Inexpensive Beauty at Home cont.

BEAUTY FROM THE PANTRY (AND REFRIGERATOR)

Find the items listed below in your kitchen and compare with their name brand equivalents.

Flour and Egg White Mixture = re-freshens skin, shrinks pores

Mix the whites from one raw egg with one cup of flour and the mixture spread over your face for ten minutes; rinse off with warm water. Replaces: n.b. facial mudpacks, which contain dyes and preservatives.

Cucumbers and Herbal Tea Bags = reduce redness and puffiness

Cut two quarter-inch slices of cucumber and place over the eyes for ten minutes to reduce puffiness. Steep two tea bags in boiling water for three minutes, let cool and place over eyes. Replaces: n.b. cream or gel under eye puffiness reducers, which contain drying and tightening agents.

Oatmeal and Cornstarch = aids for dry, itchy skin

Mix oatmeal with buttermilk and place the mixture in a sock or cheesecloth to use in a warm bath. Rub a pinch of cornstarch into itchy or slightly inflamed skin to soothe and heal. Replaces: n.b. anti-inching powders and lotions, which often have offensive odors.

Canola or Olive Oil = cuticle softener, fingernail moisturizer

Pour oil into a small, shallow bowl and soak fingernails for one minute. Rub oil into the nails, cuticles and hands and rinse off with mild soap and warm water. Replaces: n.b. nail creams and oils, which can be expensive.

Vinegar = homemade douche

Mix one part white vinegar with two parts water and pour into a syringe or large medicine dropper. Replaces: n.b. douches, which can contain perfumes and preservatives.

Baking Soda = toothpaste and deodorant

Scoop a fourth of a teaspoon onto your toothbrush and brush teeth as usual. Dab and rub a finger-full into armpits. Replaces: n.b., toothpaste and antiperspirant deodorants, which contain dyes and aluminum, respectively.