14 Simple Solutions to Common Beauty Problems – Right in your kitchen!

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The beauty industry is a humongous business. Like a $445 billion dollar business. So it’s obvious that a lot of us want to look and feel our best. If you wander through the cosmetics section at Target or Marshall’s or through a store like Sephora or Ulta Beauty which are dedicated to cosmetics, you’ll be bombarded by a multitude of skin creams, serums, lotions, and potions all promising the magic of beautiful youthful looking skin.

It can be a lot of fun to browse and to even try different products out. But looking your best doesn’t have to come with a big price tag and a bunch of chemicals. Here are 14 common beauty problems with simple solutions that you can make from ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen!

Facial Beauty

1) Problem: Dull uneven skin tone.

Solution: Green tea toner. Not only will it brighten your skin tone and even it out, it also is hydrating and has anti-inflammatory properties.

How to: Just make a cup of green tea allowing the tea to steep for 5 minutes. Then let it cool and put it in a small bottle. You can apply it to your face with cotton balls as you would any toner or you can put it in a little spray bottle and spritz your skin with it. Remember there are no preservatives in this so you might want to keep it in the fridge or be sure to make a new batch every few days.

 

2) Problem: Puffy tired looking eyes.

Solution: Bring out the green tea again.

How to: This time you’ll want to steep 2 tea bags in boiling water for only about 30-45 seconds. Then remove the tea bags from the water and place them in a small bowl and chill in the refrigerator. Once they are cold,  sit down, put your head back and your feet up and place one tea bag over each closed eyelid.

 

3) Problem: Acne

Solution: Honey & yogurt mask. Honey has antibacterial and antioxidant properties and helps restore moisture. The lactic acid in the yogurt can help dissolve dead skin and tighten pores.

How to: Use pure raw honey without additives and plain unsweetened yogurt. Mix 1 T. honey with 1 T. yogurt. Apply to face. Leave on for 10 minutes and then wipe off with a warm damp face cloth.

 

4) Problem: Dry, dull looking skin

Solution: Honey Oatmeal Scrub/Mask – Honey has antibacterial properties and is full of antioxidants. Oatmeal is also packed with antioxidants and is very soothing and moisturizing. Oatmeal is a good cleanser and is helpful with acne as well because it has saponins which help remove dirt from pores. It’s also anti-inflammatory so will help with redness. NOTE: some people are allergic to honey so be sure you aren’t before you use this mask on your face. Also, be sure you are using pure honey with no additives.

How to: Grind 2 T. rolled oats in a food processor or blender until they are quite fine. Place in a small bowl add 1 T. honey and 1 T. warm water and mix into a paste. Apply scrub to clean face and massage gently for 1 minute. Let sit for 5 minutes and rinse well with warm water.

 

5) Problem: Dark Spots (dare I say age spots!?!)

Solution: Lemon – Lemon juice is a natural bleaching agent.

How to: Use a fresh lemon. Cut a wedge and squeeze a little juice into a small bowl. Dip in a q-tip and apply the juice to your dark spots twice a day. Test out the lemon juice on just one small area (like the inside of your wrist) before using on your face to be sure it doesn’t irritate your skin.

Beautiful Body

6) Problem: Rough Elbows and Knees

Solution: Orange.

How to: Just cut an orange in half and rub the cut side on your elbows and knees to exfoliate and brighten those areas. Let the juice sit on those areas a few minutes and rinse.

 

7) Problem: Rough dry skin

Solution: Homemade sugar scrub for the body.

How to: Just take ½ c. sugar (I like using demerara sugar but if that seems too coarse for you regular sugar will work.)and ½ c. oil (olive or coconut) and add in a couple drops of essential oils like lavender or a couple of drops of vanilla extract or even spices like ½ t. cinnamon. Mix together. Store in a jar. Use about 1 tablespoon and gently scrub your body while you’re in the shower to bring out soft, silky, glowing skin. (Be careful as oils in the shower can make the floor really slippery. Be sure to rinse your shower floor well and warn the next person who’s going to shower so they don’t slip either.)

Beautiful Hair

8) Problem: Styling product build up on your hair. Shampoo not seeming to do the trick?

Solution: Apple cider vinegar (get the organic one with the “mother”)

How to: Mix ¼ c. vinegar with 1 cup of water and rinse your hair with the mixture. Follow with your favorite conditioner.

 

9) Problem: Dandruff

Solution: Apple cider vinegar. ACV has antifungal properties to fight dandruff and its acidic nature helps restore the scalp’s protective acid mantle to proactively prevent future problems.

How to: Mix equal parts apple cider vinegar and water in a bottle and keep it in the shower. Just massage some into your scalp before shampooing.

 

10) Problem: No time to shampoo

Solution 1: Oatmeal – If you have blonde or light-colored hair oatmeal can work as a handy dry shampoo.

How to: Finely (really finely) grind rolled oats in a blender or food processor and store in a salt shaker or reuse a clean spice jar. Then just sprinkle a little on your scalp and brush through your hair. This dry shampoo will also help relieve a dry itchy scalp.

 

Solution 2: Oatmeal and Raw Cocoa Powder – Yes – a dry shampoo for darker hair that smells really yummy!

How to: 2 T. finely ground oatmeal and 1-2 T. Cocoa Powder (unsweetened of course). Mix in a small bowl and put into a salt shaker or empty spice shaker so you can easily sprinkle it on your roots. Depending on how dark your hair is you will want to use more or less cocoa powder to match your tone.

 

11) Problem: Dry hair with no shine

Solution: Mayonnaise. It sounds a little gross but this treatment makes your hair soft, shiny and some say helps hair grow faster because it breaks less. There is some science behind it as well. Because of the eggs in it mayonnaise it has a lot of L-cysteine in it so it can nourish your scalp and help keep your hair healthy.

How to: Wet hair then take a small (seriously start small – like a tablespoon or two) amount of mayo in your hand and work it through your hair starting at the ends which are the driest part of your hair and working up towards the roots. The squirt type bottle of mayo works well for this. If you have fine or thin hair you may want to avoid the roots because it may make your hair a bit too limp.

Put a shower cap or a plastic grocery bag over your hair and leave on for 15-30 minutes. Then shampoo with a gentle shampoo to remove the mayo. This may take more than one shampoo. It’s important to not overdo the mayo or it may be hard to get it all washed out. Start with a smaller amount and then be ready to add more if needed to cover your hair. If you have short hair you won’t need much at all. Tip: Get the avocado oil or olive oil mayo and you’ll not only get the benefit of the eggs but also of the special oils.

Summertime Specials

 

(O.K., maybe not precisely beauty problems – but if you run into some poison ivy or are out in the sun too long this summer you may be happy you have these tips

12) Problem: Bug Bite

Solution: Apple cider vinegar – The acid in the vinegar neutralizes the itch and the anti-inflammatories help ease the swelling.

How to: Just moisten a cotton ball with the ACV and dab on the bite.

 

13) Problem: Sunburn

Solution: Oatmeal. Oatmeal is a great anti-inflammatory and is very soothing to skin.

How to: Grind 1 cup of oatmeal in a blender or food processor until very fine. Add to a tub full of tepid water and soak for a while.

 

14) Problem: Poison Ivy Rash

Solution 1: Baking soda

How to: Just mix 3 t. baking soda and 1 t. water and apply the paste to the rash. No baking soda? Try cucumber slices

Solution 2: Cucumber slices

How to: Slice cucumber and apply to rash or make a paste of cucumber and apply it to the rash. No cumber slices either? Try Apple Cider Vinegar.

Solution 3: Apple Cider Vinegar

How to: Put ACV on a cotton ball and dab on the rash. Or soak a brown paper bag in ACV and apply over the rash.

Solution 4: Cold compresses.

How to: Apply a cloth soaked in ice cold water and wrung out to the rash to help reduce inflammation and pain/itchiness.

Before you try any of these beauty tips be sure you aren’t allergic to the ingredients. If you have sensitive skin, just as with any other beauty product you may want to try a small test patch just to be sure your skin doesn’t become irritated.

Many of us have most of these natural beauty enhancing ingredients in our kitchens already. So if you want to pep up your skin, even out your skin tone, wake up tired eyes, or remove styling product build-up from your hair, why not give some of these simple ingredients a try to see what they can do? Let us know what works for you by leaving a comment below! 🙂

Interested in simplifying your wardrobe? Check out 4 Steps to a Simplified Wardrobe – And a closet full of clothes you love!

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