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Do you spend a lot of money on expensive beauty products? Consider the great beauty treatments found in the \"kitchen cupboard.\" For the moderns, use of these household items not only help to save money, but most find that these natural and low-cost ingredients often work better than the cosmetics made from expensive & artificial ingredients. Here are just a few beauty uses of ordinary household products from the kitchen and the garden:


Do you spend a lot of money on expensive beauty products? Consider the great beauty treatments found in the \"kitchen cupboard.\" Many of these beauty treatments, like the use of coconut oil and yoghurt, have been around since the ancient world, and the cosmetic uses of these ingredients can be found in ancient literature of the Egyptians, Hebrews, Greeks, Romans, Mesopotamians and Mycenaeans, among other ancient peoples.

For the moderns, use of these household items not only help to save money, but most find that these natural and low-cost ingredients often work better than the cosmetics made from expensive & artificial ingredients. Here are just a few beauty uses of ordinary household products from the kitchen and the garden:

For the hair: organic real mayonnaise, honey, mashed avocado, and egg yolk makes a fine hair moisturizer. Even just mayonnaise rubbed into the hair and let stand for 15 minutes before washing the hair. For more uses of mayonnaise as a hair conditioner go to: www.myhouseandgarden.com/tips.htm.

For a facial mask: use a combination of grated carrot, mayonnaise, Epsom salts. A recipe can be found at www.pioneerthinking.com/epsomsalts.html. More uses of Epsom salts and recipes are found here. Again, just mayonnaise itself can be used as a facial moisturizer. Put mayonnaise on and let stand for 5 to 15 minutes before washing your face. If you have dry skin, mayonnaise can be used as a cleansing cream.

Organic coconut oil (just pure magic in a bottle / jar) can also be used as a cleansing cream, night cream and moisturizer for any skin. It also provides an excellent bath oil, hair conditioner, and even shaving cream. It gets rid of frizz when applied to hair. It should be applied when hair is dry. Rub a dab on the palms, smooth into hair and then brush it. Use as a body oil, especially in pregnancy for great results with stretch marks. Feed it to yourself everyday in cooking, smoothies, and feed it to your pets.www.africanpacific.com

For a great face and body scrub: mix 2 T. oatmeal, 2 T. cornmeal, 2 tsp. wheat germ, 1 T. honey and 1/4 tsp. orange or almond extract in a bowl. Add just enough water to make a paste. Scrubbing your face and body with this mixture washes off dead skin cells and makes your skin feel very soft. For a skin-softening mask, leave on face for 10 minutes before rinsing.

To make some lip gloss: stir 1 tsp. aloe vera gel and 1 tsp.organic coconut oil until mixed well. Add a few drops of strawberry essential oil or other fruity flavouring, and transfer it to a small container.

To create a skin toner: mix 1 cup witch hazel, 1/4 cup white vinegar and 1/4 tsp. mint extract. If you want, drop in some fresh peppermint leaves. Dab on your face with a cotton ball to hydrate skin and remove excess dirt from pores.

Making bath salts is easy: Put 2 cups Epsom salts in a jar and add a few drops of lemon extract or essential oil, mixing well. Add 1/2 cup baking soda, put the lid on the jar and shake, shake, shake. Use a pretty shell to scoop some under running water at bath time.

If you prefer oils in your bath: fill a bottle with organic coconut oil and add a sprig of fresh lavender or a few drops of essential oil. Hint: Add oil to your bath after your body is wet to lock moisture into your skin.

For a refreshing after-bath splash: combine 1 1/2 cups water, 1/4 cup witch hazel and 1/4 cup aloe vera gel in a pretty bottle. Put the lid on tightly and shake until gel dissolves. Add several drops of mango essential oil and a fresh rosemary stem. If you don't have fresh rosemary, get some dried from your spice cabinet, tie it up in a small piece of fabric like a tiny sachet and drop it into the bottle.

Straight olive oil serves multiple purposes. If you can't stand the smell, add a few drops of essential oil. Use as a moisturizer for dry, rough spots on your knees and elbows. To soften cuticles, dip a cotton ball in some olive oil, dab on tops of fingernails and rub in. For a great split ends treatment, shampoo hair, use olive oil in place of conditioner on ends only, and then rinse thoroughly with warm water. For uses of olive oil and specific recipes go to www.pioneerthinking.com/me_oliveoil.html. Tips on the beauty uses of olive oil can also be found at www.mylocation.ca/tips/oliveoil.html, www.theolivepress.com/deafualt_flash.asp and frugalliving.about.com/cs/tips/a/blolweoil_3.htm. For olive oil soap go to www.oliveoilsoap.com. Besides a beauty product, olive oil can be used as a furniture polish, leather conditioner, wood polish (when mixed with lemon juice) and brass polish.


For fly-away hair: mix 1/2 tsp. lemon juice and 1/4 tsp. lime juice with 1/2 cup of water in a spray bottle. Shake to mix. Spray onto your hair to tame static. Store remaining mixture in the refrigerator.

If you have dark circles or puffiness under your eyes: put your head back and place wet chamomile tea bags or cucumber slices over your eyes for 15 minutes.

Instead of nasty powder: dust your body with plain cornstarch. Just keep some on your dresser in a salt or sugar shaker.

You can't beat good organic virgin coconut oil as a beauty treatment. Keeps the wrinkles at bay as a moisturizer.

Home-made Deodorant + Toothpaste

1. Mix thoroughly 2 tablespoons of powdered alum in a pint of water. Apply to the underarm area with fingers or a small pad.

2. With a shaving or blusher brush apply bicarb of soda to the underarm aream - use very sparingly and only on the immediate underarn area or you may get a reaction - but it works!

Bicarb is also great as a toothpaste, apply to damp toothbrush (we keep in an old coconut oil container).

Treat oily hair. Vinegar is a good de-greaser for oily hair because it helps adjust pH levels. Shampoo your hair as usual, rinse, then pour 1/4 cup over it and rinse again.

Body odor, can be helped with what you eat, but whilst adjusting your diet it can be embarrassing. You need to avoid alcohol, fizzy drinks, tobacco and make sure that your diet is alkaline forming. Here are a great list of natural remedies for the smellies and to bang the odor!!!!

Take 50 ml of vanilla extract and cup water. Add 5 ml of rubbing alcohol it. Mix this thoroughly and spray this all over the body.

Dip wet cotton in milk of magnesia and apply under your arms after bathing.

Apply peanut butter on perspired areas every night before going to bed.

Mix equal amounts of cornstarch, extra virgin coconut oil and baking soda and apply this mixture on the required areas.

Mix 10 drops of rosemary essential oil in one cup of water thoroughly. Apply this on the perspired areas.

Apple cider vinegar reduces the pH of the skin in which the bacteria cannot live. So apply apple cider vinegar to reduce the body odor.

Turnip juice is very effective on body odors. Wash your armpits first and then rub one teaspoonful turnip juice.

Mix 4 drops of tea tree oil into one ounce of water; apply it on the required areas.

Steep a teaspoonful dried sage leaves in a cup of water for ten minutes and drink in small doses.

Mix one cup of radish juice to a teaspoonful glycerin and apply this. This is very effective in reducing the underarm odors and foot odors.

Sprinkle a pinch of baking soda onto lemon wedge and rub with it on the perspired areas.

Put some drops of rosewater in the bathing water. This keeps you fresh for a longer time.

Rub potato slices on the sweat prone areas. This controls perspiration and keeps you cool.

Use a Neem soap, sandalwood or herbal soap for bathing which keeps you cool throughout the day.

Chew parsley or alfalfa as they contain chlorophyll which is a great deodorizer.

Take zinc and magnesium supplements as they reduce the cause of bad odors.

a great list Fred, here is another awesome deodorant:
Essential Body Oil diluted in water. Pour in a roll-on bottle and apply.