Beauty Aids in the Kitchen

No time to visit your facialist?
Let nature come to the rescue with these simple beautifiers

Tip!
Use only the pulp or juice of fresh fruits.

Avocados
Packed with nutritious oils and amino acids, avocados are naturally rich moisturizers for dry skin or hair. They also make very nourishing masks for ageing skin.
Recipe to try
Apply mashed avocado to face and leave for 20 minutes. Or, mix mashed avocado with a little olive oil and massage into hair. Leave for 20 minutes before rinsing.
Tip
For really dry skin, add double cream or 2 tbsp of honey to avocado for a face mask.

Cucumbers
The cooling, astringent properties of cucumber reduce inflammation and hydrate dry, itchy skin. Good for calming sunburnt skin.
Recipe to try
To tighten skin, juice a cucumber, apply onto face, leave until dry, then rinse. For toning action, add chopped mint and whisked egg white, and leave on face for 20 minutes.
Tip
A slice of cold cucumber placed over the eye reduced puffiness and tiredness.

Eggs
Egg whites have a tightening effect and improve skin tone so they make a great tired-face reviver for oily skin and a good mask for dry and ageing skin. Yolks nourish skin.
Recipe to try
For a nourishing face mask, mix 1 egg with 1 tsp honey and leave for 20 minutes.
Tip
For a pre-party mini facelift to plump up your face, simply smooth egg white over face and wash off when dry. Leaves skin taut.

Honey
Softening and soothing, honey is an ideal facial mask as it removes dead skin cells. A good anti-irritant too, so it’s ideal for sensitive skin.
Recipe to try
Massage honey into skin with fingers, working it into a ‘lather’ using warm water, then rinse. To use as an exfoliant, mix 2 tsp of sugar with 1 tbsp of honey and rub over face.
Tip
Add 1 tsp honey to four cups water. Pour over conditioned hair for shine.

Lemons
A natural, powerful astringent, the fruit acids in lemons cleanse and tone, perfect for oily and combination skin, and will give a nice glow.
Recipe to try
For a fabulous toner, dilute lemon juice with a little water. Put in a pump bottle and leave in the fridge. Spray and wipe over face as a toner.
Tip
To remove blemishes, rub a slice of lemon on your face, leave it overnight, then wash with cold water in the morning.

Oatmeal
It softens skin and is deal for soothing sensitive or sun-damage skin.
Recipe to try
Blend 1 cup of yogurt with half a cup of oatmeal and apply to the skin for 10 minutes, before rinsing. Reduces irritation, inflammation or sunburn.
Tip
Oats can also be used as a body scrub. Just add water to make a paste and scrub on to body during your shower.

Olive oil (read Secret Olive Oil)
The vitamins in olive oil have a cell-renewing effect and nourish and protect skin, giving it all-round beauty properties.
Recipe to try
For a moisturizing hair mask to add gloss and sheen, mix half a cup of warm olive oil with 10 drops of lavender essential oil. Apply to hair, wrap in a towel for 20 minutes and shampoo out.
Tip
For brittle nails and dry hands, warm a little olive oil and soak your hands and nails for 10 minutes, apply gloves and go to bed. They will be oh-so-soft in the morning.

Papayas
An enzyme called papain, most abundant in the flesh of the unripe papaya, acts as an excellent milk exfoliant to deeply cleanse skin and get rid of dead skin cells.
Recipe to try
Mix 1 large fresh papaya with 1 cup of camomile infusion and water. Apply to face for 10minutes, before rinsing.
Tip
Dab nose and chin with papaya juice to remove blackheads.

Tomatoes
Truly cleansing, the fruit acid in tomato gives it a gentle peeling action on the face – great for oily skins. Leaves skin clean, fresh and tight.
Recipe to try
Pulp tomato and strain it to get juice. Add an equal amount of milk. Keep in the fridge. Apply to face with cotton wool twice a day and leave for 10 minutes.
Tip
To cleanse oily skin, cut a tomato in half and rub both halves on face in a circular motion. Let it dry, the rinse.

Salt
With powerful anti-bacterial properties, salt helps draw out impurities. It exfoliates dry, flaky skin, leaving it smooth and glowing.
Recipe to try
Mix sea salt with almond oil and rub in circular motions into thighs and bottom to exfoliate. Leaves skin renewed, fresh and soft.
Tip
Mix 1 tbsp salt with warm water, put in a pump bottle. Spritz hair before roller application to help curls last.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautions while following instructions on the recipes from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.