As a struggling student, I can barely afford to buy groceries, never mind beauty products. Forget buying other expensive food ingredients to mix together when single ingredients are able to give you a healthy glow. Use the same ingredient to pamper your body on both the inside and outside:
1. Eggs
How do you like your eggs? Sunny side up? Scrambled? Try coating your face with egg to change up your routine.
Not only are eggs are the perfect way to combat oily skin since the egg whites dry the oils in your skin, but the yolk also acts as a natural moisturizer. Eggs are even able to tighten skin while reducing the size of pores.
That’s right. We’ve finally found the perfect way to defeat any stress-induced pimples that may pop up around exam time.
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 2 minutes
Ingredients:
1 egg
Directions:
1. Crack 1 egg into a bowl.
Photo courtesy of Flickr
2. Whisk the egg until the mixture is one consistent colour.
Photo courtesy of Flickr
3. Use your hands to spread a thin layer of the egg over your face and let sit for 15 minutes before washing the egg off with warm water.
2. Coffee
Nothing wakes you up like a fresh cup of java and a hot shower. So why not combine the two? Use excess coffee grinds as a body exfoliant to cocoon yourself in the fresh scent of caffeine, and to improve your skin. Yes, this works with instant coffee too.
The benefits of caffeine extend far beyond helping you pull an all-nighter. Caffeine can perk up your skin as well as your mind while reducing redness and inflammation on your skin.
Miss the gym this week? I forgive you. Caffeine has been proven to reduce the appearance of cellulite. So slap that coffee on your skin, rubbing those grinds around to your heart’s content.
Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 1 minute
Ingredients:
1 cup coffee
Directions:
1. Transfer coffee grinds into a small bowl.
2. Bring the bowl into the shower with you, and start rubbing the grinds in small circular motions over your skin.
Photo by Szerena Szabo
3. Lemon Juice
Nothing screams summer better than lemonade and sun-streaked hair, so bring both back into your life this spring.
Lemon juice is a natural way to lighten your hair since the acid in lemons acts as an alternative hair dye. Treat your stomach and your hair to lemon juice for a sun-streaked look.
Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 1 minute
Ingredients:
1 cup lemon juice
¼ cup water
Directions:
1. Mix lemon juice with water.
Photo by Szerena Szabo
2. Put the mixture into your hair after washing and conditioning your hair. Do not rinse the mixture out of your hair.
Photo by Becky Hughes
4. Honey
What’s sweeter than honey? Perfect skin.
Not only is honey both anti-bacterial and hydrating, but the anti-bacterial component in honey reduces and prevents acne as well. Also, honey triggers a hydrating effect, forming the perfect face-mask. Nothing compares to the warm sensation of honey on your skin.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 seconds
Total Time: about 16 minutes
Ingredients:
¼ cup honey
Directions:
1. Microwave honey in a bowl for 30 seconds or until the honey is warm.
Photo by Lauren Wininger
3. Spread a thin amount of honey over the affected area and let sit for 15 minutes.
Photo by Jocelyn Hsu
4. Wash the honey off with warm water.
Photo by Lauren Wininger
5. Coconut Oil
One of the many health benefits of coconut oil is that applying the oil to your hair will make your luscious locks look and feel soft. This oil is rich in lauric acid, which conditions and repairs damaged hair.
Yes, your hair can actually feel as blissful as you do.
Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 1 minute
Ingredients:
2-4 tablespoons coconut oil
Directions:
1. Depending on your hair length, take 2-4 tablespoons coconut oil and apply the oil directly onto your hair.
Photo by Lauren Wininger
2. Work the oil in from the roots down to the ends.
Photo by Lauren Wininger
3. Leave the oil in your hair overnight and wash out in the morning.
The next time you feel yourself reaching into your wallet to buy a face mask, see what you have in your fridge before making any impulsive purchases.
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