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Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Turn Wholesome Fruits and Veggies into Natural Beauty Products

By Marilyn Etzel

Who said that beauty couldn't be easy and inexpensive? The traditional trend is that the more expensive it is the better it must be. Nonsense. Create your own beauty at home.

Cosmetic companies don't always play fair. They say that their products are natural but that may not be the whole truth. The ingredient label lists some natural compounds but in the final formula, fillers and preservatives can far outnumber the amount of natural components. This can lead to skin irritations.

One way to avoid the truth or near-truth of the beauty industry is to create your own natural beauty products. You'd be surprised to know that many modern cosmetics are a matter of chemical formulas in the lab. Just like with modern medicine and other chemical compounds, makeup began with the use of natural substances and scientists tried to go one better by using artificial formulations. Unfortunately, the result can often irritate your skin.

What's wrong with nature? You probably have many natural beauty ingredients in your home right now. Home beauty recipes include fruits, herbs, flowers, and vegetables as ingredients. If you don't have your own garden, choose products that have been cultivated without chemicals. Some pesticides can leech into fruits and vegetables.

1. Lemons - They are useful for more than a cool drink on a hot summer day. Lemon juice functions as an astringent and a skin lightener. Wash a lemon and use one half to rub over your face to pull out impurities and excess oils. Lemon smelling hair spray can be created using lemon juice that has been reduced in a saucepan and reconstituted with water.

2. Roses - This flower is a symbol of romance and natural beauty. Rose petals in the bath help to soften and fragrance your skin. Check petals for any small insects before tossing them in your water. Rose water skin treatments are made of coconut milk and steeped rose petals.

3. Strawberries - We all hate how strawberry seeds get in our teeth and bridgework. But, those seeds are good for more than being a nuisance. Use those small seeds as an exfoliant for your body and face. Combine strawberries with coarse salt crystals and some olive oil to create an exfoliating scrub.

4. Bananas - Who knew they were good for more than making bread? The main vitamin in bananas is potassium. It works in the body to balance our water composition. On the face, it can do the same thing. Crush a banana and combine in a blender with egg white and plain yogurt to create a facial mask to remove excess oil and impurities.

5. Honey - Honey contains antibacterial properties for a healthy body. Those properties can be transferred to the skin with a honey facial mask. For dry skin, mix some natural honey with cooked oatmeal. Oily skin requires an astringent like vinegar in combination with the honey. Splash your face with warm water to open pores and then apply the mask.

Get back to nature by putting together your own beauty treatments from plants and other ingredients that are not harmful to the body and contain no fillers or preservatives. You might have to mix up your favorite moisturizer or beauty mask once every two weeks or so but that's a small price to pay for natural beauty.

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