View Full Version : what are your favorite DIY home beauty remedies?
FiendishGyrator
08-11-2011, 10:27 AM
I've been living out of hotels now and then for work and because of priceline, fairly nice hotels with nice brands of coffee and tea gratis. So I've tried a tea bath, and last night I did a coffee bath where I made the water dark with the pod of starbucks coffee they gave me. Then after the bath was ran, I opened the pod and used the grounds to scrub my face and body and I thought it made my legs REALLY smooth.
now, supposedly, this helps make your skin darker without tanning and I can't comment on that. It's also supposed to help with cellulite (scrubbing and leaving it on your thighs for up to ten minutes) and I know I've used it in the past for this but I haven't lately so once again, can't comment on that.
As a free exfoliant, I like it though. I would just prefer to find an organic coffee to do this with.
Danee
08-11-2011, 05:08 PM
Not sure if this has been mentioned but home made Tend Skin
Ingredients:
½ cup rubbing alcohol (70% kind)
1 teaspoon witch hazel
20 uncoated aspirin, crushed
Clean, empty bottle
Instructions:
Throw everything together in a clean bottle and shake well before each use.
Zinaida
08-11-2011, 05:14 PM
I like coconut oil as a moisturizer and leave-in conditioner too. Using a towel on skin fresh out of the shower is the best exfoliator too IMO.
firemaiden04
08-11-2011, 07:03 PM
I use homemade laundry detergent and fabric softener. Works 10 times better than anything storebought. I've never seen my whites come out of the dryer so freaking white before.
Also, a mixture of 2 parts purified water and 1 part distilled white vinegar to get all the discoloration due to environmental effects out of my blonde hair. I'm fixing to get one of those water-filtration shower heads, because the water we get here is freaking terrible and since they just changed where we're getting it from, my hair and skin has gone totally haywire.
amorescudero
08-11-2011, 07:25 PM
Sugar wax! I make homemade sugar wax and use it on my eyebrows and bikini areas. Its also edible hahaha (I don't think it tastes to good though :/ ) waxing at home saves me alot of money....plus its all natural, so I think its better on skin
4everresolutions
08-11-2011, 11:42 PM
I use homemade laundry detergent and fabric softener. Works 10 times better than anything storebought. I've never seen my whites come out of the dryer so freaking white before
How do you do this? I'm curious. I'm using the Tide Free & Gentle stuff right now, plus some anti-bacterial additive for washing, and Bounce Free & Sensitive for my fabric softener but I'm still noticing irritation on my decolletage, forearms and legs. I'd love to try something "homemade".
tropicalust
08-12-2011, 08:42 AM
I use 1 cup of baking soda as a detergent, no need for a softener and it leaves my clothes clean and fresh. In case you need a softener you can mix it with apple cider vinegar.
d.catherine
08-12-2011, 03:26 PM
I recommend witch hazel to everyone. It does so much: It reduces the swelling of breakouts, reduces oil production, and reduces sweating. If you put it on your armpits before you put on deodorant, then you can be almost sweat-free in any situation.
PLAYAGIRL
08-12-2011, 05:25 PM
Sugar wax! I make homemade sugar wax and use it on my eyebrows and bikini areas. Its also edible hahaha (I don't think it tastes to good though :/ ) waxing at home saves me alot of money....plus its all natural, so I think its better on skin
How do u make it??? Would love to do it...
FiendishGyrator
08-12-2011, 05:41 PM
the recipe I use is borax, washing soda, and one to two bars of natural soap.
Here's one recipe though most are pretty similar. you can also add any essential oils you have around the house for scent (which you'd need many drops for) or as a germ killer like tea tree oil.
http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm
I tend to make big batches in a five gallon drum, and then use old gallon water jugs and fill those up and cap them to be stored in the laundry room until I need them.
FiendishGyrator
08-12-2011, 05:44 PM
edited:
I'm using henna for the first time on my hair. we'll see how it works. I'm tired of dye killing my hair and just fading out after a couple of weeks.
FiendishGyrator
08-12-2011, 07:03 PM
^nah, it's really easy and kind of fun. It's a nice evening project and a five gallon drum of soap lasted me...I think like 4 months? It only took less than an hour to do. Maybe an hour and a half if you put them in gallon jugs like I do when it gels up.
amorescudero
08-12-2011, 07:46 PM
How do u make it??? Would love to do it...
I watched this really good movie called "caramel". Its in arabic ( with english subtitles)...but its about these trendy women living in some arabic country who own a salon...its like kinda a sex in the city but in arabic. Well they used this sugar wax stuff and it looked awesome. If you google sugar wax you will find tons of recipes. I use the one from this site the most. http://members.cox.net/ahmedheissa/rechalaw.htm
Some people use it when its liquidity with the strips....and some use it when its harder and they spread it with their fingers The strips is easier to get the hang of.....but the more solid form is pretty awesome. Its like waxing with candy lol plus the residue washes off easy and you don't have to use oil stuff to get residue off
xGigi
08-13-2011, 02:55 PM
I've been living out of hotels now and then for work and because of priceline, fairly nice hotels with nice brands of coffee and tea gratis. So I've tried a tea bath, and last night I did a coffee bath where I made the water dark with the pod of starbucks coffee they gave me. Then after the bath was ran, I opened the pod and used the grounds to scrub my face and body and I thought it made my legs REALLY smooth.
now, supposedly, this helps make your skin darker without tanning and I can't comment on that. It's also supposed to help with cellulite (scrubbing and leaving it on your thighs for up to ten minutes) and I know I've used it in the past for this but I haven't lately so once again, can't comment on that.
As a free exfoliant, I like it though. I would just prefer to find an organic coffee to do this with.
I've heard this. something about the caffeine increasing blood flow and getting rid of dimples. sounds like a load of bs. as far as I know there's no way to get rid of cellulite.
GlamourRouge
08-17-2011, 10:34 AM
screw the salon, sally's and sephora! what do you find right in your kitchen that makes you look great for a fraction of the cost? beauty products ain't getting cheaper...share your tips!
salt as a facial exfoliator?
peroxide for blonde root touch ups? coffee for brown hair? lemon juice for highlights?
cinnamon for lip plumping?
microwaved olive oil for a DIY hot oil treatment?
share share share!
Honestly, just experiment! Try out new things until you find something that works for your skin/hair/body. Everyone is so different in terms of what works well with their skin/hair/body.
My 2 favorites:
Sugar as an exfoliator
Coconut oil, shea butter, natural oils for a moisturizer
I try to use primarily only natural products (and preferably organic) because chemicals scare me. Honestly, natural products make my skin/hair/nails healthier and stronger in the long run.
PLAYAGIRL
08-17-2011, 07:23 PM
I watched this really good movie called "caramel". Its in arabic ( with english subtitles)...but its about these trendy women living in some arabic country who own a salon...its like kinda a sex in the city but in arabic. Well they used this sugar wax stuff and it looked awesome. If you google sugar wax you will find tons of recipes. I use the one from this site the most. http://members.cox.net/ahmedheissa/rechalaw.htm
Some people use it when its liquidity with the strips....and some use it when its harder and they spread it with their fingers The strips is easier to get the hang of.....but the more solid form is pretty awesome. Its like waxing with candy lol plus the residue washes off easy and you don't have to use oil stuff to get residue off
Thank u:):)
tropicalust
08-18-2011, 10:25 AM
I try to use primarily only natural products (and preferably organic) because chemicals scare me. Honestly, natural products make my skin/hair/nails healthier and stronger in the long run.
Can you give us some natural brands pleasee?? :P
AmishGirl
10-30-2011, 10:31 AM
screw the salon, sally's and sephora! what do you find right in your kitchen that makes you look great for a fraction of the cost? beauty products ain't getting cheaper...share your tips!
salt as a facial exfoliator?
I don't use salt on my face, but - I use it on my hands. When I'm done with my at-home manicure, I take a big handful of salt (just regular table-stuff), and put a squirt of soft-soap on my hands, and rub 'em together, and rinse. I'm telling you it keeps my hands soft for the whole week!
AmishGirl
11-29-2011, 10:34 AM
I recommend witch hazel to everyone. It does so much: It reduces the swelling of breakouts, reduces oil production, and reduces sweating. If you put it on your armpits before you put on deodorant, then you can be almost sweat-free in any situation.
THANK YOU for this! I've started doing this and the difference is remarkable, I'm so glad to have discovered this!
gjratedp
11-29-2011, 11:15 AM
Honey and Sugar to exfoliate my face. I also put toothpaste on zits.
I'm going to try adding baking soda in my shampoo and toothpaste.
Butrcup79
11-29-2011, 01:00 PM
I use olive oil for home manis. After soaking them in water and pushing back the cuticles I soak them in the olive oil.
UwishUknewhy
12-04-2011, 06:23 PM
bump.....
ShelleyPaige
12-04-2011, 10:00 PM
I dye hair with body art quality henna. gorgeous auburn on my brown hair and really good for hair too. Very permanent lol. I also love baths with olive oil or apple cider vinegar. I use jojoba oil to take off eye makeup. I also drink a tablespoon of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar in water before some meals, don't know if it really does much but I like to think it does.
Candy Girl
12-05-2011, 12:17 AM
Aloe vera gel to moisturize skin and hair. In hair, works as a non-chemical light gel.
Mayonnaise as a conditioner. Warmed honey as conditioner. Pure glycerin as conditioner and moisturizer.
This thread rocks!
pink_bunny
01-16-2012, 12:53 PM
Here's the advice that my grandmother wrote down for her daughter those many years ago:
IN THE MORNING: Mix a handful of oatmeal with enough spring water to make a paste, and put this mixture on your face and neck. When it dries, rinse the paste off with whey, then -with water, and dry your skin with a soft rag.
AT NIGHT: Rub a mixture of honey and glycerin onto your face, then wipe it off gently—after a while—with a soft cloth.
ONCE A WEEK: Add a teaspoon of honey to one mashed apple, mix them together, and put this "cream" on your face and neck. Leave it in place for half an hour, and then rinse with whey or cold milk. (Make sure your husband will be gone awhile before you start this treatment!)
TO SMOOTH WRINKLES: Apply barley water and a few drops of balm of Gilead to your wrinkles every day.
TO BLEACH YOUR SKIN: Rub cucumber slices on your face.
FOR SOFT HANDS: Shake a half cup of glycerin, a half cup of rose water, and a quarter cup of witch hazel in a jar. Apply this to your hands after they've been in water.
TO HEAL CHAPPED HANDS: Rub them with damp table salt.
FOR BRIGHT HAIR: Add vinegar to the rinse water after washing your hair, or make a rinse of mullein, nettle, sage, or burdock tea.
TO DARKEN GRAY HAIR: Boil an ounce of chamomile or sage in a quart of water for 20 minutes. Rinse your hair with this brew, and use a hairbrush dipped in strong chamomile or sage tea.
TO PREVENT DANDRUFF: Rub a tea made from the leaves and bark of a willow into your scalp. Rinse the area with marsh mallow tea.
FOR A RELAXING BATH: Hang a bag of dried comfrey or rosemary In the bath water.
FOR PERFUME: Fill a jar with pressed rose petals (or any sweet-scented flowers), add as much glycerin as the container will hold, and cover It tightly. After three weeks, you can pour the perfume off into a bottle.
TO MAKE A SACHET: Combine one ounce each of powdered cloves, caraway seed, nutmeg, mace, and cinnamon with six ounces of powdered orrisroot. Put the mixture in fancy bags and place them in closets and dresser drawers.
Now, some of the ingredients that Granny mentioned may not be familiar to you. Take "balm of Gilead", for example. That's just plain ol' balsam. And "marsh mallow tea" sounds like a sticky mess, but Grandma wasn't talking about the soft, white candy ... she was referring to the root of the marsh mallow plant. "Orrisroot", another name that may be puzzling to modern folk, Is the dried, powdered root of various European Iris plants.
Grandma foraged or grew most of her Ingredients, but you can often find them in health food stores, supermarkets, and pharmacies ... or even still growin' wild along the roadside.
Naturally (no pun Intended), I started to use some of these old-time recipes and found that comfrey does make a nice skin softener ... while oatmeal leaves the skin silky and is especially good on oily teenage complexions,
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Nature-Community/1979-01-01/Herbal-Beauty-Secrets.aspx?page=2#ixzz1jeXDOvjw
bmodel84
01-16-2012, 10:41 PM
I love all these ideas!
Im def one to try to do the most natural thing and am getting better all the time with finding natural remedies.
I love raw, unfiltered African shea butter. Its a great moisturizer for dry months in the winter for me. Way better than lotion crap.lol I use it on my feet and put socks on after I give myself a pedi. Good to sleep in too, next morning theyre super soft. Now some will say they dont care for the scent of shea butter, but I dont think there is much of scent, and its not offending to me. I will def be trying coconut oil/butter.
I love taking half a lemon and throwing it in a footbath and soaking my feet for about 10 mins then rubbing them down with either sea salt or sugar. The acidity helps rid the feet of dead skin and helps to soften calluses, bleaches/whitens toe nails too! Of course before all of this I go over any sort of rough spots on my feet with me ped-egg.
When i want a relaxing bath that will moisturize I use either raw honey, almond oil, or milk. Or all three plus a few drops of lavender essential oil or eucalyptus oil.
I love to make a moisturizing and exfoliaiting mask by mixing honey and sugar together and leaving on my face for abt 15-20mins. Banana is supposed to be great for a mositurizing mask, but Ive only done this twice. Actually all kinds of fruit can be used in a mask. Ill be trying the ground rice though when I get a new blender. lol
Milk helps calms redness from irritation and sunburns. Feels very soothing!
Cold green tea bags for puffy eyes, feels very nice too!
Apple cider vinegar as a toner after I wash my makeup off. Apple cider vinegar has LOTS of health benefits, just google it. Ide like to get in the habit again of drinking warm water with it mixed in every am because its soo beneficial. My great great grandmother did and I believe she lived to be 101 or so and looked great into her old age too.
I use shea butter or almond oil on my lips to relieve chapiness. Use sugar and drop or 2 of water to exfoliate dead skin off lips, makes nice n rosy red too.
I think thats about it! Cant wait to try the other ideas :)
tempest666
01-17-2012, 03:24 AM
I'm gonna use cucumbers if it will make my skin whiter!!!! :-D
I do my own pedicures using vinegar and epsom salts. I soak my feet and then rub off the dead skin. Works wonders :D
charlie61
01-17-2012, 07:36 PM
^ No kidding? What kind of vinegar? And do you mix it with the salts? Or do you use the salt to slough off the dead skin after you soak your feet in vinegar?
LeahBabii
01-18-2012, 12:38 AM
I'm in love with this thread!!
All i can really add is:
Tea Tree Oil-for pimples they usually go away by the morning.
Jasmine Rice Water Toner- grab some organic jasmine rice put it into a bowl then add your water, stir it till its cloudy then drain the water out and bam you have your toner. I will forever thank my chinese neighbor that showed me this :)
Flickdreams
01-26-2012, 04:29 AM
Morning and night I used a homemade toner of 1/2 ACV and 1/2 cooled green tea. My skin was glowing, soft, and breakouts were non-existent. I had women stop me in the street and compliment me, telling me I was glowing.
I typically have super red cheeks, dry skin, and hormonal acne along my jawline. Unbelievable.
I also have super dry hair. Scrunching in some olive oil midlength to ends if I have time before a shower has been really good to my dryness and frizz.
telll me, What is dat?
/:O
firemaiden04
01-26-2012, 04:49 AM
All right, sorry it took me so long, but everyone's been asking for this, so I finally took the time to type it up here:
Recipe to make your own laundry detergent
You will need:
1 bar of soap (whatever kind you like)
1 box of washing soda (comes in a giant Arm and Hammer box, will probably be in the laundry aisle of the grocery store)
1 box of borax (OPTIONAL--if you use it, be careful when handling)
a five gallon/15 liter bucket with lid
3 gallons tap water
A large wooden spoon with a long handle
1) Put 4 c. water into pot on stove and heat until nearly boiling. Take a knife and (carefully) shave strips off the bar of soap and into the water. Keep shaving until the bar is gone. Stir hot water until all soap is dissolved. Water should be extremely soapy.
2) Put three gallons/11 liters hot water into the bucket (you can measure it by filling a gallon milk jug three times). Mix in the soapy water from step one, stir well using the wooden spoon, then add 1 c. of the washing soda. Keep stirring for another couple minutes, then add 1/2 c. borax (if you're using it). Stir for several more minutes, then let sit overnight to cool.
This will look like a bucket of gelatinous slime that will be a much lighter shade than the soap you used. You will want to use about one cup of this mixture per laundry load--therefore, you'll get about 45-50 loads out of every bucket.
And if you're looking for a fabric softener/whitener, I HIGHLY recommend getting a large jug of distilled white vinegar. Add a few drops of an essential oil--I recommend lemon. You don't have to add the oil, but if you don't, your finished laundry will smell faintly of vinegar. Seriously, I have never seen whites come out of the dryer this white and soft before.
Gabrielle_
01-27-2012, 01:59 PM
Oil of any kind (almond, coconut, apricot, olive) + sugar for a great exfoliant.....also used coffee grinds are good exfoliant and temporarily tighten up the skin
charlie61
01-27-2012, 09:35 PM
telll me, What is dat?
/:O
Apple Cider Vinegar. Buy it at most grocery stores. It's very, very cheap...so spring for the organic, unfiltered stuff with "the mother."
LAChloe
01-28-2012, 03:53 AM
this thread is gold! i am printing it out! can't wait to make my own laundry detergent!!!!
tempest666
01-28-2012, 07:20 AM
I mix the epsom salt, vinegar, and hot water together.