11 Genius Beauty Fixes from Your Fridge
Want shinier hair, clear skin, and a smooth body? Then raid your kitchen for these wonder ingredients. Experts do it, and their homemade treatments are pure enough to eat. By Gina Way, REDBOOK.
Coconut oil does everything! It's packed with nourishing fatty acids that cure a whole range of issues:
Use it in a mask for damaged hair or just to nix frizz, says New York City hairstylist Nunzio Saviano. Rub a tiny bit between your palms, then dab on any fuzzy bits. "The oil repels water to prevent more frizzing," says Saviano.
Soften rough body skin. "I apply it anywhere I have scaly patches-heels, shins-and it gets rid of them almost on contact," says dermatologist Ellen Marmur.
Remove stubborn makeup. It takes off even waterproof makeup with ease-and without having to pull at skin.
Related:Do This to Make Sure Your Anti-Aging Products Really Work
Heal chapped lips. Slather it on before bed; wake up with a smile.
Three genius uses for milk: It does a body good in more ways than one. "Whole milk is a natural moisturizer that's rich in lactic acid, which gently dissolves dead skin and calms inflammation," says Marmur. Use it to…
Make a complexion-brightening compress. Fill a bowl with chilled milk and soak a new, soft kitchen sponge in it. Wring out the sponge and press it all along your face for five to 10 minutes, replenishing the milk as you go. "The slight acupressure helps reduce puffiness," says Marmur.
Relieve dry, ashy skin. "A milk bath works wonders," says Price, who recommends filling your tub with warm water, pouring in 16 ounces of whole milk, then soaking for 15 minutes.
Related: 10 Facial Oils for Every Skin Type and Concern
Treat a sunburn. If you get scorched, soak a washcloth in a bowl of ice-cold whole milk, then drape it over the burn until the cloth is room temperature. It'll bring down the pain and redness.
Make an ultra-rich body scrub. Follow the lead of Donna Steinmann, founder of the organic body-care line Medicine Mama's Apothecary. In a bowl, combine:
1 mashed-up ripe avocado
1 Tbsp each sea salt, extra-virgin olive oil, and honey
"Avocado, olive oil, and honey are all super-hydrating, and sea salt can help soothe chronic skin conditions like eczema," Steinmann says.
Whip up a luxe deep conditioner. Lisa Price sells Hair Smoothie treatments in her beauty line Carol's Daughter, but just for us, she shared a favorite D.I.Y. version that works on all hair types. Toss into a blender:
½ mashed avocado
2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup fresh mango cubes ½ banana
Blend until smooth, "then apply the mix throughout dry hair from roots to ends-or, if you have fine hair, just from mid-length down," Price says. Put on a shower cap and wait 15 minutes, then shampoo and condition. "The oils in these foods give your hair amazing shine and softness, and the mango scent is heavenly," she says.
Related: 5 Hairstyles That Look Better on Dirty Hair
Zap pimples and ingrown hairs with ginger root. When you feel a zit coming on, try this trick from New York City dermatologist Ellen Marmur, M.D., author of Simple Skin Beauty: "Cut a cross section of ginger root, then gently massage the soft interior part on the pimple for five minutes. It'll help unclog pores and kill acne-causing bacteria, but it won't dry out your skin the way a spot treatment can. This also works to loosen an ingrown hair."
Soothe windburn with yogurt. "But it has to be whole yogurt--the low-fat kind won't work." Spread a thick layer on chapped, stinging skin, leave it on for 15 minutes, then rinse it off and apply your usual moisturizer.
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