Friday, November 26, 2010

Back to Basics: Natural Beauty Cures

With all the talk of going back to nature and detoxifying our bodies, finding natural cures for everyday beauty is a positive step towards a more healthier you.  In that regard, Bibi canvassed aunties, mothers, books and the local gossip vine to find the best in natural skin and hair care remedies. Below is a sampling of our very best finds.

Eyes-ssentials
It is said that eyes are the windows to the soul and also one of the first places where fatigue and age start to show. There are thousands of expensive eye care products out there, but we found these homemade recipes can be equally as effective.

Depuff the Eye: To remove puffiness from the eyelids, massage a drop of very fresh castor oil into the puffy area.

Refresh the Eyes: Putting a drop of rosewater into each eye just before you sleep will refresh your eyes.

Dark Circles: Dark circles are very common and very hard to get rid off, but applying sliced cucumber, potato or cooled tea bags to your eyes for about 10-15 minutes every other day will help.
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Lip-Fix
We seem to get more and more dependent on lip glosses and lipsticks, both of which are filled with chemicals that can be potentially bad for you. Try these homemade recipes to boost your lip’s natural color and vitality.

Moisturize:
Applying a mixture of Vaseline and honey or a combination of crushed rose petals and white butter.

Smooth and Soften: To make your lips flake free and silky, steam your lips and then use a washcloth or toothbrush to gently buff your lips every other day.

Tone-Correction:  For dark and discolored lips, rub on the juice of a lemon rind. You can also rub cilantro leaves for soft and rosy lips.

Better Lip Balm: Make a delicious homemade lip balm by mixing one tablespoon cranberry (or any other berry) sauce and two tablespoons Vaseline.

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Skin-Therapy
The skin is the largest organ on your body and the most visible by far. Therefore, it is extremely important to invest time and energy in keeping it healthy and glowing.

Exfoliate: To make a homemade exfoliating mask, soak 1 teaspoon black lentils and 4 almonds in water overnight and then grind them into a course paste. Apply it to your face and keep it on for 20-30 minutes. After, wet the mask and scrub in a circular motion. This mask not only nourishes and exfoliates the skin, but also lightens blemishes and discolorations.

Even Out Tone: A two-third honey and one-third lemon juice mixture used as a facial mask is a great antioxidant and evens out skin tone.

Tighten Pores: Visible pores can be dealt with by first steaming, cleansing and applying a pore tightening mask made of either sandalwood or multani mitti (white clay or Fuller’s earth) paste.

Decrease Wrinkles:
The alpha-hydroxy fruit acids in organic Green Thompson seedless grapes fight wrinkles as well as those expensive creams. Apply daily to see wrinkles smooth out. Or smear on a coat of mashed organic banana as a face mask.

Exfoliate the Body: For soft and smooth skin, add some granular sugar to lemon juice and gently rub over rough areas till the sugar dissolves (avoids areas with open cuts or breakouts).

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Hair-apy
There is no doubt that most of us are obsessed with our hair and have probably had just one too many chemical treatments.  If your hair is more fried than fabulous, these recipes will deep condition your hair and give it shine without having to step foot out of your home.

Deep Condition: Give your hair a break and deep condition it with a 2:1 ratio mixture of mayo and avocado. Keep it on for about 20 minutes and wash.

Refresh Hair: To prevent residue build up, add a small amount of baking soda to your shampoo. It will remove built up residue and grease from your hair and make it shine.

Add Shine: A tea or flat beer rinse is one of the oldest ways to condition and bring shine to your hair. Boil used tea leaves in enough water, let it cool and then use this liquid as the last rinse. Or use flat beer as your final rinse.

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