Raid your kitchen for effective beauty secrets

Forget about making a run to the cosmetics shop. Your very own kitchen is full of great natural beauty products for the skin.

Your kitchen is full of alternatives to those expensive, chemical based and processed, over-the-counter cosmetics. And are more importantly a much healthier and skin-friendly formulation. So why not use them?

Here are some food swaps for your routine skin care products. The best part? You can find them all in your very own kitchen!

Natural cleansers

• Milk (lactic acid), sugar cane (glycolic acid), and grapes (tartaric acid) make wonderful facial cleansers.
• Olive oil or sesame oil can be used as make-up removers.
• Strawberries contain natural salicylic acid, which is a great cleanser for acne prone skin.

Natural scrubs/exfoliators

• Rolled (coarsely grounded) oatmeal can be a great facial cleanser with gentle scrubbing properties for all skin types.
• Dried and coarsely grounded orange/lemon peel, almonds, or brown sugar can also be used as gentle scrubs.
• You could also make a great scrub out of walnut powder, honey and lemon juice, 1 teaspoon each.

Natural moisturisers

• For dry skin: mashed ripe banana, avocado, papaya and egg yolks works wonders. Poppy seeds and peanuts both contain natural oils; their paste can be applied over the face to get a lasting sheen. Curd is also a well-suited potion for dull skin.
• For oily skin, egg whites are very nourishing. Fenugreek and red gram paste can also be applied to control excess oil, while keeping your skin moisturised.

Natural astringents/toner

• Apple cider vinegar is an excellent toner.
• Cucumber, pineapple and lemon juices are naturally occurring astringents.

mDhil’s must-try skin-care tips: 

• Before any at-home treatment, give yourself a “pre-mask prep” to prime your face by having a simple steam to open and cleanse your pores for easy and better absorption of nutrients.
• For a smooth and silky feel of skin, rub some “baking soda” all over the body while in the shower. You can also do this on your face to remove black heads.
• Vinegar works wonders for smelly armpits and feet. Mix vinegar and water in equal proportion and use in place of deodorant. If you suffer from athlete’s foot, a “vinegar foot bath” can even help you completely get rid of your condition.
• Benefits of turmeric or haldi are well known. Apart from its antiseptic properties, it also helps in reducing under eye dark circles and puffiness, soothing cracked heels, minimizing pigmentation/wrinkles, and giving skin a radiant glow.
• Olive oil can be used to sooth sunburned skin.
• Dip your nails in lukewarm olive oil for healthier talons.

Some cool and easy skincare tips for all times:

• Use natural skin toner like “rose water” after cleansing the face.
• Boil green tea leaves in water, cool it down and use it as a sunscreen below your makeup.
• To remove tan, apply a mixture of cucumber and lemon juice and wash off after 20 minutes. Alternatively, mix a pinch of turmeric in some yogurt and apply in a similar way.
• Mint is an excellent refreshing agent for the skin, if you have been out in the sun.