My grandmother, very Chinese and very superstitious, always told me if I wasted food I was destined to be hungry for a lifetime. To this day I clean my plate because visions of becoming homeless and hungry loom in the back of my mind at all times (thank god for the fast metabolism I was blessed with because I've miraculously managed to stay a size double 0 despite eating like a linebacker) So when I discovered that Alpha Hydroxy acids are made from citrus acids, I realized I could eat grapefruits, oranges, or lemons and use them as beauty products! I should get double karma points right? I remember the first time I did this, I ate an entire grapefruit standing at the sink while massaging it into my face at the same time. I must have looked like a total psycho with grapefruit pulp dripping down my face, neck and arms but I didn't care, I was racking up lots of good karma for being so thrifty! My husband walked in on me and doubled over with laughter and when I explained my theory of being frugal he suggested I stop buying Hermes birkins instead of slathering citrus all over my face. (He obviously does not understand the laws of karma, buying Hermes birkins IS being frugal because I'll use them for a lifetime. How long did that paddington last in my closet?) Anyway, it didn't hurt much and I didn't scar myself although it did sting a bit when the pulp got stuck in my eyes but after I rinsed it off, my skin felt really smooth! You can do this with oranges but it's not as acidic so it doesn't work as well and lemons are kind of scary cuz it burns and may blind you so grapefruit is the ideal. Try it the next time you crave vitamin C!
Another home remedy I love is using egg white to massage my face. I used to keep beaten egg whites in a bowl (1 egg white will last a few days) in the fridge at all times because my son was only allowed egg yolks until 12 months old and I couldn't eat all of the egg whites left over. Every night after I cleansed my skin, I'd walk in the kitchen and start my routine. I'd massage for at least 5 minutes and then let the egg white dry and harden before washing it off. I swear it makes skin softer than a baby's bum, it's also a great tightening mask before going out at night. I don't have much time to experiment with home remedies with my new found career as an online publisher and a mother of a two year old so let me know your favorite at home beauty remedies! Email me or leave in comments :) We will pick our top five favorites and share them with our readers in next Friday's edition of Beauty Secrets of the Fabulous.
i'll have to try these! i always feel like i have extra eggs sitting in my fridge.
my favorite home remedy is using honey as an exfoliating/moisturizing mask. i gently massage a tablespoon or two into my face and let it dry. if i feel i need a bit more exfoliation, i add about a teaspoon of sugar. my favorite variation of this involved mashing some pomegranate seeds into the honey. something about the fruit acids (and plenty of antioxidants!) left my skin feeling so soft and fresh! it really gets rid of any dull, dry skin.
I just want to know when you sleep :) You are truly beauty obsessed and I love all the tips!
If your skin is flaky or just need an extra boost of glow, do the following. Mix about one teaspoon of sugar with about two teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil (I say "about" because i never measure things out). Firmly massage the mixture, in circular motion, all over your face for two minutes. Rinse off with water first and then follow with a gentle cleanser. I swear you will love the silky skin that is unveiled. **Though if your skin is acne prone, I would not recommend this.**
A few tips for you girls to try:
For gorgeous nails, soak your nails in lemon juice.
For super soft hands, scrub hands using sugar/salt granules with olive oil.
To shift those horrible eye bags: after drinking your green/white tea -the tea bag version, place it in the fridge and make it COLD.Then, spray on some water from Avene Facial Spray to make it moist and leave it on your eyes for about 20mins. The rich antioxidants and the cold would help in the depuffiness of the eye bag, and help reduce those annoying dark circles.
Also, after juicing a fruit concoction of APPLE, BEETROOT, and CARROT, take those fibres and use it as a face masque. If it's a little too dry, put a little juice in it. See, you'll get healthy and pretty!
Dear Beauty Snob,
I am Korean and we are nuts when it comes to 'homemade natural face mask'. =)
You are right. Egg white is great to get rid of blackheads because it works as a deep cleanser. You can also add one spoon of honey for the moisturizing benefit.
You can also do 1 egg yolk + 1 big spoon of milk + 2 drops of sesame oil.
Put the natural mask on your face for 20 minutes and it will give so much firmness for your beautiful face. =)
I have a lot of tips but couldn't think of any now...but I will definitely post again when I see it on my note book :D. Both my mom and grandma are very traditional about the beauty tips (I was born in Taiwan too) and my mom always warn me not to drink carrot juice after tanning, otherwise it makes our Asian skin stay darker or turn REALLY yellow (yeah...Asians are crazy about brighting the skin...), but I guess it will be really great for girls who wants to keep their tan! Plus carrot juice are a great source of vitamin A!
I love it! everyone has such great tips.
I like to put cucumbers over my eyes after a late night out :)
When I was a teenager, I used to have problems with pimples and "white heads" on the side of my cheeks. My mom used the egg white mask on me every night, and it worked!
Beauty Snob, I absolutely LOVE your posts about your experiences based on your Asian ethnic background. I would LOVE it if you can do a post on current skin whitening/lightening products in the market! It's huge in Asia, but in the U.S., there's not enough information or reviews available.
My number one DIY Beauty Secret is using a mix of sweet almond oil and sugar or salt as a body exfoliant. It goes like this:
1. Mix 2-3 tablespoons of sweet almond oil with enough sugar or salt to fully 'soak up' the oil. I vary the sugar/salt grain size according to where I am scrubbing - smaller for face, extra large for feet!!
2. In the shower recess I apply the scrub in circular, sweeping motions generally directed towards the heart - this not only gets rid of the nasty dry flaky skin but also improves my circulation.
3. Only turn shower on and rinse once exfoliation is complete, as the water will dissolve the sugar or salt = no exfoliant grains in bottom of shower!!
4. I generally use a gentle cleanser or body wash following exfoliation for areas more prone to oilyness/breaking out. Although this removes the excess oil, the skin is still left feeling silky-smooth and moist.
Using this remedy, not only does my skin benefit from the exfoliation but sweet almond oil is one of the best all round natural moisturisers. It is full of naturally occurring antioxidants, fatty acids and anti-inflammatory agents - all things that I LOVE in my skincare. Best of all, sweet almond oil is super gentle and I use it on my baby girl for massage and to tend to her dry skin.
I find it funny that your husband thought the black mask you used was weirder than the grape fruits and egg white masks.. I would have thought the opposite!
Rinse with green tea.
1) Make green tea (enough for rinsing your face),
put it in the fridge to make it ice-cold.
2) Before using the green tea, wash your face with lukewarm water, to open the pores.
3) Finally use the cold green tea to wash your face cleanly.
*If you're using powdered green tea, then put 2 cups of water for every 1 teaspoon of green tea powder.
There aren't any specific directions for using tea bags, but I believe it's okay to just make green tea like always and use that.
Awesome tips. My husband too is perplexed why I have no problem buying a paddington but make a $4.50 chicken stretch into a soup, baked chicken breasts, stew, chicken livers, and chicken pot pie. And I am not even Asian.
If you have allergies that make your eyes watery and itchy, the best thing ever is to wash them with tea. Just make some tea in a cup and cool it, then take one of those round cotton pads and soak in tea, and put over your eyes like you would cucumbers in a spa. Takes care of the pain, itchiness, puffiness, and redness.
Chapped lips get cured with butter if you don't have chapstick handy.
Butter also works on minor burns.
Camphor oil (yes I know it smells weird) will work on a particularly painful or big pimple. Just dab it with camphor oil before going to bed and by the morning it should get better.
And last but not least - for the shiniest, most gorgeous and soft hair, use egg yolks. Take 2 or 3, depending on length, mix them thoroughly but don't beat them, and work into lather, using as a shampoo. The smell will be weird, but wash off and then use a shampoo like you would normally, follow by conditioner - just your typical wash. The smell will go away, but the effects will be magnificent.
I got this home remedy from my grandmother in India, you basically take dry red lentils (they actually look orange) and put it through your coffee-grinder till you get a fine powder (it'll look like powdered TANG orange drink).
With a bit of this powder, add a bit of water and make it into a paste. Slather that all over your face (except the eyes). As it dries, you'll feel the mask really hardening, it might hurt a bit and it doesn't smell all that great but once it's all dried up, wash it all off with warm water.
Your skin will look flawless, this is the best exfoliating mask I've ever tried, bar none. I've passed this recipe to friends of mine in diplomatic circles in Vienna, Istanbul and NYC and they too swear by this now.
okay you guys, you'd better be right. :) i now have egg whites drying on my face and i feel utterly insane!
Okay, the eggs were amazing. I heard about egg YOLK masks...anyone hear about that? Does it work?
I love egg white too. When I was young & broke, I relies on egg white as a mask.