By Barbara Bishop
So, I am tired of spending thousands of dollars a year looking “younger than 50.” Over the past year, I purchased four different eye creams (one was $400) and they all have worked really well, or at least I thought so. Over the past year, I acquired several different facial moisturizers – one for day, one for night, one for summer, one for winter, one when my face is drier than usual, one when my face is more oily. Damn that Barney’s cosmetics counter! They sure know how to sell their product.
Then there’s the deep hair conditioners, the foot cream, the hand cream, the body cream, the body scrubs, facial masks, astringents, pore minimizers, facial brighteners, vitamin C cream, and teeth whiteners. Shit, I have spent so much on stuff. And I’ve only used half of it. Used the Vitamin C cream once, facial brightener a few times.
Oy vey! Stop the madness! My neighbor is the president of a private label cosmetics company and said that many products we use in the kitchen can double as beauty aids. Love that! As a person who does many things at the same time, I love that I can look younger, eat and save a lot of money as I catch the latest “The Voice” on TV.
Through several hours of talking with my neighbor and others in the beauty business, here’s my short list for home remedy beauty aids. Can’t wait to try them!
Facial Scrub
3 medium size strawberries, 1 tablespoon of honey. Mash strawberries and fold in honey. Using small circles, massage the mixture into your face for 3 minutes; then rinse with warm water. The natural fruit enzyme in strawberries sloughs off the dull top layer of the skin. The honey hydrates dry patches. $$ saved: $300 annually
Teeth Whitening
Mix baking soda & peroxide in a small container to form a paste. Add your toothpaste to the mixture. Brush with this at least 2x a week. I hear it really works! $$ saved: $1,000 annually
Hot Oil Hair Treatments
Pour olive oil on your hair and cover it with plastic. The oil “heats up” under the plastic. Rinse and shampoo, leaving you with soft, shiny hair.
$$ saved: $300 annually.
UV Damage Repairing Mask
Mash 10 blueberries with a spoon, and add yogurt. Spread on your face, remove with water after 15 minutes. Vitamin C from the blueberries repairs and moisturizes the skin and yogurt’s lactic acid helps exfoliate the UV-damaged skin.
$$ saved: $200 annually
Foot Exfoliator
2 tablespoons of cornmeal, 1 tablespoon of a mashed banana, mix together. Massage the paste all over feet, working into calluses for about 30 seconds, until skin feels smooth. Cornmeal exfoliates and the banana softens the skin. $$ saved: $300
3-Ingredient Facial Oil Moisturizer
Choose a base oil. A great base oil is jojoba oil, because it’s very healing and nourishing, very light, sinks into your skin without any feeling of greasiness, and it’s great for all skin types.
Choose a nourishing oil. A great one is Rosehip seed oil. It’s incredibly regenerating and is known for its firming and anti-aging abilities. It’s good for dry, aging, and normal skin.
Add an essential oil. You only need a couple of tiny drops to get an amazing benefit for your skin. Essential oils are potent (and they last forever when you use them this way). Rose geranium is a great, all-around healing essential oil. This is especially good for sensitive, aging, and normal skin.
Using a 1-oz bottle, fill it just under 2/3 of the way with your base oil, add your “bonus nourishing” oil until the bottle is just about full, and add 5 drops of essential oil. Cap and shake well. $$ saved annually: $1,600
Estimated amount saved by doing it myself: $3,700. Watching me make all this stuff – priceless!
