WKND beauty: Top natural beauty remedies from your kitchen

Right there on the kitchen shelf of your home, you can find some of the most powerful natural ingredients for your everyday beauty regimen. From a quick-fix to long-term treatments, beauty care is so easily available to us. In fact, long before cosmetics were manufactured, women commonly looked at home remedies to enhance their beauty, or to deal with beauty problems.

Here are some ideas...

Garlic-infused hair oil: Garlic is a common ingredient available at home. It is said to be very beneficial for the hair and can actually control hair loss and promote growth. Research has indicated that garlic helps hair growth because it contains selenium and sulphur, which also reduce bald patches and strengthen hair. You can make hair oil at home, which is infused with garlic. This can be done by chopping garlic cloves into small pieces and adding it to warm pure coconut oil or olive oil. Keep it in a jar and store for seven to 10 days in a cool, dry place. Or, you can mix chopped garlic with warm coconut oil and use it as a pre-wash oil, leaving it on the scalp for half an hour before your shampoo.

Moisturising honey face pack: Honey is one of the most powerful natural moisturisers. All the properties of honey make it an ideal natural cosmetic ingredient. It suits all skin types and nourishes the skin when applied externally. Mix half a teaspoon honey, one teaspoon rose water and one teaspoon dried milk powder, into a paste, and apply on the face. Wash it off with lukewarm water after 20 minutes.

Rosewater moisturising lotion: Oily skins also suffer from dryness sometimes, especially when you wash the face with soap. For a moisturising lotion for normal to oily skin, take 100 ml rose water and add one teaspoon pure glycerine. Mix, shake well and keep it in a jar, in the fridge. You can apply this on your face to relieve dryness.

Milk cleanser: Milk contains protein, fats, vitamins and minerals. To cleanse normal to dry skin, take half a cup of cold milk and five drops of any vegetable oil, like olive, sesame seed or sunflower oil. Put it in a bottle and shake well. Cleanse the skin with it, using cotton pad. Keep the leftover mixture in the fridge.

Yoghurt and turmeric face pack: Yoghurt is extremely nourishing for the skin. It contains lactic acid, which restores the pH balance of the skin. When applied on the skin, it relieves dryness and removes tan. It also has a healing effect on acne. Take 2 teaspoons of yoghurt and add a pinch of turmeric. Mix well and apply it on the face. Wash off after 20 minutes. Turmeric is a natural antiseptic and has an anti-inflammatory effect. It helps soften the skin and lightens skin colour over a period of time.

Avocado face mask: For normal to dry skin, mix one ripe avocado, with one teaspoon each olive oil, curd and honey. Apply on the face and leave on for 20-30 minutes. Wash off. Avocados are extremely beneficial for the skin. They contain vitamins and fatty acids, which nourish the skin and improve its texture. Olive oil also nourishes the skin and acts as a natural emollient, making it perfect for dry winter months. Curd restores the normal pH balance of the skin and honey moisturises it.

Cream of milk: Cream of milk (malai) is extremely nourishing for dry skin in winter. It softens the skin and makes it smooth and radiant. It is suited for dry skin and also helps lighten complexion over a period of time. It can be added to face masks and body scrubs. When applied on the lips, it helps soften and lighten the colour of darkened lips.

Choker face pack: For all skin types, mix three teaspoons choker with one teaspoon each of ground almonds, honey, curd and egg white. Apply on the face, avoiding the lips and area around eyes. Wash off after 20 minutes.

Saffron under-eye mask: For the area around eyes, soak a few strands of saffron in milk for half an hour. Soak cotton wool pads and apply under eyes, or use as eye pads. This relieves dryness and dark circles.

With the ease of access to these ingredients, you don’t need to look any further than your kitchen to start your daily skincare routine and give your skin the nourishment it deserves!

wknd@khaleejtimes.com