Thursday, June 21, 2012

Down to basics: 10 beauty ingredients

Sometimes we try to approach every problem with different solutions, specially those that are new and miraculous, and we overlook remedies that have been around for decades. 

That's why I decided to put some tips together that we can all follow without having to spend loads of money on products, and I will mention only products that can be found in every country (that I know of, at least!) and practically in every house (unless you need to run to the shop!)


  1. Honey is great for acne, so you can use it as a face mask (slathering it on your face) because it is a natural antibiotic. It's also great for throat soreness because of it's antiseptic proprieties.

  2. Aloe Vera, as I posted in the past, is amazing for treating acne (it has calming and antiseptic proprieties), but apparently I discovered that Indian people use it as an anti-ageing product too!

  3. Sugar, as an exfoliant can be added to whatever you use as a moisturizer, or to olive oil or honey. I use honey+sugar as a lip scrub: works wonders, and tastes amazing. 
    (You can use brown or white sugar, but I hear brown sugar is better for scrubbing! I use what I have, which is normally white sugar.)

  4. Vaseline is an amazing moisturizer, for feet, hands, under-eyes, and it also makes eyelashes longer and stronger! (It's an all-round moisturizer really, although it's quite greasy, take that into account.)
    (Use this during the night and sleep while it acts on your lashes/skin. If you're to use it as a hand/foot moisturizer, use gloves or socks so that it doesn't rub off on your sheets!)

  5. Lemon is great for whitening your nails after your (evil) nail polish has stained them! It's also great for brightening your skin because of the acids presents on lemon juice, but not all skin types can tolerate this high acidity, so if you have a sensitive skin, refrain from using lemon juice on its own (it's OK with yogurt because it's more moisturizing.)

  6. Yogurt is wonderful used as a brightening mask if you mix it with some lemon juice, and apply it to your face. After 10-15 minutes, you rinse it off with cold water, and you'll end up with soft and bright skin! (Even better if it's greek yogurt.)
      
  7. Water! Now you can't tell me you don't have this at home! Drinking water is the main way to prevent wrinkles, it's great to detox, you need it to survive... But yeah, getting into the habit of regularly drinking a glass of water (like, every hour or so) can sometimes be a pain in the ass, but whenever you have the chance to refrain from consuming sodas and other carbonated drinks, DRINK WATER! 
    (This is a health and beauty advice!)

  8. Bananas are a rich fruit that isn't full of water, unlike most of them, and is great for moisturizing, so it's an ingredient you can use on it's own as a face mask, or mixing it in with yogurt and lemon (for a mask to reign them all!) 

  9. Avocados, as well as bananas, are a fruit with that much water, so it's creamy and is great for moisturizing! (Use it on it's own or mix with other ingredients for a more complete mask!)

  10. Salt: consume less (better for your health), but you can use it as a beach hair spray. Don't just mix it with water, because that will dry your hair.

    [Mix: water, salt, conditioner that smells good!, and some hair gel. This will create texture without drying your hair, and it will also stay in place. Measurements depend on what effect you're after, and if you want a messier hair (more salt), or more conditioning (more conditioner), etc. Put it in a spray bottle, and create your own beachy hair!]


Love,
Maria.

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