Lemon Sugar Hand Scrub

During the winter I struggled with the embarrassing problem of having dry hands. The dry winter weather has wreaked havoc on my skin in general, so I decided enough was enough. Since many of us are on a budget, I decided to use whatever I have in my pantry to make a simple, easy to use lemon sugar scrub for your skin. You should already have most, if not all, of these items in your kitchen pantry already. If not, these items can be found at your local grocery store for less than $20.

Coconut Oil Hair Treatment

Coconut oil has been used for years in India and the Philippines as a hair treatment.  Other oils such as olive and grapeseed oils are really good for your hair especially for deep conditioning purposes.  However, if you are looking for a hair oil treatment that you don't need to wash out, then coconut oil is the one you are looking for.

Tomato Yogurt Fresher Skin Formula

Shed your dead skin cells!  Our skin has a layer of dead cells that are bound together by a "glue."  Exfoliation is the key in maintaining a fresh and clean complexion and shedding your dead skin cells.

Simple Turmeric and Milk Face Mask

Turmeric is probably not the first thing you think of when you hear the words "face mask."  I just used this face mask myself.  I had a few minutes to relax and decided to whip up a turmeric and milk concoction and was very pleasantly surprised.  I had been reading about the healing powers of turmeric for some time now and the results are very encouraging for the people like you and me!  Read more about the healing powers of turmeric here.

Life's A Peach: Revitalizing Face Mask

Peaches are really good for your skin which is why they are used in many cosmetic and skin treatments.  They contain Vitamin C and Vitamin E which are imperative in the creation of collagen in your skin.  Applying peaches topically helps your skin tremendously because peaches help unclog pores, smooth fine lines, and revitalize your face.

Moisturizing Honey & Egg Face Mask

Do you have dry, tired looking skin?  If you're suffering from skin that doesn't retain moisture and is consistently dry then this moisturizing honey and egg face mask is the one for you! (If you're looking to nourish your skin for it to be more supple, then this mask will also work).

Tip of the Day! Use Club Soda for Smoother Hair

Club soda can not only be used as a refreshing drink, but dumping some of this stuff onto your hair is beneficial too!  It rids your hair of dirt and any left over residue leaving your hair cleaner and brighter looking.  So, if you're suffering from frizzy hair, this could be the solution for your stubborn locks. 

Chocolate Face Mask

The first thought that came to mind when I heard about the chocolate face mask had everything to do with images of acne popping up all over my face.  I mean, we have been thoroughly led to believe that chocolate (oh, that delicious stuff of my dreams) equates acne.  Some of us experienced chocoholics have even been through, what we believe, was a chocolate induced acne attack on our faces.

Turmeric Could Help Prevent Heart Attack

A new study suggests that turmeric could help prevent heart attacks after surgery.  Curcumins, which give turmeric the yellow pigment it is known for, could help ease surgical risks when used in conjunction with traditional treatment. (You can read more about turmeric's healing properties I wrote about by clicking here.)

During bypass surgery, the heart muscles and surrounding muscles weaken due to a lack of blood flow which then can lead to the patient having a heart attack.  The use of curcumins for cancer therapy is already being tested.

Olive Oil and Yogurt Hair Conditioner

If your hair is in need of a deep conditioning treatment consider this homemade hair mask before making an appointment for a salon or altogether just giving up on your hair.  There is hope!  Hair needs just as much nourishing as the rest of our body.  We tend to pay more attention to our faces and our body than we do our hair, and because of that reason, many of us are left with what used to be shiny hair, but is now just a mess.

Tip of the Day: Milk Makeup Remover

When I first heard that milk could remove makeup, I was a bit hesitant to believe it because there is a billion dollar industry out there that caters to this very kind of thing.  Could it be that the inexpensive, natural, and non-chemical makeup remover is right there in my fridge? Yes. It's true!  The milk actually removed my makeup.

Red Grapes & Flour Facial Mask for Energized Skin

Grapes contain antioxidants such as flavonoid, resveratrol, and tannin.  (Tannin is what gives wines the "dry" feeling when you drink it).  These antioxidants are great for your skin and are also good skin whiteners.

Tip of the Day! Use Potatoes to Remove Dark Under Eye Circles

Many of us suffer from dark under eye circles.  Our eyes are one of the first features most people notice.  If you're like me and have chronic dark under eye circles, then you are used to either dealing with the way they look and going all natural or you have gotten really good at covering them up with salmon colored eye concealer. 

While there is no actual cure for dark under eye circles, people have tried to reduce the appearance of them by going as far as using surgical methods.  Unfortunately, these methods most often have a less success to failure ratio.

The homemade answer to your problem might actually be in your pantry.  Potatoes have been known to cure dark under eye circles for centuries.  Potatoes contain a chemical called catecholase which is a powerful skin lightening substance. Catecholase is found in many skin lightening products on the market today.

Foot Softening Milk Spa Soak

Oftentimes, we forget about a couple of our most important body parts--our feet!  It's easy to overlook our poor, tired achy feet while we obsess over our faces and hair.  While, it's great to make sure our faces and hair looks great, we should also make sure our feet are getting the tender loving care they deserve.  After all, the last thing we want is cracked, dry, and hard feet when we get older!

This is a simple milk, water, and sugar foot spa recipe that you can quickly throw together in a couple of minutes with items you are almost guaranteed to have in your fridge and pantry.

Apple & Honey Face Mask for Clear Skin

If you are suffering from tired looking, fatigue and stressed out skin then this apple & honey face mask is the one for you!  Give yourself a facial (and mental) uplift by applying this nourishing and protecting apple and honey face mask.

The apple contains vitamins A, B, and C and which your skin will absorb, contains antioxidant properties, and helps relieve damage from the sun.  In fact, apples have been used in many skincare remedies for sunburns due to these properties.  

Apples also contain glycolic acide which helps exfoliate and clear your pores.

Honey is antibacterial and has antioxidant and hygroscopic properties.  All that means is that honey will help get rid of topical bacteria and help retain moisture.  And, antioxidants are substances that help protect your skin from free radicals in the environment (chemicals in the air, etc.)

Tip of the Day! Tomatoes for Reduced Pores, Acne

Did you know that tomatoes are an astringent?  Which means, if you apply tomatoes on your face, your pores should start to look noticeably smaller after a few uses.  It's tough to find the right product for your face from stores, and before trying all those chemicals, give the natural ones in your home a try first.  You will save yourself a ton of money experimenting on finding the right product.

Delicious Vanilla Brown Sugar Scrub

Get your winter dry skin to spring time perfection with this exfoliating Vanilla Brown Sugar scrub.  The sugars in this scrub as as exfoliating granules that scrub off your dry skin.

How to Lighten Hair Naturally (without nasty chemicals!)

Summer is right around the corner and thus starts the trend towards lighter sun kissed hair.  However, bleaching is not an option because the chemicals from the bleach can damage your hair.  The bleach strips the keratin from your hair, which can leave your hair brittle, dry, and lifeless over time.  Definitely not a look any of us are going for!

So, what do you do?

Use lemon juice to naturally lighten your hair! Lemon juice naturally lightens your hair because it is contains a natural bleaching agent--but not one as harsh as the bleaches that are on the market today.  For example, lemon juice is safe enough to use on your skin.

Honey & Cinnamon Mask for Acne

Acne can be caused by bacteria that lives on your skin.  It clogs your sebaceous glands which are glands that produce sebum which is an oil that is necessary for the lubrication and pH level of your skin.

Honey is a natural antibacterial, and when applied topically can help cure acne.  Cinnamon has microbial properties that can help stop the growth of bacteria and fungi.  Please make sure you're not allergic to any of these ingredients before trying them.

How to Make Sugar Wax (the non-wax strips kind)

Hair removal can be a very expensive part of our body care routine, but it is something that all us ladies (well, most) take part in regularly.  Unfortunately, it can cost us a pretty penny if we haul ourselves out of the comfort of our homes and drive to an expensive, overly lit, salon.