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.Homemade Beauty in the Kitchen




Source of Recipe


Joy Sewing


Recipe Introduction


If you are trying to save money by scaling back on your beauty treatments, chances are you'll find some inexpensive treatments -- just like the ones your mother or grandmother swore by -- in your own kitchen.

"Many of us get caught up in the excitement of new products," said Cheryl Kramer Kaye, beauty director for Redbook magazine. "But if you take a look around, you'll find some ingredients at home that may work just as well."

Though she admits to being a beauty-product junkie, Kramer Kaye says using natural kitchen ingredients helps reduce your dependency on preservatives that extend a product's shelf life. (But remember: homemade mixtures can spoil quickly and should be used right away.)
* * *

• Exfoliate:
Create your own spa scrubby by combining ½ cup of brown sugar with ½ cup of olive oil. Apply to wet skin, making small circles, then rinse. You can mix sugar with your favorite face or body cleanser. (Sugar is gentler than sea salt, Kramer Kaye said.)

In the 'Black Book of Hollywood Beauty Secrets' by Kym Douglas and Cindy Pearlman (Penguin, $15), Queen Latifah reveals she uses baking soda to exfoliate. The singer and actress says she rubs her wet face with baking soda to slough off dead skin - a trick she learned from her grandmother. (Also try brushing your teeth with baking soda to brighten them.)

• Lifeless Skin:
We all know a cup of java can give you a morning boost, but you can also use coffee grounds to give your skin a little pep. Apply the grounds to wet skin to exfoliate and tighten, especially to the buttocks and thighs. Green tea has the same effect. (The caffeine tones and tightens your skin.)

• Dull Hair:
Winter's dryness can leave hair dull and lifeless. To add a little shine, combine ½ cup of apple cider vinegar with ½ cup of water. Pour it onto your hair as a final rinse; it will help reduce product buildup, which contributes to dullness.

• Itchy, Dry Skin:
There's a common belief hot baths moisturize your skin. Not true, said Kramer Kaye. They actually drain your body of natural oils. She suggests adding a quart of milk to your bath water, which shouldn't be too hot. The lactic acid in milk helps soften the skin, and milk proteins help relieve skin irritation. Milk baths go back to Roman times; Cleopatra used them to exfoliate her skin.

• Moisturize:
Honey can help hydrate the skin and reduce oil. A natural humectant, it draws water into the skin, and it has antibacterial properties that can help heal acne. Warm ½ cup of honey in the microwave and apply it to damp skin. Leave on 10 minutes and rinse thoroughly, then moisturize.

• Puffy Eyes:
The age-old tradition of using cucumbers to reduce puffy eyes still works, Kramer Kaye said. Cucumbers are a natural astringent and reduce inflammation. Purée a cucumber in a blender, apply over entire eye area and leave on 15 minutes, then rinse.

• Acne:
Those who suffer with acne way past the teen years are always looking for a remedy. In 'The Black Book of Hollywood Beauty Secrets,' celebrity skin-care specialist Sonya Dakar recommends mixing dry yeast with water until it's paste-like. Dot the mixture on pimples and let it dry overnight. The yeast kills bacteria and dries out zits.

• Makeup Remover:
National hairstylist Philip B., founder of the Philip B. line of botanical hair and skin products and author of 'Blended Beauty: Botanical Secrets for Body & Soul' (Ten Speed Press, $19.95), offers an easy recipe for a makeup remover. Mix 1 tablespoon each of canola, castor, olive and avocado oils in a small cosmetic bottle. Shake it gently to mix thoroughly, then apply the mixture to the eye area with a cotton ball. Store at room temperature and discard after 5 days.