You don’t have to break the bank when it comes to beauty treatments. There are numerous beauty treatments that can be done at home, using the freshest fruits and vegetables that we can get our hands on.
Here are some easy to make, natural treatments for your skin and hair problems.
• Dry, Flaky Skin
Ingredients:
1 banana
½ cup pumpkin
2 tbsp pumpkin seed butter
¼ cup yoghurt
Mix all the ingredients well. Gently rub in circles on face. Leave for 20 minutes before rinsing it off. This treatment has vitamin C that promotes collagen development to help reduce and prevent wrinkles and vitamin A that serves as protection from UV damage. It also has zinc that moisturizes and smoothens skin and helps prevent acne.
• Scaly skin around the eyebrows and nose
Ingredients:
Apples
Apricot oil
Lemons
Juice one apple with skin on. Mix it with a freshly squeezed lemon. Use as an exfoliant by gently applying on eyebrow and nose areas using an upward and outward motion. The mixture boosts the production of collagen while also helping improve skin tone. Moisturize with the apricot oil after rinsing.
• Dry patches under the eyes
Ingredients:
Cold cucumbers
Jojoba oil
Cool cucumbers and slice thinly. Place on eyes and leave for about 15 minutes. Do not use frozen cucumbers. Put on jojoba oil afterwards and leave overnight. The cucumber has vitamin B and hydrating qualities that aids blood flow while jojoba oil heals the skin. Oils should be used at night so it can be left on, ensuring that the body absorbs and uses it to bring back the skins natural consistency.
• Skin redness/ rosacea
Ingredients:
¼ cup aloe
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sea buckthorn seed oil (optional)
Scoop aloe from inside the plant. Combine all the ingredients and smooth on affected or inflamed skin area. Aloe is known for its anti-inflammatory properties while lemon has malic acid which helps minimize rosacea. This beauty recipe is very good for treating eczema, psoriasis and rosacea.
• Dry Elbows and Heels
Ingredients:
Fresh figs
Coconut oil (hardened)
Sugar (optional)
Mash or blend the ripe, fresh figs. Place in a bowl and add the coconut oil. Place in refrigerator to harden. Use as an exfoliant. The fig seed will remove dead skin cells while the coconut oil will act as a moisturizer. For those who prefer a dry scrub, just add sugar. It’s best to use this mixture in the shower or bath tub. Be extra careful as the oil might cause slips.
• Cracked Cuticles
Ingredients:
Aloe vera juice
Raw honey
Olive oil
Combine the aloe vera juice, honey and olive oil in a bowl. Apply on cuticles and massage for about 5 minutes. Repeat treatment 2-3 times a week. Aloe vera juice is good for dry skin and for healing cuts and infections.
• Dry Lips
Ingredients:
Jojoba oil or shea butter
Apply jojoba oil or shea butter on lips before going to bed. The two oils have naturally occurring moisturizing properties that are great for dry skin. They are both rich in copper, zinc, iodine and vitamin E.
• Sweaty Feet
Ingredients:
Baking soda
White wine vinegar
Clean feet and dry thoroughly. Sprinkle baking soda on feet. Baking soda is a tried and tested deodorizer and helps absorb moisture.
You can also soak your feet in water mixed with white wine vinegar 3-4 times a week to clean and restore the skin’s oils.
• Dry Hair
Ingredients:
3 tbsp Lemon juice
Olive oil
White wine vinegar
Mix the lemon juice and white wine vinegar with warm water. Use as a rinse after shampooing hair. The lemon juice will add shine to dry hair while the white wine vinegar will help heal dead hair. Follow it up with a conditioner. Rub a little bit of olive oil to damp hair to lock in moisture.
• Flyaway Hair
Ingredients:
Coconut oil
Take a small amount of coconut oil and rub it between your palms. Pat hair down lightly. The coconut oil will keep hair moisturize and will minimize flyaway hair.
• Dandruff
Ingredients:
4 tbsp almond oil
2 tbsp bananas (mashed)
1 tbsp Greek yoghurt
Combine everything in a bowl. Whisk quickly and apply on scalp. Massage it for a bit and leave on for 5 to 15 minutes. Rinse. The vitamin E in the almond oil will help hydrate hair while the banana’s vitamin B will keep the scalp nourished. The Greek yoghurt will remove dead skin cells and built-up dirt.
