Homemade Beauty Spa
Great tips and ideas to pamper yourself better (and cheaper) than the spa.
These days it's all about cutting back and saving more, but that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your beauty routine to do it. You'll be looking purty in no time with these in-home secret tips that even celebrities use. Bonus, they're all natural and organic, too.
Sweet Scrub:
This is one of the Hip Homemaker's fav facials. All you need is a handful of sugar and some water to do this.
1. Mix the sugar and water together in a bowl to make a paste.
2. Scrub it all over your face (can also be used for neck, shoulders, back, hands, feet, etc.)
3. Wash it off and feel the exfoliating cleansing power!
For more even-toned skin and a healthy glow use sour cream:
This is a great, natural way to bleach out darker freckles and age spots as well as even your skin tone. Just a dollop of sour cream will do. After thoroughly washing and exfoliating, apply sour cream all over face (doesn't matter if it is the fat free or full fat, it's the dairy that actually does the magic). After about 15 minutes wash it off and see the amazing instant results.
Natural dermabrasion alternative:
Dermabrasion is great for exfoliating layers of dead skin, getting rid of bad acne and bringing out a healthy, new skin glow. But with a price tag upwards of $100 a pop, it's out of reach for us gals on a budget. Enter baking soda and peroxide. I know what you are thinking. Ummm, that will be totally harsh and dry out my face. Oh, contrare! Give this recipe a whirl and you'll know just how well these simple, inexpensive ingredients deliver. Trust me on this. Every time I do I get complimented on how clear my skin looks. I've actually been asked if I recently had some dermabrasion after doing it.
1. Wash face with warm water
2. Pour a little baking soda into your hand and then gently pour a little hydrogen peroxide in (not too much or mixture will dissolve). Mix it in the right proportions to make a paste.
3. scrub onto face. Really scrub and exfoliate (it might sting a little if you have any open sores or squeezed a zit) Keep in mind that this will be good for disinfecting and exfoliating the dead skin off for healing and cleansing.
4. After really scrubbing, wash off.
5. Dry your face with a clean towel, look yourself in the mirror and notice how good your skin looks!
Now for a relaxing rub-a-dub-dub:
Epsom salt is a miracle relaxer and skin softener. It is found in the pharmacy section and costs less than a cup of cofee to use.
Pete Smolowitz from the EpsomSaltCouncil.org suggests this for a relaxing soak:
Add two cups of Epsom Salt to the water in astandard-sized bathtub; soak for at least 12 minutes, three times weekly. For an extra treat, add a few drops of eucalyptus oil for a refreshing scent.
Maintaining that gorgeous mane:
Reader Pete Smolowitz also suggests Epsom as a hair volumizer. He says, "Combine equal parts of warm, deep conditioner and Epsom Salt. Work the warm mixture through your hair and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse.
A great way to make your hair shine is to soak it in apple cider vinegar. *If you have any red in your hair it will also bring out the highlights.
This tip comes from a long-time friend of our Editor. Hina Yunis grew up in Pakistan. One of the ways women there take care of their locks in the hot and arid desert is by soaking it in olive oil. You can do this with any kind of oil, though olive is preferred.
1. Start by bending your head over the bathroom sink and letting hair fall in front of you.
2. Rub the oil in with hands and come thoroughly.
3. Braid or wrap hair up and leave in overnight.
4. Wash out in the morning. Hair may need to be shampooed 2 or 3 times to get oil out.
5. Style as usual and notice the soft, shiny, healthy difference.
Got more in-home beauty tips? Send them to the Hip Homemaker by emailing hiphomemaker at hipathome dot com
