Homemade beauty secrets - please share!

[Amaryllis]

I LOVE to find out about homemade beauty secrets - I am always looking on line and in magazines for anything cool. I am my own curious guinea pig! One of my all time fav's is one of the simplest things I ever came across.

I love to use microderm-abrasion (I regularly use a terrific Mary Kay one) - but once in a while I need something a little extra. Something that will leave my face feeling like a baby's butt. Here's my homemade microderm-abrasion secret:

Sugar - plain table sugar. I use about a big tablespoon in my hand - then slowly add water - almost a drop at a time - when the consistency is moist but coarse - go to town and scrub away.

I have used this on my face - décolleté - arms - knees - everywhere!!! Leaves me feeling all smooth.

[Azhia]

My mom used to make a mask of rolled oats and eggs, slather it on her face.
She also used vinegar as a final rinse for hair shine.
Yogurt is good for dandruff and to condition hair.

I used to do the vinegar rinse, but didn't like the smell. I don't consume animal products so I haven't tried the other remedies.

Your sugar idea rocks! My only concern is that for the face it abrades/scratches the surface of the skin. I think for tougher skin areas (arms, knees, elbows, feet, etc.) it's a great homemade remedy!

[Amaryllis]

Yea - the sugar can be somewhat abrasive - I only use it when I feel like I have layers of dead skin that feel like leather. I use the sugar because it's fine - I heard about the same scrub using Kosher salt - that sounds like it would hurt like hell. It is way to big and way to sharp for the face. I have noticed with the sugar, the more warm water is added to the mix, the softer the texture of the scrub and the more gentle it is on the face. I will have to totally try your ideas!!!

[CFerhat]

I use organic sugar as an exfoliant, but my mixer is fresh lemon juice. Skin like buttah!

[Susanna]

Trying mixing salt from the Dead Sea with Almond Oil. It's a great exfoliant. But careful not to get into eyes or on cuts.

Also 1/2 olive oil, 1/2 honey. On the hair, wrap with towel, put on plastic bag (to keep from drying out and to keep warm) and wait an hour or so. Hair will be like silk. Warning: If you have dogs, they might be trying to lick your head for few days following treatment.

[Amaryllis]

Originally Posted by Susanna

Also 1/2 olive oil, 1/2 honey. On the hair, wrap with towel, put on plastic bag (to keep from drying out and to keep warm) and wait an hour or so. Hair will be like silk.

Getting into the shower shortly - trying that one! Will report back this afternoon!

[elisagamal]

a very gentle exfoliant for the face is to mix a little baking soda into your regular cleanser. massage gently. :) it's also great mixed into a paste with liquid hand soap to scrub black gunk out from under and around your preschooler's fingernails after a long hard day at the playground. ha!

my latest DIY beauty secret? the last time I danced at my moroccan restaurant gig, I had a very leggy costume and forgot to bring lotion and my skin was a bit dry looking. I asked the cook if they had any olive oil or something, and he handed me a little bowl of clear cooking oil. I rubbed it on my legs, and it gave the lovliest light sheen. I went on to slather my arms and shoulders and belly. it absorbed nicely, wasn't sticky or greasy, made my skin luminous, and had no scent. but the best thing - the next morning when I woke up, my skin was soooooo soft!

[Amaryllis]

Here's one from my old archives *cough cough - as I blow the dust off*

Coconut cream body shiner:

1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup heavy cream or buttermilk
1/2 cup of oatmeal (grind to smaller consistency)

Mix together and heat up. Pour some in hand in shower and scrub away - the warmth of the mixture opens up pores - the oatmeal exfoliates - the cream softens - and the coconut makes your skin bright.

[nasila]

Have any of you ever tried just wiping a chunk of pineapple all over your face and leaving it on for 10 minutes? The enzymes help eat away dead skin cells and it's a Vitamin C boost as well!

Courtesy of ChickenSox.

[MelanieLA]

Olive oil, straight up, slathered on face and hands before going to sleep. Messy but so nice, even for us oily-skins.

[rakkasah_barbara]

I mix fine coffee grains with Palmolive honey & milk shower cream. And just scrub my whole body in the shower. It smells like chocolates and your skin will be very soft..

B

[tahiradancer]

Mayo for hair. Take a couple of tablespoons full in hand, work it into your dry hair. Let it sit for 15 - 20 mins. (you can wrap your head in a plastic bag if you like) and then rinse and wash normally.

{{{HUGS}}}

[Marianna]

Have you guys tried yeast? When I was growing up - in Hungary - we could buy blocks of yeast, that had the consistency of soft cheese. That's how you could buy it. We would put it on our face, 1st made it creamier with milk or water, and it was great for any kind of blemishes, softness, etc. It's Vitamin B for your face!

Here I can only find the dry yeast but I heat up 1-2 teaspoons of water and then pour it in it and make a paste, then put it on my face. It will dry up on your face - you can wash it off or rub it off, in this case it's also exfoliant - and it is kind of stinky but it's worth it. If you have dry skin, you can mix it with lotion, and then you'll get a mask that stays soft.
Don't mix it with oil or honey because it will be watery.

[Marianna]

Also for blond hair lemon juice (diluted with water) is great as a lightener, chamomille tea as a rinse is great for softness.
I used to use vinegar also.
Beer - also great as a rinse, it's vitamin B for your hair. Your hair will not smell like beer after.

For face:
Egg yolk as nutrition
honey or banana or oatmeal or avocado as nutrition
egg whites for toning (let it dry)
yoghurt for nice, tight skin
peaches / apples for young, firm skin
cucumber as lightener

[Nisima]

Oooooh, I love this thread; here's my discovery: Emu oil! Yes, it's that Australian big bird and they render down the fat into this oil that is sold on-line and is not only super hydrating, but absolutely non-comedegenic (sp?) It is becoming a popular additive in lotions and face creams. Now, I was always the Chanel, Borghese expensivo skin creams kind of gal, but I found out about this "Emu Oil" when I got my navel piercing redone (oh, that's a long story) and they recommended it to combat redness around the piercing.

Well, It worked better than anything I tried so I googled it up and researched it and wound up buying a big bottle on line of "pure Emu oil". I have added about two tablespoons of the stuff to my non-scented Lubridern lotion and it makes the skin on my legs, neck arms, even face supple, not greasy. It takes care of the horrid itch of dry "winter skin" on my knees and inside elbows much much better than the expensive stuff my allergist had me try. Apparently, it was used for who knows how long by Australian aborigines and now there are Emu farms here in the U.S. Emu oil skin creams are a huge growing business.

So, a whole bottle cost me maybe $16.00 on line, and there is only one disadvantage. Pure Emu oil (which is what you want) has no stabilizers or additives, so you need to store the unused portion in the fridge. That's it, and for $16.00 I have enough of the stuff to make my own body and face moisturizer that has my friends asking me, "what do you use on your skin even your neck skin looks great".

Big bird fat oil. Go figure!

[Sukira]

Keep all these great ideas coming! One great find is pure African Shea Butter. It is not the processed kind or the kind you may see in lotions or butters with any other ingredients. Its yellow in color and it heals EVERYTHING! Great for skin and hair! Heals blemishes and Psoriasis and cracked feet heal very fast with this pure stuff! I love it! Great for messages and really a great moisterizer! Look for it online...usually comes in jars or plastic containers and is not at all expensive!

[Azhia]

Originally Posted by nasila

Have any of you ever tried just wiping a chunk of pineapple all over your face and leaving it on for 10 minutes? The enzymes help eat away dead skin cells and it's a Vitamin C boost as well!

Courtesy of ChickenSox.

YES! It was like a mild chemical peel; I was merely rubbing it all over my face and it was stinging! Felt funky. I might be sensitive to pineapple (on my face anyways).

I had a facial and the woman applied emu oil afterwards and my skin felt great. Though for me there are 2 disadvantages to emu oil, one already mentioned; the other: dead emu bird.

I like the baking powder suggestion for tinier microdermabrasion-like effect.

[Nisima]

[quote=Azhia;110092]YES! It was like a mild chemical peel; I was merely rubbing it all over my face and it was stinging! Felt funky. I might be sensitive to pineapple (on my face anyways).

I had a facial and the woman applied emu oil afterwards and my skin felt great. Though for me there are 2 disadvantages to emu oil, one already mentioned; the other: dead emu bird.

Well, there is one consolation about the emu bird; every article I read said they are not killed just for the oil, the meat is used; however, obviously this is no consolation if one is vegetarian.....

[leenanyc]

Avocado & olive oil treatment for hair. Be sure to rinse it out well. Leaves my hair super silky.

[bdaddiction]

Update on the vinegar, if you are a brunette using the Apple Cider one, helps bring out the natural highlights.

and...

Cranberry juice also does the trick.

Love some of the ideas I didn't know about already...

[nasila]

I tried the apple cider vinegar rinse a few times, and all it did is frizz me out (so beware, if you're a very curly girl).

I love using rose water for a final hair rinse. Hard to find but worth it...my head smells delicious and feels soft all day!