With the past coming back around, it was only a matter of time before natural ingredients and their healing properties resurfaced. No matter the problem, nature always seems to have a remedy. Our grandmothers and mothers still swear by some of these secret bounties that nature has to offer. After all, there was a reason why mud baths and milk washes were a daily ritual for princesses and queens.
Here’s a lowdown on all kinds of kitchen ingredients that when used in skincare will surprise you with their results. They work like magic! Trust me, I use ubtan and aloe vera gel as a part of my daily skincare routine and I haven’t regretted it once!
1. Tangy Tomatoes
Tomatoes are packed with Vit C and A, so they are really good at improving and brightening your skin. They fight signs of ageing and reduce dark spots and wrinkles.
For clear skin:
The vitamins in tomatoes work wonders on skin texture.
Step 1: In a container, add 2 tablespoons of tomato juice.
Step 2: Add another 2 tablespoons of cucumber juice and a single drop of lemon juice into the mix.
Step 3: Apply this mix to your face and keep it that way for 10-15 minutes.
Step 4: Wash it off with chilled water.
2. Eggs Are Excellent
This power food is loaded with protein, fatty acids and vitamins making it a great add-on not only in your diet but your beauty regime. Here is a home remedy with eggs you absolutely must try.
They’re great moisturisers:
There is a certain protein called lutein in eggs, which will keep your skin hydrated!
Step 1: Crack an egg and pour only the white part into a bowl.
Step 2: Beat the egg until it becomes frothy.
Step 3: Add a teaspoon of lemon juice and a few drops of olive oil into the bowl.
Step 4: Mix all the ingredients well, and using a brush, apply it to your face.
Step 5: Let it sit for 20-30 mins and wash it off with cold water.
3. Cool Cucumber
Cucumbers act like natural skin toners and have cooling properties that help improve dull and greasy skin. It also should be your go-to quick-fix for puffy eyes (we know they can be quite annoying).
Use them for better skin texture:
Cucumber is considered to be a natural bleaching agent too. It’s cooling, and when put to the test, it can visibly improve your skin’s texture.
Step 1: Slice a cucumber and toss the slices into a mixer to turn them to juice.
Step 2: Pour this juice into a bowl.
Step 3: Add a few drops of lemon juice and sandalwood powder to the mix.
Step 4: Mix all the ingredients well and gently apply it to your face.
Step 5: Let it sit for 15-20 minutes and wash it off with lukewarm water.
4. Pick A Potato
Surprisingly, all it takes is just a slice of potato to give your skin a makeover! It’s a rich source of potassium and helps keep acne, fine lines and dark circles at bay.
For vibrant looking skin:
Step 1: Peel a potato and grate it.
Step 2: Now, pour some rose water over the grated potato.
Step 3: Add a few drops of lemon juice and honey to the mix.
Step 4: Mix well and apply it to your face.
Step 5: Leave it on for 15 minutes and wash it off with cold water.
5. Wondrous Wheatgrass
This detoxing potion is among the healthiest things in your kitchen. Packed with antioxidants, wheatgrass juice not only helps those with acne-prone skin but also treats blemishes and scars.
A thorough cleanser:
Step 1: Combine a few strands of wheatgrass with water. Blend. Strain with mesh or cheesecloth.
Step 2: Add one glass of this to your bath water.
Step 3: Soak in it for 15-20 minutes or bathe with the infusion by pouring it slowly over your body allowing it to soak.
Step 4: Then, step out of the wheatgrass juice infused water and pat your body dry.
6. Magical Milk
Bathing in raw (not pasteurised) milk has had its loyal following from Egypt to China. Raw milk can be used as a cleansing agent, a moisturiser, and its AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) content makes it an effective scrub as well.
To plump up your skin:
Step 1: Pour 1 cup of raw milk into a bowl.
Step 2: Add one teaspoon of honey to the milk.
Step 3: Mix this well, and apply it to your face and neck.
Step 4: Leave this on for 10-15 minutes and then wash it off with lukewarm water.
7. Go For Garlic
The allicin present in garlic has antifungal properties, which can treat pesky pimples. So even though the aroma might not be appealing, know that slathering this on actually SOLVES problems! There’s a simple solution for the stink, just take a little bit of toothpaste or mouthwash along with your regular cleanser. The mint rids you of the stench!
Say goodbye to those pesky pimples:
Step 1: Press out 2-3 cloves of garlic till you are left with some juice.
Step 2: Apply this on a pimple and leave it on for 10-12 minutes
Step 3: Wash it off with cold water.
Remove blackheads/ whiteheads efficiently:
Step 1: Grate 3-4 cloves of garlic in a bowl.
Step 2: Add 1 teaspoon of honey, 5-6 drops of lemon and one tablespoon of oatmeal to it.
Step 3: Mix the ingredients well and apply it all over your nose and chin and wherever else you might have blackheads.
Step 4: Let this pack dry up, and then scrub it in a circular motion for 3-5 minutes.
Step 5: Wash it off with cold water.
8. Lemon Love
Lemons are excellent for skin brightening and work really well for reducing age spots, fine lines and dark circles.
Get rid of annoying blackheads:
Lemons have antibacterial and astringent properties that help eliminate toxins and excess oil from the skin. Instead of getting your blackheads poked out at the salon, here’s what you can do:
Step 1: Slice a lemon into a half.
Step 2: Pick a piece up, and gently rub it on your nose.
Step 3: Let it sit there for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Wash it off with chilled water.
For baby-soft skin:
If you want baby soft skin, you’ve got to try this honey and lemon face mask! It’s perfect for sensitive skin and acts as a cleanser for oily skin.
Step 1: Squeeze a couple of lemons, and pour the juice into a bowl.
Step 2: Add 2 teaspoons of honey and mix well.
Step 3: Gently apply the gooey mix onto your face and massage well.
Step 4: Keep it on for 30 minutes, till it dries up, and then wash it with cold water.
9. Hello Honey
Honey moisturizes your skin, helps get rid of dead skin cells and gives you that much coveted natural glow.
The cleanser of your dreams:
Step 1: In a bowl, add 2 tablespoons of honey.
Step 2: Pour boiling hot water into the bowl.
Step 3: Stir till the honey dissolves and add a few drops of lemon juice.
Step 4: Now, pour this mix into your bathtub or into a bucket of warm water.
Step 5: Let your body soak for 15-20 minutes in the tub, or pour the water over yourself slowly and gently.
Step 6: Wash the warm and sticky mix off with cold water.
A great exfoliator:
Craving a facial but can’t be bothered to go to the parlour? Just run to your kitchen and fetch yourself a jar of honey! When honey solidifies, its crystalline granular form acts as a natural exfoliant and helps you get rid of dead skin cells. Say hello to baby-soft skin with this amazing home remedy!
Step 1: In a container, add two tablespoons of honey, a teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of lemon juice.
Step 2: Mix all the ingredients well.
Step 3: Give your face a nice rub for 5-10 minutes.
Step 4: Wash it off with chilled water.
A moisturising mask:
Tired of dry and dull skin? If that’s a yes, you NEED a change. Honey will help hydrate, moisturize and combat acne. Not to mention how drastically it improves your skin’s texture. No more dry patches!
Step 1: Using a brush, and apply honey all over your face.
Step 2: Let it sit there for 20-30 minutes.
Step 3: Once it hardens, wash it off with tepid water.
10. Curd Cures
It makes for a natural moisturiser and skin brightener. It helps clear dead cells and keeps skin pores healthy and clean. Here’s how to use yoghurt in your natural skin care routine:
Skin brightener anyone?
Step 1: Mix yoghurt and lemon juice in a bowl.
Step 2: Apply it to your skin before you take a shower.
Step 3: Wash it off after a good 30 minutes.
Step 4: Stick to this routine daily.
11. Terrific Turmeric
Haldi is the boss when it comes to ingredients for skincare. It can be included in a number of home remedies thanks to its bleaching and antibacterial properties. It helps brighten up your skin tone like no other natural beauty ingredient. Here are the multiple home remedies that make turmeric an essential element in your natural skincare routine.
Say bye-bye to tan:
Haldi is one of the most effective ingredients for removing a stubborn tan.
Step 1: In a bowl, add 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon of sandalwood powder.
Step 2: To this mixture, add a few drops of lemon juice to make a paste.
Step 3: Apply this all over the tanned area and leave it on for 10-15 minutes, until it dries up.
Step 4: Scrub it off with cold water.
Anti-ageing benefits:
Haldi is used for the reduction of fine lines and wrinkles that tend to appear on our faces after 25.
Step 1: Put 1 teaspoon of turmeric in a bowl
Step 2: Add to that some raw milk and 1 tablespoon of rice powder
Step 3: Mix this paste well and apply it all over your face.
Step 4: Leave this on for 30 minutes and then wash off with cold water.
Acne no more:
Turmeric has a lot of antibacterial and antiseptic properties, making it a godsend for fighting acne.
Step 1: Make a paste with turmeric and a few drops of water.
Step 2: Apply it all over your face and wash off in 15-20 minutes.
Within a few weeks of regular use, you will notice a visible reduction in the number of pimples you get.
An excellent exfoliator:
Want smooth and flawless skin before a big event? Haldi can help with that too. Use this home remedy once a week to see some amazing results!
Step 1: Mix 1 tablespoon of gram flour and turmeric in a bowl
Step 2: Add to that a few drops of lemon and some milk or yoghurt to form a paste
Step 3: Apply it to your face and body before a shower.
Step 4: Scrub this off once it dries up.