Turn your kitchen into a spa (Anna OK / Shutterstock.com)
While many of the skincare products on the market smell great and can indeed do wonderful things, they can be quite pricey, and are also filled with some pretty questionable ingredients. On the other hand, so many natural ingredients have benefits for the body – inside and out – so why not see if your passion for cooking can extend to the bathroom cabinet?
These natural skincare recipes in no way replace medical advice, of course, but they can provide a basis for some natural, inexpensive experimentation – and maybe a little taste test here and there!
1. HONEY AND AVOCADO HAIR TREATMENT
With the huge range of hair products on the market, it's almost impossible to decide on the best solution for dry or lackluster hair. And once you find the right treatment, how are you meant to use it, anyway? Rinse and repeat? Leave on for five minutes? What's the deal? Look no further than this simple, revitalizing hair treatment to get your hair looking and feeling silky as can be.
INGREDIENTS:
1 medium avocado
2 tbsp honey
DIRECTIONS:
1. Mash the avocado and mix with honey
2. Massage into hair and leave for 20-30 minutes
3. Relax! Check out these DIY tips for inspiration
4. Wash and dry shiny hair as usual
Avocado season - inside and out (Africa Studio / Shutterstock.com)
2. OATMEAL AND ONION MASK
Okay, you might not want to eat this one. But your skin will thank you for whipping up a batch, and cleansing it free of impurities. This natural skincare recipe is especially good for acne-prone skin, but it’s appropriate for all complexions.
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup boiling water
1/3 cup plain oatmeal
1 large yellow or white onion
1/2 teaspoon of honey
DIRECTIONS:
1. Pour water over oatmeal and let steep for five minutes
2. Puree the onion in a food processor
3. Add onion puree and honey to oatmeal paste while it's all still warm, and stir
4. Spread on face and leave for 10 minutes
5. Chill time! Pump some inspirational music and enjoy
6. Wash face and enjoy your shiny skin
Oatmeal and onion - for your face, not your stomach (Jiri Hera / Shutterstock.com)
3. WALNUT SKIN REFINER
Harnessing the health powers of whole walnuts, this natural exfoliant is strong enough to buff away dead skin, dirt and oil from the face, but gentle enough for everyday use. Make it with your breakfast to save time in the mornings.
INGREDIENTS:
2 whole walnuts
2 tbsp natural yogurt
1 tsp 100% almond oil
DIRECTIONS:
1. Crush the nuts
2. Mix all three ingredients together
3. Gently smooth onto skin and then rinse with water
Harness the health powers of walnuts (mirzamilk / Shutterstock.com)
4. LEMON TOOTHBRUSH & TOOTHPASTE
With a host of contradictory information about ingredients like fluoride and abrasives, it's hard to know the best way to clean and protect your pearly whites. This innovative, citrusy idea - from blogger Elayne Youssef - is definitely something new, as long as you make sure to rinse well to protect the enamel on your teeth. Worth a try!
INGREDIENTS:
1 ripe lemon
DIRECTIONS:
1. Wash lemon, and cut off a small slice
2. Use slice to brush your teeth, rubbing onto your teeth and gum for two minutes
3. Rinse your mouth thoroughly
4. Save the rest of the lemon for your next brushing (or salad dressing!)
Introducing, your new toothbrush (id-art / Shutterstock)
5. SEA SALT BODY SCRUB
You know that silky smooth feeling your skin gets when you shower after a day at the beach? Nothing quite like it. Well, making your own sea salt body scrub at home can give you that feeling every day - if you so choose.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup coarse sea salt
½ cup baby oil
DIRECTIONS:
1. Stir ingredients together and store in a glass jar
2. Leave for 24 hours
3. Mix again
4. Massage into skin for a few minutes and then rinse
5. Enjoy your post-beach skin without leaving the house!
Sea salty goodness (fortton / Shutterstock.com)
6. COCONUT OIL DEODORANT
Just like many other skincare and cosmetic products, many of the ingredients in store-bought deodorant aren’t so good for you - including parabens and aluminium. This simple natural skincare recipe is a much safer bet, and it’s inexpensive, too.
INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup coconut oil
2 tbsp baking soda
1/3 cup arrowroot powder
10 – 15 essential oils (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix the coconut oil, baking soda, and arrowroot powder together to form a paste
2. Mix in essential oils - whatever scents tickle your fancy
3. Store in a small container
4. To use simply swipe two fingers gently into the mixture and rub on your underarms.
There's nothing quite like coconut oil for natural decadence (mongione / Shutterstock.com)
7. BROWN SUGAR HAND TREATMENT
Day-to-day life can take a toll on your hands - whether you work in construction or at a computer all day long. This sweet and simple natural skincare recipe will get your paws back in tip-top shape.
INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup coarse brown sugar
Baby oil
DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix sugar with enough baby oil to form a thick paste
2. Apply mixture to your hands as if you were washing them
3. Rinse with warm water
The sweetest hand treatment (Gayvoronskaya_Yana / Shutterstock.com)
