Another day, another facial treatment product with a triple-digit price tag. Or a soap that costs more than a monthly cell phone bill. Or a shampoo that promises to solve all of life’s problems — all for the price of a nice bottle of wine. (One would argue that the latter tends to bring more happiness, but I digress.) The point is that, while some things are worth a premium, you don’t have to pay more to get your beauty staples.
In fact, you often don’t even need to leave your house. Or, your kitchen. We’re not talking about weird concoctions designed to produce gel eyeliner or something, we’re talking about everyday items that accomplish the basics of any beauty routine: Moisturizing, cleansing and exfoliating.
These are the timeless solutions that our grandmother’s generation relied upon in the decades before Sephora was around. (Imagine that.) What worked for them will work for us. Need proof? here are some homemade remedies straight from kitchen.
Olive Oil
Eye make-up removers can get pricey (if you love eyeliner, be prepared to buy a new bottle every 2 weeks), so we were happy to find out that olive oil works just as well. Just dab a little bit on a cotton ball, then wipe away that smoky eye.
Also try one minute beauty trick.
Yogurt
Spent a little too much time in the sun? Soothe the burn with plain yogurt. A thick mask made using non-flavored yogurt (greek is best) will ease the pain and calm redness. Yogurt is an excellent face mask.
Avocado
It’s not just for guacamole. Avocado makes a great hair mask, especially for thick or color-treated hair. Just mash, then work into the ends of hair (we don’t recommend getting it on the scalp) and let sit for about 15 minutes. Then, rinse thoroughly. You’ll feel the difference almost immediately.
See Avocado face mask recipes and Avocado Scalp soother recipe too.
Coconut Oil
If you haven’t heard the gospel of coconut oil, let us enlighten you now. There’s really nothing this health food staple CAN’T do, in terms of beauty. It can bring a non-pore clogging glow to the face, repair split ends and bring parched skin back to life. A miracle, for sure.
Baking Soda
Got dandruff? You’re not alone. We putanonymous testers to a 2-week trial of different, natural remedies. The winning treatment? Baking soda. Applied to the scalp as a scrub every-other-day, it eliminated flakes entirely.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Hair product build-up can leave strands dull and lifeless. But a quick rinse with a 2:1 ratio of apple cider vinegar to water will clarify as well as any commercial product. And no, you won’t smell like a salad bar.
Sugar
Whether white, brown or unrefined, sugar makes an excellent exfoliator. We like to mix in about a teaspoon into our usual face wash for a thick scrub.
Banana
These creamy, sweet-smelling fruits make a surprisingly good moisturizing…shave “lotion”? Yes, it’s true. Just mash up the banana, adding a little bit of water to achieve a spreadable consistency. Use as you would any other shaving product. The result: Seriously smooth legs. (We definitely recommend using an inexpensive disposable razor, however!)
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