Weird Beauty Tips

Hello Beautiful!
These are some beauty tips I have tried that I think you will find useful and you won't break the bank!…


Diaper rash cream
I sometimes use my baby's diaper rash cream on my knees and elbows during the harsh winter months :).Diaper rash cream are great for treating dry skin condition. Their main ingredient is Zinc Oxide, which have intense moisturizing properties and anti-inflammatory ingredients that help to treat cracked feet. When applied to the rough skin of the elbows it helps to soften them.

Coffee grounds
My sister taught me this: Get a packet of instant coffee ground- it doesn't have to be the pricey brand. Take a handful of the coffee ground, add a squirt of your usual liquid bath soap, add a teaspoon of water,mix thoroughly, then apply to face and neck area to exfoliate. It works wonders! Your skin will feel soft and clean. It is recommended to use it 2 to 3 times week.

Petroleum Jelly
I got this from sisiyemmie.com. She listed about 6 uses of vaseline petroleum jelly. I have found the use of petroleum jelly as a eye make-up remover very useful. Aside from doing the job of an eye make-up remover, it also serves to moisturize the eye area which usually gets missed when applying lotion/cream to face.

Liquid antacid
Someone told me sometime ago how she used milk of magnesia as oil mattifier- just a pea size on oil prone areas on the face before applying powder or foundation. I did try it and it did work, but you have to be careful not to apply too much so as it doesn't cake.
Also,You can make a face mask out of liquid antacid. Apply liquid antacid on a clean face as a mask and keep it on for 15 minutes. Rinse with water and see the difference. Antacid breaks down oils and acids on the skin, just like it does inside your stomach.

Mayonnaise
 I do like my conditioners thick and creamy so I use mayonnaise as  the main base with other ingredients like shea-butter. It gives the hair a lot of moisture. Whip some mayonnaise plus an egg-yolk and some melted shea-butter . Shampoo you hair and then apply some mayo-conditioner on your partially wet hair. Keep it on for at least 10 minutes. Wash it off with water. Your hair will feel softer and look silkier after this mayonnaise treatment.

Raw potato
Worried about puffy eyes after staying awake late into the night? Raw potato slices will help. Just cut two thick slices and place them on your eyelids. Keep them on for 15 minutes. This will help to reduce eye puffiness. 

Tea Tree Oil
For acne scars and spots, mix a teaspoon of tea-tree oil with 2 table spoonfuls of witch hazel toner. apply with cotton swabs to cleansed affected area twice a day.

..Did You Know….??

                          …….You can grow 11 miles of hair in a year!…

 If you took every strand on your head-all 100,000 to 150,000 of them…and laid them end to end, after a year of growth you'd have anywhere from 7 to 11 miles of hair on your, errr……hands.

While each stands's average output is roughly a centimeter per month,its lifespan is only about 4 years, which explains why most manes don't fall longer than mid-back, but you can maximize growth potential.

"Eating a healthy diet that's rich in protein and iron is a good way of maintaining health hair" said Dr Paradi Mirmirani, a dermatologist in Vallejo , California, who specializes in hair disorders.

  

Culled from Spirit Mag. of Southwest/Airtran airlines

…Wonders of Cucumber….

Culled from Conscious Life News

CUCUMBER TIPS & TRICKS THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS!! 

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2.For a pick me up in the afternoon... Put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours. Slice some and put in your water bottle.

3. If you rub a cucumber slice along your bathroom mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Place a few slices of cucumber in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemical in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free.
Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries by European trappers, traders and explorers for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don’t have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don’t have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don’t have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the photochemical will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a ‘green’ way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but it won’t leave streaks and won’t harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

Skin Deep.

Ten years ago I was one of those that could get away with just " soap and water" as part of "beauty/skin regimen". I discovered quickly over the years that the skin needs extra care, especially if your skin is exposed to the elements (sun, cold, wind) a lot.As you must have heard or read, the skin gets drier and loses its "glow" as one gets older.However, Two things remain constant-CLEANSING and MOISTURIZING!…..But unfortunately,…It is not always that simple..:(

So,let's talk about the 3 most common active ingredients in most skin products:Note that the active ingredients listed on mostly all beauty products are listed according to their concentrations-from the highest to the lowest.

1. Water : AKA Aqua,is THE main ingredient in most hair and skin products. So is it safe to say we are buying water mixed with "chemicals"?…I wonder....
2. Mineral oil: AKA Soft paraffin-One of the most common active ingredients in beauty products. It is a liquid form of petrolatum ,consisting of mixtures of hydrocarbons that are byproducts of crude petroleum distillation.  This link provides some useful information about mineral oil
3. Glycerin: This is a  humectant (scientifically,are hygroscopic substances that attracts moisture e.g lecithin,propylene glycol). In beauty products they are draw moisture to the skin. They are sometimes used to counteract the dehydrating effects of other active ingredients like some alcohols . 

There are thousands of beauty/skin care products out there promising younger looking skin to "happy-ever-after skin"…..the dilemma, however, is finding what works! 
My recommendation is to make sure the beauty product you use provides enough moisture without being too heavy on the skin or hair.I have tried some of them over the years and I can say "trial and "error" is the rule of the game. Bear in mind that what works for someone else might not work for you, also what worked for you 5 years ago might not work for you now……The skin changes as well.

         
       ….Thoughts?...