Home Remedies Today

Life's A Peach: Revitalizing Face Mask for Glowing Skin P eaches 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. Other ingredients in this homemade facial include honey and yogurt. Honey helps your skin retain moisture and the yogurt helps bring all of the ingredients together as it moisturizes your face while simultaneously fighting acne. Read on for the recipe. Ingredients: 1 peach 2 tbsp yogurt 3 tsp honey Directions: Mix all the ingredients together in a blender.  This is easiest made in a blender, but if you don't have access to one, you can use a fork and mash up the peach pulp as best you can.  Don't forget to remove the pit.  Apply the mask to your face using your fingertip...

Moisturizing Honey & Egg Face Mask D o 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). Honey has antioxidant properties and is really good at retaining moisture in your skin.  The antioxidants help to keep all the free radicals from affecting your skin.  Free radicals are chemicals that are in the every day air you breathe.  Unfortunately, these can include and are not limited to smog and cigarette smoke.  Free radicals can damage your skin if they get into your pores and make your face look even more tired. The egg is important in this recipe because the egg whites help to tighten your pores thus giving you a smoother finish and the egg yolks help to nourish your dry skin and it also contains Vitamin A which is actually found...

Club Soda for Smoother Hair C lub 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.  Ingredients: 3-4 cups of unflavored club soda (you can buy any of these ) Directions: Shampoo your hair as usual.  If you usually condition your hair, skip that step this time.  Dump the club soda onto your hair and then rinse it off with cold water.  Style your hair as usual.  You will notice a big difference in the amount of frizz in your hair. Enjoy! -- Don't Miss  Other Home Remedies: How To Lighten Hair Naturally Coconut Oil Hair Treatment Apple Cider Vinegar For Shiny Hair

Chocolate Face Mask T he 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. You can now get rid of those horrid images of acne and take solace in the fact that certain kinds of chocolate are actually good  for you.  Chocolates high in flavonoids (not to be confused with flavonols) are good for your body because of their antioxidant properties. The chocolate antioxidant properties applies to chocolate consumed orally and chocolate applied topically to your skin, which is what this post is about: a sun-protecting chocolate face mask for normal skin.  Cocoa powder high in flavonoids helps protect your skin against UV/sun damage much...

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. Inflammation plays a big part in diseases such as heart disease which is why it is no surprise that turmeric's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties are substantial reasons behind this study for this form of treatment. You can read more about this study here: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/16/us-turmeric-idUSBRE83F03420120416 Don't Miss  Other Home Remedies: How To Treat A Cut W...

Olive Oil and Yogurt Hair Conditioner I f 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. Try this olive oil and yogurt conditioning hair mask for shinier, conditioned locks. Ingredients: 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 cup yogurt Directions: Mix the yogurt and the olive oil together in a bowl.  Apply it to your dry hair.  Leave it on for five minutes and then rinse it off with cold water.  Use this conditioning mask twice a week, and you'll start to see a difference. Enjoy beautiful hair! -- Don't Miss  Other Home Remedies: How to Lighten Your Hair Naturally Grapeseed Hot Oil Treatme...

Tomatoes and Rolled Oats for Glowing Skin T omatoes are great for your skin because they contain Vitamins A, B, C, and E.  They also have anti-aging properties as well which help protect your skin against free radicals such as pollution and cigarette smoke.  Tomatoes are also known for their blackhead removal ability and help rejuvenate your skin cells leaving your face looking fresh and clean. Oatmeal (rolled oats) helps to exfoliate your skin so that you do not accumulate dead skin cells which end up clogging your pores, blocking them which can cause acne.   If you are looking for a skin brightening and exfoliating mask, which also helps prevent acne, give this one a chance.  It's all natural and homemade. Read on for the recipe. Ingredients: 1 tomato 1 cup rolled oats Directions: Take the oatmeal and blend it until it becomes a powder.  Mash the tomato so that it's a pulp that you can mix with the oatmeal.  Add enough to make a paste for your face. ...

Milk As a Makeup Remover W hen 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. Ingredients: Milk Directions: Dab some milk on a cotton ball or cotton swab.  Wipe it gently across your eyes.  Once you're done, continue to wash your face as usual! :) Enjoy! -- Don't Miss  Other Home Remedies : Grapeseed Oil for Makeup Removal Feet Softening Milk Foot Soak

Red Grapes & Flour Facial Mask for Energized Skin G rapes 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. Grapes contain a large amount of amino acids which are essential in the rebuilding of your your skin cells.  They also contain high amounts of B vitamins along with potassium and iron. Use this face mask to rejuvenate your skin before a big event or once a week to keep your skin looking fresh! Read on for the recipe, after the jump. Ingredients: 3/4 cup-1 cup of red grapes few tablespoons of all purpose flour Directions: Mash the red grapes into a pulp.  Add a few tablespoons of all purpose flour to to the grape pulp.  The flour acts as a base so that you can create a paste like mixture.  Once you are done mixing, apply the paste to your face as a mask, avoiding the eyes, and lie down for...

Use Potatoes to Remove Dark Under Eye Circles M any 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. If you have 15 minutes and a potato then this...

Foot Softening Milk Spa Soak O ftentimes, 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. Ingredients 1/2 cup sugar 2-3 cups milk 7-8 cups of water 2-3 tablespoons of your favorite  body lotion . Directions Mix the milk and the water together on a stove and stir and heat so that it is hotter than room temperature and as hot as your feet can handle.  Be careful to test it so that you don't burn yourself!  Mix the sugar and the lotion toge...

Apple & Honey Face Mask for Clear Skin I f 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.) Ingredients 1 apple  2 tablespoons of honey Directions Peel, core, a...

Tip of the Day! Tomatoes for Reduced Pores, Acne D id 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. Tomatoes contain astringent, along with blackhead reducing and oil controlling properties which is why its pulp is great for those looking to reduce acne, large pores, oiliness which is why it is such a popular ingredient in face masks for blemished skin ! This mask is quick, easy, and requires only 1 ingredient! Ingredients: 1 tomato Directions: Take one tomato and mash up the pulp with a fork.  Apply this pulp liberally all over your face and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.  This mask is natural and safe enough to use e...

Delicious Vanilla Brown Sugar Scrub G et 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. Ingredients : 2 cups of brown sugar 1 cup of white/granulated sugar 1 cup of grapeseed oil 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract (I use  McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract-16 OZ ) Directions: Take the brown sugar, white sugar and grapeseed oil and mix well together until it is a paste.  Add the pure vanilla extract.  The grapeseed oil is great for retaining moisture in your skin.  You can use this paste all over your body. Make sure to go easy on more sensitive areas like your abdomen, and concentrate on rougher areas like your elbows and knees.  Massage the scrub over your body using either a washcloth or your fingers in a circular motion.  Rinse off with warm water and pat dry. You will come out of your shower smelling delicious!  This is a v...

How to Lighten Hair Naturally (without nasty chemicals!) S ummer 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. Ingredients: 2-4 tbsp lemon juice (1/2-1 lemon) water Directions: Mix the lemon juice and the water together.  Rub it into your hair and leave it in for a few hours before rinsing it out.  How long the natural lightening method takes depends on your hair. In general, i...

S o, why is cinnamon and honey good for acne?  Let's first start with what acne is:  Acne can be caused by bacteria that lives on your skin.  It clogs your sebaceous glands.  These 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 anti-septic.  This means, when it is applied topically to your skin, it can help cure acne.  The antibacterial properties in honey help rid your skin from harmful acne causing bacteria.  This in turn prevents your pores from clogging and pus (bacteria) from forming.  IT will also help reduce redness and swelling. Cinnamon is a spice that is found in everyday foods such as curry in the East, and sweet foods (sweet rolls).  It is a versatile spice and can be used in cooking salty foods or sweet foods.  Cinnamon has microbial properties that can help stop the growth of bacteria and fungi on your skin. ...

H air 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. Fear not!  The ripping out of our hair from our bodies doesn't have to be so expensive!  There is an inexpensive DIY homemade sugar wax recipe that you can use --and the best part is, this process does not require wax strips since you will be using only your fingertips.  There's some savings for you!  You will only need three ingredients to create the sugar wax for sugaring purposes. Sugaring is safer than regular waxing because the mixture sticks to your hair and not to your skin.  For this reason, you can apply sugar wax against the direction of hair growth (since it sticks so well to hair) and then remove in the opposite direction using your fingertips.  This is o...

Quick & Simple Honey Lemon Tightening Face Mask L et's face it. With the emphasis placed on looks these days, and our faces being one of the first things people notice about us, we want to make sure that our skins look tight and smooth so that we can make that great impression! This is a quick and simple honey and lemon face tightening mask. The honey is an antiseptic.  It's healing properties help soothe, hydrate and nourish your skin. The lemon is a natural astringent that helps clean out your pores and then acts as a toner to close them. Use this face mask to get tighter looking skin in no time. Lemon is a natural cleanser and astringent, thus acting as a natural spot cleaner as well. Remember, lemon juice does bleach so your face will lighten with continued use.This helps with the reduction in the appearance of those pesky acne scars and blemishes on your body.   Ingredients: Few drops of lemon juice(squeeze a half of the lemon if you are using a fresh lemon) 1 ...

E ggs are found as a staple food in many kitchens.  They provide you with a great source of protein when taken internally.  Egg yolks are high in protein which makes it a great hair mask.  Protein helps prevent hair loss and helps to strengthen your hair. Also, treating your hair with egg yolks leads to softer, more manageable, and shinier hair.  If you have a problem with hair breakage, then you should use an egg yolk treatment, as the protein in the egg yolks helps prevent hair from breaking.  The sulfur in the the egg yolks also help treat dandruff. Ingredients: Depending on the size of your hair 1-4 egg yolks Directions: Whip the egg yolks together and apply to dry hair. It feels slimy on your fingers but it's worth putting on!  Make sure all the hair strands in your hair are covered. Leave the egg yolks in your hair for about 20-30 minutes and then rinse out thoroughly with lukewarm to cool water.  If you use hot water, you run the risk of cookin...

Coconut Oil & Oatmeal Face Mask for Acne O ur skin's pores contain oil glands called sebaceous glands.  These produce an oil called sebum which lubricates and protects our skin from bacteria and also helps regulate the skin's pH level (acidity).  Sebum contains these medium-chain fatty acids in the form of triglycerides.  Coconut oil is nature's best source of these medium-chain fatty acids thus helping our skin with its own processes. The presence of bacteria on our skins turn the triglycerides into microbial fatty acids on thus protecting the skin from infection making it great for the prevention and curing of acne. Combine the healing properties of coconut oil with the exfoliating properties of oatmeal and you are left with a face mask that will rid your face of dead skin cells (exfoliate) and and help cure your acne for good! Ingredients: 1 tbsp Coconut oil (extra virgin) (enough to make a paste) 1/2 cup rolled oats (instant or regular) Directions: Blend the rol...

Carrot Face Mask for Oily Skin N ot only are carrots good for your eyes, they are also great for your skin!  Carrots are high in Vitamin A and beta-carotene.  Beta-carotene is a product that comes from plants that the body eventually converts into Vitamin A.  Beta-carotenes are also high in anti-oxidants and acts as an immune booster when taken internally.  When applied topically these vitamins and minerals help to fight against sun damage which is the number one cause of wrinkles. Ingredients: 1 medium sized carrot 1 tbsp honey Directions: Steam or boil the carrots so that they are easy to mash or puree.  Add the honey and mix well together.  At this point you can add a few drops of lemon juice to help the consistency.  Lemon juice is a great cleaning astringent which helps to clear and close your pores resulting in smoother looking skin. Rinse your face with warm water and pat dry.  Add the face mask mixture to your face when cooler and leave o...