Removing Dandriff with Epsom Salt

If you are troubled with a flaky scalp, try removing dandruff with Epsom salt.

Here's how:
With your hair still dry - take one or two tablespoons of epsom salt and massage it into your scalp. The salt helps to lift and loosen those ugly dead skin cells (dandruff flakes are dead skin cells).

After a thorough massage, wash your hair with your regular shampoo using a scalp brush. Before you start to rinse your hair, comb the bulk of the shampoo out of your hair. The combing action pushes the flakes that you have loosened with the epsom salt to the ends of your hair for easier washout. Now, rinse your hair well and condition as usual.

Best of Allure
This product won an award from Allure's 2010 Best of Beauty nominations.

Product Features: Kills 88% of bacteria and fungi that causes dandruff; Stops the itching, flaking and static; Ball-tipped bristles gently massage your scalp; Flexible cushion pad

You Need a Clarifying Shampoo Now and Then

If you use shampoo, conditioners, hair spray, or for that matter any hair products, chances are you need a clarifying shampoo now and then.

When we use hair products, they build up on the hair, leaving it dull, unmanageable, and lifeless. Clarifying shampoos remove this buildup, leaving the hair shiny, soft, and healthier looking.

If you are unable to locate a clarifying shampoo in your supermarket, here's a mixture I use on my hair every three to four weeks:

To a plastic container I mix together 1/2 cup of my favorite shampoo and 1/2 cup baking soda. With this mixture, I wash my hair twice, rinsing well after each shampoo. I always finish the routine by conditioning my hair and rinsing well again.

When I feel products are building up on my hair again, I strip them off with a clarifying shampoo or I use this mixture.

Naturally Tighten Droopy Permed Curls

If your permed curls are droopy, simply tighten them up naturally with lime juice. Here's how:

• 1. Mix one teaspoon lime juice with one cup cold water.
• 2. Comb mixture into hair, then shampoo as usual.
• 3. Remove excess water from hair by patting, not rubbing.
  
  How does this work? The natural oil and citric acid from the lime juice tightens each strand of the hair.

Avocado, Honey, Olive Oil or Mayo, Hair Conditioner

To 1/2 avocado pulp, mix 1 tablespoon honey and 2 tablespoons olive oil or mayonnaise. Blend ingredients to a spreadable consistency. Gently massage mixture into the scalp and hair; let hair rest 20 minutes with your head in a shower cap. Shampoo and rinse as usual.

Photo: Courtesy of California Avocado Commission

Facials Before a Big Event

I personally believe facials are good for the skin, but skin can react differently after a facial, and it may need time to recover. Whiteheads may work their way to the surface of the skin; the skin may turn red; it may peel; or unknowingly, a person may have developed an allergy to a facial ingredient. In my opinion, it is a better choice to avoid facials ten to fourteen days before any big event.

Eye Primer Recipe

The secret to vibrant, long lasting, true to color eyeshadow is eye primer. It can be purchased, or you can make your own. To make your own:

Combine 2 parts concealer with 1 part oil free moisturizer in a small container. Mix well with a toothpick.

Apply a thin coat to bare skin, let dry. Now you are ready for eyeshadow.

Soften Hands with Coffee Grounds and...

For soft hands, mix 2 teas. coffee grounds (can be used grounds from the coffee filter) with 1 teas. olive oil. Rub this mixture on your hands for one full minute and then rinse well. The coffee exfoliates; the olive oil nourishes and softens.

I've been told models use a mixture of lotion and coffee grounds to smooth dimply skin. Mix the lotion and coffee grounds together, and then knead the skin. Repeat several times a week.

If you try this, be sure to use a fine mess screen over the drain to catch the grounds; too many grounds can clog the drain.

Avocado Pulp Hair Conditioner

Avocados are packed with vitamins! A,C, D, E, and potassium. To soften hair naturally try conditioning it with avocado.

1. Peel the avocado and toss the peel.
2. Mash the pulp of a very ripe avocado, and then spread it on the hair.
3. Place a shower cap or plastic bag over the coated hair.
4. Allow the nutrient-rich avocado to coat the hair for a few hours.
5. Remove all the avocado with a gentle conditioning shampoo.

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Supermodel's mayonnaise, yogurt and apple cider skin care

Tonight I read on Way Bandy's myspace that a well known supermodel uses mayonnaise to remove her makeup, yogurt to wash her face, and apple cider as an astringent (astringents remove traces of cleansing products on the face that can clog pores.) I can't wait to try this combination.

It always amazes me how simple and inexpensive food products around the kitchen are used. One of my favorites still remains the Sugar Scrub I posted in March that is made from sugar, olive oil and lemon.

For those who are unfamiliar with Way Bandy: Before his untimely death, he was a free-lance designer for fashion magazines such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Cosmopolitan. He also designed for cosmetic advertising, television commercials, films, and theater. He was a pioneer and another great talent in the cosmetic world that lost his life from AIDS.

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Are you sugar scrubbing yet?

Are You Sugar Scrubbing Yet?
Scrubbing your face and body with sugar is a gentle way to exfoliate the skin. The basic ingredients for a sugar scrub includes: Sugar, liquid, a few drops of essential oils, and your favorite moisturizer or lotion.

But why use a sugar scrub?
But why would you want to use a sugar scrub in the first place? Sugar scrubbing is a great way to remove dead skin cells from your body helping to speed up your skins’ renewal process.

How does a sugar scrub help my skin?
As the skin is being massaged in a circular motion, excess oils and grime are removed, the skin is softened, stimulated, and the blood flow beneath the skin is increased – all resulting in a beautiful healthy glow.

Where to start
First begin by washing your face and body with a gentle soap or other cleanser and warm water. Grab a handful of pre-made sugar scrub and massage it into your skin in a circular motion. The sugar will dissolve naturally. Rinse the sugar scrub from your body, pat your skin dry with a clean towel, and then follow with moisturizer for your face and body lotion for your body.

When you are ready to give sugar scrubbing a try, here are some great recipes you can put together in less time than it takes to make a cup of hot tea.

Invigorating Lemon Sugar Scrub
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon juice from a fresh lemon
3 – 5 drops *peppermint essential oil

In a small plastic bowl, combine all of the above ingredients together to form a paste. Wet skin and then rub sugar scrub over your body in circular motions. Keep the paste away from the eye area. When the sugar dissolves, rinse your body with clean water and then pat your skin dry.

*For a calming sugar scrub, try lavender or rosemary oil instead of peppermint oil.


Almond Grapefruit Sugar Scrub
1 cup of sugar
¼ cup almond oil (depending on the consistency you prefer)
5-10 drops of grapefruit essential oil

In a small plastic bowl, combine all of the above ingredients together to form a paste. Wet skin and then rub sugar scrub over your body in circular motions. Keep the paste away from the eye area. When the sugar dissolves, rinse your body with clean water and then pat your skin dry.

Give sugar scrubbing a try. You’ll be amazed with the results of this simple home made beauty treatment. Not only will your skin feel soft, but also the scent from the essential oils will make you feel as if you have just come from a spa.

Because sugar scrubs are natural and gentle, use them to uplift your spirits and soften your skin a few times a week. Experiment with different oils, lotions, and fragrances as you wish, and be sure to keep the sugar scrub away from the eyes.

This article is from our website Makeup and Beyond. For more beauty secrets visit us at http://www.makeupandbeyond.com/

Homemade Milk Bath to Soothe and Nourish

Milk baths have been used since Cleopatra's time because the natural ingredients soothe and nourish the skin.

To make your own milk bath, combine:

½ cup powdered milk
½ cup baking soda
½ cup Epsom salts
½ cup warmed honey
6 drops lavender essential oil, or other fragrance you enjoy

Toss this mixture under your bathtub faucet as your tub fills with water. Soak in warm tub 20 minutes. Rinse skin with clean water (the shower works well) before leaving the tub. Pat, do not rub, the skin dry. Follow with your favorite lotion.

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Natural Honey Firming Face Mask

Honey Firming Face Mask

• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Egg white
• 1 teaspoon glycerin (available at drug and beauty stores)
• 1/4 cup (or enough flour to form a paste)

Smooth mixture over face, leave on 10 minutes, and then rinse off with warm water.

According to the National Honey Board: Honey has a "wide array of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, as well as several compounds that function as antioxidents - compounds that delay damage to cells or tissues of the body."

Recipe and information source: National Honey Board

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Natural Skin Care for Winter

Natural Skin Care for Winter

The cold and blustery winter months are upon us and for many that means problems with their skin. Whether you suffer from dry skin all the time, or your skin becomes chapped from being outdoors in the wind or from forced indoor heating, or any other number of skin issues, I'm sure you wished there was a cure for what ails you.

Did you know there are actually many ways that you can care for your skin naturally without having to purchase anything from your local drug or department store? That's right, you have the ability to do your own skin care regimen at home for pennies, because most likely you already have everything that you need right in your own home.

Some ways that you can care for your winter skin naturally include:

Exfoliating: Especially if you have dry skin, exfoliating that old, dead skin can help allow moisture which you need to get into your pores once you have ridden them of those dead, flaky skin cells. To exfoliate you will need a physical agent like ground walnuts or apricot hulls, or an enzyme, which basically eats dead skin cells. There are even foods that are rich in enzymes which you can use to create your own at home mask to use in the process of exfoliation. These foods include pineapple and papaya. Milk also has fatty acids that mildly exfoliate. This is why the traditional milk bath has been so popular.

To create an easy inexpensive natural exfoliant, mix sugar with a drop of olive oil. Smoothe in on your skin in the tub and rub your skin gently. Rinse. I don't recommend eating this mixture, but it is awesome for your skin! Add a drop of your favorite essential oil to make it a spa treatment and relax.

Eating: Yes, something that you already do on a regular basis if done correctly can change your skin. For example to help dry skin, include foods in your diet that are rich in fatty acids. Some of these foods include salmon, olive and coconut oils, avocado, and nuts. Incorporate these into your daily diet to see what a difference they can make. What may look like dry skin may even be eczema or a rash caused by food allergies, so be alert to that possibility too.

Make Your Own Treatments: You can also make your own at home masks and treatments to treat other skin issues. Some common combinations are oatmeal, honey and water to create a mask, or avocado and honey. Smear these on your skin, allow to dry and then rinse them off.

A simple honey treatment to moisturize your skin and make it glow? Pat two drops of honey on your face after cleansing, while still damp. Your skin won't be sticky with such a small amount.

Skin care is important to the health of your skin as well as your appearance. It's best to care for your skin as naturally as possible, so why not try these options for caring for your dry winter skin.

For more beauty tips, visit our website, Makeup and Beyond at http://www.makeupandbeyond.com/

Face Mask Ingredient Chart

Have a little fun in the kitchen mixing up your own hydrating face mask for dry skin using a combination of one ingredient from each section. Choose ingredients that will make a paste for your natural face mask.

1. Choose 1 ingredient from section 1, 2, 3 and 4 below.


2. Mix your chosen ingredients together in a blender to smooth consistency, or seal them in a plastic zip bag and knead gently into a paste.


3. Apply mask to the face, keeping it away from your eyes and lips.


4. Let the face mask sit on your face 15 minutes before rinsing well.

NOTE: If you have allergies to any of the ingredients, please do not use those ingredients on your face. If your skin starts to itch, burn or have a negative reaction, rinse immediately. Even though many of these products are natural, you could still be allergic.

Section 1: Honey, Green Tea Liquid, Almonds, Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Vitamin C.

Section 2: Banana, Oats, Avocado, Pumpkin Pulp, Green Grapes, Brown Sugar.

Section 3: Butter, Mayonnaise, Emu Oil, Olive Oil, Coconut Milk. Yogurt, Dry Milk.

Section 4: Rosemary, Spearmint, Mint, Chamomile, Aloe Vera.

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Cooling Cucumber and Milk Face Mask

Try a cooling cucumber and milk face mask to nourish your skin. With cucumbers containing natural vitamins A & C, and minerals; calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium how can you possibly go wrong? A cucumber combined with vitamin-rich milk equals a fantastic anti-age fighting face mask.

Cut two *slices of cucumber and set them aside.

1. Mix the following together into a spreadable light paste.

• Juice of one cucumber
• 1 egg white
• Dry milk

3. To a clean face, apply mixture with a 1 inch natural bristled foundation brush to the face and neck area.

4. Lay *slices of cucumbers over your eyes.

Let face mask sit 25 minutes. Rinse well. Moisturize.

To get the full benefits of a Cucumber and Milk mask, use weekly.

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Firming Banana Face Mask

To firm the face, try a firming banana face mask. Mash the banana to a pulp (a great way to get out the frustration we experience with our aging skin), apply it to the skin, allow it to sit 10 minutes, and then wash it away.

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Oily Skin Tomato Face Mask

If you suffer from oily skin, try a tomato face mask. Mash up one or two tomatoes, apply to the skin, let it sit 20 minutes, then wash it away with lukewarm water.

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Pepto-Bismol Face Mask

For an inexpensive and gentle face mask, try Pepto Bismol. Apply it to the skin, allow it to dry (about 10 minutes) and wash it away with cool water. Pepto Bismol can also be used to gently exfoliate the skin.

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