The Little Beauty Kitchen

 

Fancy packaging that tempts you towards (sometimes unnecessary) shopping, famous brand names of cosmetics products (but also the high price tag) are, admittedly, not always good guarantees that your face/hair/body will experience the results promised by the commercials or you are wishing for. In a multitude of various crèmes and ointments, it is necessary to find one that is suitable for you and you’re comfortable with. And often, a high priced, fancy crème you were so happy to buy ends up as an “universal” balm  for treatment of, say, heels and hands, but not for its intended purpose.

 

Before the emergence of cosmetics industry as we know it today, skin care and beautification have been based on what was available from the immediate surroundings – fruits, vegetables, dairy products, honey, various herbs… It is indisputable that today we know what is good and what harmful for us, so we surely will not put lead and vinegar as skin care products to our faces, like it was done by the women from Elizabethan era, nor will we dilate our pupils with belladonna so that our eyes achieve a more appealing look as the ladies from the Renaissance Italy did. But we are now able to extract all the good things from nature without jeopardizing our health and beauty.

Take a look at these interesting “do it yourself” beauty products that are very easy to make and are too good for you to resist the temptation to try them yourself.

 

Honey based body scrub

Mix two spoons of sea salt with four spoons of honey and rub it on the wet skin, then rinse it with a shower and apply a generous amount of some nourishing body milk. It is ideal for winter days when our skin becomes dry and rough.

 

Facial scrub (for oily and combination skin types)

Take a small amount of corn flour and mix it with yogurt until you get a somewhat thicker mixture, then rub it gently on a moist face. Rinse, and then put on a crème that suits your skin type. After this treatment your face will be smooth and refreshed as this scrub very efficiently removes all impurities from the skin surface.

 

Milk bath (for dry skin type)

In a prepared warm bath add one glass of milk and three spoons of walnut (or almond) oil.

 

Mask for oily or skin prone to irregularities

Mix yeast and lemon juice and apply thus obtained paste to problematic areas. Leave on for 10 minutes, then rinse. Also, if your skin is shiny or has enlarged pores or blackheads, rub your face with half a lemon. Lemon accelerates skin regeneration, reduces wrinkles and cleans.

 

While you mix the ingredients to nourish your skin, treat yourself to a refreshing salad that speeds up the metabolism and protects the skin from damage. In a bowl, mix half a cup of each blueberries, strawberries and pomegranate, one kiwi, pour some freshly squeezed orange juice over it and sprinkle with chopped walnuts. This salad can be a breakfast or a snack, but make sure that you prepare it at least once a week.

 

Kiwi against wrinkles

Skin one kiwi, mash it, drain the excess water and add one teaspoon of honey. Apply this mask to your face (avoiding the eye area) and leave it on for about 20 minutes, then rinse. Vitamin C, which kiwi is packed with, makes this mask ideal for skin regeneration.

 

Banana against fatigue

If you are a smoker, this mask is great for recuperation of your tired and dull skin and will also decrease face swelling (puffy cheeks) and eye bags. Mash one banana, apply to your face and leave on for 15 minutes. Remove excess with cotton pads soaked in warm water or just wash off. You can also add some lemon juice to this preparation.

 

Refreshing face mask (for oily and combination skin types)

Apply yogurt to your face, put cucumber slices over it and leave it on for 20 minutes. If it is more convenient you can mix grated cucumber and yogurt, and then apply the mixture.

Face-lifting mask

Whip two egg whites with a teaspoon of sugar. Apply to your face, leave on for 15 minutes and then remove.

Face cleansing mask (for oily and combination skin types)

Boil 20 g of rosemary in 250 ml of water, leave it to cool, drain out and add some grated carrot. Apply the mixture and leave it on for 20 minutes. You can use remaining rosemary tea for eye bags removal. Soak two cotton pads in cold tea and apply to the eyelids.

So, next time your fingers itch to spend some money on a new product, you better study a good book with these natural recipes, then search your kitchen for some great and effective ingredients, fill up the bath tub, light up some candles, or just relax with a good movie or a book while the nature on your skin does its work.