I’ve been on a DIY at-home beauty trick binge lately and I thought I would share some of my finds. Thanks to Pinterest, I’ve always pinned and wanted to try some at home beauty remedies but I hadn’t gotten up the courage to cover my skin/face/hair with things that I usually eat. Over the last few weeks I’ve tried:
- Using EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) as a moisturizer
- Brown sugar for body & face exfoliation
- Apple cider vinegar as a toner
- Baking soda & toothpaste as a teeth whitener
EVOO Moisturizer- I’ve actually become quite a fan of this. I read that Greek woman use olive oil to keep their skin clear, and have been doing so for years. I was a bit hesitant because I have had some skin problems in the past (of the breaking out variety). I was thinking “oh yea sure, rub oil all over my face. That won’t make me break out at all!” It turns out this trick really works. By no means did it keep my face completely clear but it was a great nightly moisturizer. I usually find that marketed face moisturizers actually dry out my skin. No sign of that with the olive oil. I read that you should only use extra virgin olive oil from Spain if you’ll be using it on your face or body. So, I skipped on over to World Market where they were conveniently have a sale on Spanish EVOO (it was obviously fate). Just wash with your normal cleanser, dry your skin and apply a half dollar sized pour of EVOO. I know half dollar sounds like a lot but I usually spread it around my entire face, then rub it in with my finger tips in small circular motions, really working it into the skin. I then rub my hands together and make sure my cuticles get a healthy dose. Then, I take a single paper towel sheet and gently press it on my face. Don’t rub it around. You’re just trying to get any of the excess oil, which if you rubbed it in, shouldn’t be much. Wake up to super soft skin and cleanse like normal!
Brown Sugar Body Scrub- There are more complicated body scrubs online that involve a few different ingredients. But for a quick solution just take a handful of brown sugar from your kitchen cabinet and rub on wet skin. Before I tried this, I had no idea how course brown sugar really is. It feels like any store bought hand/body sea scrub situation and it smells scrumptious. It leaves me totally silk soft and smooth, and ready for a baked treat (which may actually be a down side).
Apple Cider Vinegar Toner- I always pair this with the brown sugar scrub. First exfoliate with the scrub, then dry your skin, and apply the apple cider vinegar with a cotton ball. I don’t know if you’d want to use normal, white vinegar as apple cider is a weaker. Just leave the toner on for 10-15 minutes then rinse of with a few splashes of water. I haven’t tried to leave it longer than that or just not wash it off at all but if you’ve got dry skin I wouldn’t recommend it. Don’t forget it is a type of vinegar after all. From what I read, you want to keep you scrub and toner use down to about 2 times per week.
Baking Soda Teeth Whitener- We all have those instances when we look in the mirror, see a shade less than white and more into the blech shade group, and think it’s time to whiten those chompers, pronto. I’m obsessed with having my teeth super white, because they are one of my best features. I swear I could have any dentist I wanted with these bad boys. That means I whiten my teeth at least once a year. I’ve never had them professionally done because well, ain’t nobody got time OR money for that. So usually I either buy the Crest White Strips or something similar. I decided to try this slightly more natural and way cheaper option. I just squeezed some tooth paste into a mini mixing bowl with a bit of baking soda (about 1 1/2 tbsp). I mixed that concoction together, got some on my toothbrush and went to town. Haha, not really, teeth brushing hasn’t been exciting since I stopped using that color changing tooth paste. This worked well, but not as well as the whitening formulas you can buy at the store. It’s recommended to do this about 2 times per week. While I did see a difference, I know that I would have to continue baking soda whitening for a while before I got to a whiteness level I was happy with. Whereas, I know I can buy a 3 day round of strips and be more than happy with the results by the 2nd-3rd day. But that just shows you how many more chemicals are in the store bought stuff. I’m not sure if I’d continue using this method.
There are still a few other at-home beauty tricks I’m getting ready to try out. I’ll let you all know how it goes! Do you use any DIY beauty remedies?
Hi Sam,
I am loving your site and will return often!
I’ve always had dry skin and you are right, I would not try the vinegar (cider or other) as a toner. But body scrubs are fabulous for removing that dry flaky layer and leaving your skin silky smooth, as you said. For me, after showering, I stay in shower and with wet skin, scrub gently with a mixture of EVOO and brown sugar, then rinse, pat dry, and voila, I feel beautiful! Once a week is good; Sunday afternoon is usually my home “spa” time. I haven’t tried EVOO on my face but plan to do so this weekend. Spanish, of course!
I’m currently using a slightly different baking soda method to whiten my teeth. I combine equal parts of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, wet my brush, dip into the mixture, and for about two minutes brush gently with the mixture, re-dipping my brush often. Once a week is good. I’ve had my teeth professionally whitened and have used the whitening strips, but afterward my teeth were so sensitive, I have chosen this gradual method. I’ve read on Pinterest (what did we do before Pinterest?
) to combine baking soda with lemon juice, apply with a cotton swab and let this remain on your teeth for several minutes, then gently brush off. I’m not sure if I’ll try this, as the baking soda and peroxide are working well for me.
I grew up on the beach in south Florida, and the combination of sun, salt, and pool water chlorine really fried my fine hair. Once a week before shampooing, I used to combine full-fat mayo with an egg yolk, plaster my hair with it, let it stay on for as long as I could stand it (until the heat of my head had warmed it, about 20 minutes), rinse off in the kitchen sink, then head to the shower. This really worked and was a very inexpensive way to rescue my locks.
Again, love your site, and thanks for the tips!
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