Forget the expensive beauty treatments that you buy in a store and which cost you half of your paycheck to purchase. Some of the best beauty products available can be found right on your kitchen shelves. Here are the top five beauty treatments that you could walk into your kitchen and make or use to improve your beauty regimen today.
#1: A Teeth Whitener Like You’ve Never Seen
Okay, this is going to sound crazy, but all you need to make the most amazing teeth whitener are some strawberries and some baking soda. Yes, I know, strawberries are red, but give it a try, it really does knock all of those over the counter teeth whitening strips for a loop. Simply make a paste out of equal amounts of baking soda and pureed strawberries. Only make as much as you are going to use as the baking soda tends to use its oomph after it has been exposed to the air for a while. You can brush the paste onto your teeth or put the paste in a mouth guard. Whichever way you choose, leave the paste on your teeth for 1-2 minutes and then rinse with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Don’t swallow! If you swallow you’ll probably end up throwing up.
#2: A Sweet Body Scrub
There is nothing like a sugar scrub to remove all of those dead skin cells and tighten up your pores to give you that youthful glow. In fact, plenty of people pay an arm and a leg for brand name sugar body scrubs. If you’d like the benefits without having to pay a fortune you can make your own sugar scrub with just a few simple ingredients. All you have to do is to mix up equal parts of white (or brown) sugar, almond, coconut or avocado oil. Pick a carrier oil that works well with your skin type. You can find out which ones can clog pores here. You can also add in essential oils if you’d like. Rosemary, grapefruit, lemon, and peppermint are good choices. Then just slather on the scrub and use a washcloth or body scrub brush to rub in the scrub then rinse off with warm water.
#3: Egg On Your Face Food Mask
This is going to sound disgusting, but it makes facial masks that you buy in the drugstore look like a bad joke. Combine equal parts plain yogurt, beat egg whites and honey and a touch of avocado oil to create a facial mask that you might not want to eat but which will definitely leave your face with the kind of glow that only the most expensive beauty products will leave you with.
#4: The Glossiest Hair You’ll Ever See
Do you ever find yourself envying those actors in the hair product commercials, the ones with the amazingly glossy hair? Did you know that you can get this same kind of gloss and bounce simply by combining bananas and avocados and just a touch of almond oil. Mix them well then work it into your hair, wrap your hair in a reusable hair cap and leave it on for 10-20 minutes before rinsing with warm water.
#5: Baking Soda Scrub
You’ve seen those fancy microdermabrasion kits I’m sure. And any spa worth its salt sells extremely expensive microdermabrasion packages to those who want their skin to have that youthful glow. But did you know that you don’t have to spend a fortune in order to get the same results? Just dampen your body in a lukewarm shower, then take a box of baking soda and rub it into your face, arms, legs and all of the skin that you can reach. Go ahead and use a scrubbing mitt if you have one and continue working the baking soda into your face and the rest of your skin for 2-5 minutes. Don’t get too aggressive or you might find yourself getting rubbed raw.
Hey we all love a good luxury beauty or skincare product right? Well, if you try some of these options and find they work out quite well then you have saved some money. The sugar scrub from Sephora can go because you can make it at home. Now you have more money to spend on the latest palette from Urban Decay. Sounds good right?
