also be cleansing your mouth of harmful bacteria with every bite.
So, there you have it! Some of the best home beauty tips you may want to follow. Do you have any other tips? Share them with us in the comments section, please. 1