Beauty hacks with household products
THESE DIY scrubs and facials will leave you looking and smelling amazing — and everything you need to create them is in your kitchen.
HERE are 11 lipsmacking, nutritious, DIY scrubs, facials and beauty wonderworks using products that you can find in your kitchen.
Warning: You may end up smelling like fresh cookie dough.
Extra warning: Bits of food may accidentally fall in your mouth during the process.
BROWN SUGAR
Used as:
A full body exfoliator.
Recipe:
Stir one cup of brown sugar and half a cup of coconut oil.
Continue to mix ingredients until you reach to your desired consistency.
A drop of vanilla extract and cinnamon are optional but will give this mix a nice touch.
Rub this magic mix all over your body and lips. Rinse off with lukewarm water.
Effect:
Smells and tastes like cookie dough. Enough said? Does there even have to be an effect? Oh, well, in that case: It eradicates dead skin cells. Use this scrub sparingly on knees and any other rough areas.
This is also a miracle worker to smooth your lips. This scrub is magical for dry winter skin.
FULL FAT GREEK YOGHURT
Used as:
A healing face mask.
Recipe:
Stir together 2 tablespoons of honey and 2 tablespoons of yoghurt. Sprinkle a touch of nutmeg into the mix for a circulation boost.
Apply to your face and neck. Leave it on for 5-10 minutes and then rinse off.
Effect:
Using this mask is great for healing and calming blemishes. It helps to reduce redness, completely hydrate the skin and illuminate your complexion.
COFFEE GROUNDS
Used as:
A full-body scrub.
Recipe:
Use equal parts of blended coffee grounds and sugar.
Add olive oil until it becomes a liquid but not watery consistency.
Add a touch of vanilla essence and cinnamon and blend together.
Massage in a circular motion on your skin.
Rinse off with lukewarm water.
Effect:
This can be used as a scrub to fight cellulite. The mixture aids in exfoliating cells while hydrating skin. It temporarily reduces the appearance of cellulite and stimulates circulation.
HONEY
Used as:
A pore purifier.
Recipe:
Stir one tablespoon raw honey with two tablespoons of coconut oil.
Add a few drops of lemon and ½ a teaspoon of nutmeg.
Mix until it becomes like a spread. Apply to clean skin and massage gently (completely avoiding the eye area). Rinse off with lukewarm water.
Effect:
This purifier will increase circulation and prevent a build-up of bacteria, as honey has enzymes that will aid in keeping your pores clear. This mix promotes cell turnover, therefore helping prevent skin imbalances.
OATMEAL
Used as:
A mask for sensitive skin.
Recipe:
1 mashed avocado, 4 tablespoons of oats and 2 tablespoons of honey.
Blend till this is a smooth paste and apply to your face and neck for 15 minutes.
Rinse with warm water.
Effect:
This is the perfect mask for sensitive skin.
It helps to remove dead skin cells, smooth irritation and is anti-inflammatory.
CUCUMBER
Used as:
A cooling mask.
Recipe:
Wash the cucumber thoroughly before using.
Blend together half a cucumber, a drop of lemon and a tablespoon of yoghurt.
Apply a coat of the mask and allow your face to indulge in this hydrating mask for 15 minutes.
Rinse off with water.
Effect:
Reduces swelling, soothes and cleanses skin.
CAMOMILE TEA BAGS
Used as:
Puffy eye treatment.
Recipe:
Boil water and make a camomile tea. Wait for it to cool completely and then dip 2 cotton pads in them and squeeze until they are just damp.
Place them underneath your eyes for anywhere up to 5 minutes.
Effect:
Decreases puffy eyes by soothing skin with its anti-inflammatory properties.
AVOCADO
Used as:
A moisturising mask.
Recipe:
Mix 1 mashed avocado, 1 mashed banana and 1 tablespoon of honey and a drop of olive oil. Blend until it reaches a thick spread. Leave on for 15 minutes and rinse off with lukewarm water.
Effect:
Provides elasticity to the skin, is a great moisture treatment which will nourish dry skin and aids in pore cleansing. This will enrich your natural skin glow.
PEPPERMINT
Used as:
Foot scrub.
Recipe:
Blend together 1 cup of granulated sugar, ½ cup of coconut oil and a few drops of peppermint oil.
Use to exfoliate the feet.
Soak in a bowl of warm water with a sprinkle of sea salt and then rinse off.
Effect:
Smooths the rough skin on your feet. The soaking will help calm any inflammation and refresh and relieve achy feet.
OLIVE OIL
Used as:
A cleaner for your makeup brushes.
Recipe:
Mix together 2 tablespoons of baby shampoo and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. (Amounts will change depending on how many brushes you are cleaning.)
Swirl the brushes around the mixture and rinse.
Allow to air dry overnight.
Effect:
Clean makeup brushes! This should be done every fortnight.
COCONUT OIL— AKA the Beyoncé of all beauty products.
Used as:
Coconut oil is beauty in a bottle and an easy, cheap way to keep you #onfleek. It can be used as a makeup remover, a hair protector, a skin hydrator, and can be combined with brown sugar and lathered on as a body scrub.
Recipe:
Apply melted and lukewarm coconut oil to your hair, leave for five minutes and rinse.
Massage a small amount of coconut oil into your skin after a shower.
Apply it to a cotton pad and use on your skin as a makeup remover.
Use on chapped lips as a lip balm.
Use as a cuticle oil on your nails.
Effect:
Adds moistures to hair to help tame frizz, hydrates skin, softens cuticles, cleanses face and will make your skin look radiant.