DIY Beauty: Unusual Ingredients
Sometimes when I'm looking at these homemade beauty recipes, I'm struck by the interesting and unique ingredients that you can find within them. There are just some things that I'm surprised to learn that can be used in DIY beauty products!
So today I thought that I'd share with you some of the recipes that make use of odd ingredients. Who knows? Some of these might appeal greatly to you! Or maybe they're not as intriguing as I think...
Dandelion Wine Bath
4 cups fresh dandelion flower beads
2 quarts boiling water, 8 cups
1 orange, cut into slices
1 lemon, cut into wedges
3 cups granulated or raw sugar
6 whole clove buds
2 cinnamon stick
½ package dried yeast powder
¼ cup warm water
Place dandelion flowers in a glass bowl. Pour boiling water over and let sit for a week. Strain dandelion liquid, and add orange, lemon, sugar, clovers, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil; simmer for 30 minutes. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add yeast to saucepan and let mixture stand 2 days. Strain through coffee filters into large glass container. Let stand for 3 weeks, then strain again. To use: ½ cup into your bathwater and stir well.
Can of Beer Hair Rinse
Adding one can of beer to your hair gives it life and helps to thicken it. Just wash it out with water!
Horseradish Hair Treatment
¼ cup freshly grated horseradish root
¼ cup plain yogurt
Mix together to form a smooth paste. Massage into hair and scalp. Wrap hair in plastic wrap or use a plastic shower cap; leave on for 15 minutes. Shampoo and condition as usual.
Roaring Twenties Conditioner
1 packet unflavored gelatin
¼ cup warm water
1 egg
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Dissolve the gelatin in the warm water, stirring well. Add egg and lemon juice into mixture. Shampoo hair as usual. Rub conditioner into hair and leave on for 1 – 2 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with warm water, then finish with cool water rinse.
Caribbean Rum Conditioner
3 tablespoons rum
1 egg
Mix ingredients and stir well. After shampooing, pour into hair and leave in for 1 – 2 minutes. Rinse well with cold water.
Red Onion Rinse
1 small red onion
2 tablespoons malt vinegar
Chop the onion and leave it to infuse in the vinegar topped with warm water to cover for twenty four hours. Do not use hot water. Strain after 24 hours. To use: use as a rinse after washing hair. Follow with shampoo & conditioner. The rinse brings out the color of auburn hair.
Jalapeño Hair Tonic
2 small jalapeno peppers
½ cup vodka
2 tablespoons castor oil
Chop pepper into tiny pieces and place in ceramic bowl. Pour vodka over and allow to sit for several days. Strain off vodka and discard peppers. Add castor oil to the vodka and pour into clean bottle. Shake before using. Massage a small amount into scalp before bedtime.
Lettuce Softening Tonic
1 ¼ cups water (preferably rainwater)
1 head of lettuce, chopped (any variety)
Heat the liquid until almost boiling. Pour over the chopped lettuce and steep for a few hours. Strain the liquid through a sieve and pour into a sterilized bottle and seal. Apply using cotton pads.
Other tips - a crisp lettuce leaf rubbed directly on the skin can help to combat oiliness. A solution made from boiling fresh lettuce with water, when added to the bath, has been shown to promote sleep. Lettuce juice is also soothing to sunburns.
English Tea Astringent
2 tea bags of your choice
¼ cup boiling water
¼ cup witch hazel
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pour the boiling water over the tea bags and allow them to steep for at least an hour to make a highly concentrate infusion. Combine the cooled tea with the witch hazel and lemon juice. Stir the mixture well and pour into a clean bottle. To use: Apply to clean skin with a clean cotton ball or pad after cleansing.
Also - Wet tea bags with cool water, lie down, and place a bag over your eyelids. Rest for 10 – 15 minutes. The caffeine will reduce swelling. Or tie a few bags under the water faucet of the tub when filling it with hot water. Chamomile will aid relaxation and peppermint will wake the body up.
Black-Eyed Pea Cleanser
½ cup dried black-eyed peas
Preheat oven to 400 F. Spread the beans out on a cookie sheet or baking pan and bake for 5 minutes to remove any moisture. Do not overbake. Let the beans cool completely. Place the beans in a clean coffee or spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. Sift the ground beans using a flour sifter and discard any pieces that remain in the sifter. To use: Mix the bean powder with a little warm water in the palm of the hand to create a smooth cleansing cream. Massage the cream over your face, rinse with warm water and pat dry. Store any leftover cleanser in a clean, dry container.
Peanut Butter Dry Skin Healer
Massage a tablespoon or two into rough patches of skin. Leave on for about 15 minutes and wipe off with a paper towel. Finish by rinsing in warm water.
Miracle Whip Exfoliator
This one is really weird to me!
Make sure all your hair is pulled back from your face. Apply a thin layer of the Kraft Miracle Whip all over your face, up to the eyelashes and make sure to also put some on your neck. The "fumes" from the vinegar may bother you so walk around the house to try to escape them.
Leave on for 10 minutes, then massage gently. The dead skin cells on your face will roll off in rubbery little balls. Rinse your skin with tepid water, then cleanse as usual following your regular beauty regime. If you apply the KMW every day, in 6-8 weeks your skin should be completely renewed.
Share and share alike.
Kitty Litter Mask
From about.com
Now, I have to say, NO WAY would I try this one! I know that it's just a clay mask, but there's something about the fact that it's cat litter that's just too off putting.
1 bag cat litter (must be marked '100 Percent Natural Clay')
Water
Drops of your favorite essential oil
Mix in a couple tablespoons of the cat litter with water and drops of oil (we find the oil helps make the experience somehow less kitty litter-ish)
Apply mask to face and wash off after 15 minutes.
And I think with that one, I'll end it!
So, what do you think? Would you use any of these unusual ingredients in your DIY beauty products???
DIY Beauty: Unusual Ingredients
Sometimes when I'm looking at these homemade beauty recipes, I'm struck by the interesting and unique ingredients that you can find within them. There are just some things that I'm surprised to learn that can be used in DIY beauty products!
So today I thought that I'd share with you some of the recipes that make use of odd ingredients. Who knows? Some of these might appeal greatly to you! Or maybe they're not as intriguing as I think...
Dandelion Wine Bath
4 cups fresh dandelion flower beads
2 quarts boiling water, 8 cups
1 orange, cut into slices
1 lemon, cut into wedges
3 cups granulated or raw sugar
6 whole clove buds
2 cinnamon stick
½ package dried yeast powder
¼ cup warm water
Place dandelion flowers in a glass bowl. Pour boiling water over and let sit for a week. Strain dandelion liquid, and add orange, lemon, sugar, clovers, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil; simmer for 30 minutes. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add yeast to saucepan and let mixture stand 2 days. Strain through coffee filters into large glass container. Let stand for 3 weeks, then strain again. To use: ½ cup into your bathwater and stir well.
Can of Beer Hair Rinse
Adding one can of beer to your hair gives it life and helps to thicken it. Just wash it out with water!
Horseradish Hair Treatment
¼ cup freshly grated horseradish root
¼ cup plain yogurt
Mix together to form a smooth paste. Massage into hair and scalp. Wrap hair in plastic wrap or use a plastic shower cap; leave on for 15 minutes. Shampoo and condition as usual.
Roaring Twenties Conditioner
1 packet unflavored gelatin
¼ cup warm water
1 egg
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Dissolve the gelatin in the warm water, stirring well. Add egg and lemon juice into mixture. Shampoo hair as usual. Rub conditioner into hair and leave on for 1 – 2 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with warm water, then finish with cool water rinse.
Caribbean Rum Conditioner
3 tablespoons rum
1 egg
Mix ingredients and stir well. After shampooing, pour into hair and leave in for 1 – 2 minutes. Rinse well with cold water.
Red Onion Rinse
1 small red onion
2 tablespoons malt vinegar
Chop the onion and leave it to infuse in the vinegar topped with warm water to cover for twenty four hours. Do not use hot water. Strain after 24 hours. To use: use as a rinse after washing hair. Follow with shampoo & conditioner. The rinse brings out the color of auburn hair.
Jalapeño Hair Tonic
2 small jalapeno peppers
½ cup vodka
2 tablespoons castor oil
Chop pepper into tiny pieces and place in ceramic bowl. Pour vodka over and allow to sit for several days. Strain off vodka and discard peppers. Add castor oil to the vodka and pour into clean bottle. Shake before using. Massage a small amount into scalp before bedtime.
Lettuce Softening Tonic
1 ¼ cups water (preferably rainwater)
1 head of lettuce, chopped (any variety)
Heat the liquid until almost boiling. Pour over the chopped lettuce and steep for a few hours. Strain the liquid through a sieve and pour into a sterilized bottle and seal. Apply using cotton pads.
Other tips - a crisp lettuce leaf rubbed directly on the skin can help to combat oiliness. A solution made from boiling fresh lettuce with water, when added to the bath, has been shown to promote sleep. Lettuce juice is also soothing to sunburns.
English Tea Astringent
2 tea bags of your choice
¼ cup boiling water
¼ cup witch hazel
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pour the boiling water over the tea bags and allow them to steep for at least an hour to make a highly concentrate infusion. Combine the cooled tea with the witch hazel and lemon juice. Stir the mixture well and pour into a clean bottle. To use: Apply to clean skin with a clean cotton ball or pad after cleansing.
Also - Wet tea bags with cool water, lie down, and place a bag over your eyelids. Rest for 10 – 15 minutes. The caffeine will reduce swelling. Or tie a few bags under the water faucet of the tub when filling it with hot water. Chamomile will aid relaxation and peppermint will wake the body up.
Black-Eyed Pea Cleanser
½ cup dried black-eyed peas
Preheat oven to 400 F. Spread the beans out on a cookie sheet or baking pan and bake for 5 minutes to remove any moisture. Do not overbake. Let the beans cool completely. Place the beans in a clean coffee or spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. Sift the ground beans using a flour sifter and discard any pieces that remain in the sifter. To use: Mix the bean powder with a little warm water in the palm of the hand to create a smooth cleansing cream. Massage the cream over your face, rinse with warm water and pat dry. Store any leftover cleanser in a clean, dry container.
Peanut Butter Dry Skin Healer
Massage a tablespoon or two into rough patches of skin. Leave on for about 15 minutes and wipe off with a paper towel. Finish by rinsing in warm water.
Miracle Whip Exfoliator
This one is really weird to me!
Make sure all your hair is pulled back from your face. Apply a thin layer of the Kraft Miracle Whip all over your face, up to the eyelashes and make sure to also put some on your neck. The "fumes" from the vinegar may bother you so walk around the house to try to escape them.
Leave on for 10 minutes, then massage gently. The dead skin cells on your face will roll off in rubbery little balls. Rinse your skin with tepid water, then cleanse as usual following your regular beauty regime. If you apply the KMW every day, in 6-8 weeks your skin should be completely renewed.
Kitty Litter Mask
From about.com
Now, I have to say, NO WAY would I try this one! I know that it's just a clay mask, but there's something about the fact that it's cat litter that's just too off putting.
1 bag cat litter (must be marked '100 Percent Natural Clay')
Water
Drops of your favorite essential oil
Mix in a couple tablespoons of the cat litter with water and drops of oil (we find the oil helps make the experience somehow less kitty litter-ish)
Apply mask to face and wash off after 15 minutes.
And I think with that one, I'll end it!
So, what do you think? Would you use any of these unusual ingredients in your DIY beauty products???
Do-It-Yourself Beauty