Sugar as Face Scrub? Yes! Plus More Kitchen Beauty Tips

Did you know there are products just sitting on your kitchen shelves and waiting to be used for more than sweetening your tea or making lemonade?

I went nosing around in my kitchen recently to see what I could use for better health and beauty.

Here are a few of my favorite homemade health and beauty aids. None has artificial ingredients or chemicals. They're good for you and good for the environment.

1. Facial and Body Scrub: Exfoliating is one of the most important things we can do for the health of our skin, both face and body. Plain old white sugar is one of the best exfoliants around. Keep a jar of it in your shower. Take a handful and gently massage your entire body with it, using a soft washcloth, and be extra gentle with your face. Rinse and the sugar crystals simply melt away down the drain. So much better than eating it!

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2. Moisturizer for Hair, Face and Body: The ancient Romans knew what they were doing when they slathered "liquid gold" on every part of their bodies, saving a little for their hair. It can be used for just about anything. Watch this to see what olive oil can do.

3. Jump-Start Your System: There are so many things you can do with lemon juice (preferably freshly squeezed). Soak your nails in it (without polish) to reduce yellowing. And better yet, take a tablespoon or two of freshly squeezed juice and mix into a tall glass of warm water. Imbibe it first thing in the morning, before drinking or eating anything else. It's a great way to hydrate and jump-start your system.

4. Treat Rosacea: Yogurt is an effective treatment for rosacea, a common skin condition. It softens skin while calming the redness - especially after eating something spicy or enjoying a little too much heart-healthy red wine. Apply it as a mask and leave on for about 15 minutes. Rinse and apply a light layer of olive oil.

5. Chemical-Free Kitchen and Bathroom Disinfectant: For better overall health, try to avoid using chemicals in your home. To disinfect your kitchen and bathrooms, make this simple solution and use as your everyday kitchen countertop cleaner: Mix water, ¼ cup white vinegar, 8 drops of tea tree oil and a few drops of lavender oil (for fragrance) in a spray bottle, and shake well. Tea tree oil has natural disinfectant properties, and the white vinegar is a terrific general cleaning product.

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Want a few more ideas? Take a look at this short video from The Best of Everything After 50 series for the AARP YouTube Channel:

Photo: Tiny Telecast

 

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