My favorite natural beauty secrets-- Try these at home!
I've been asked what my favorite natural beauty secrets are and that is so hard to narrow down because there are so many great ones as you have probably seen if you have searched the site.
But, being pressed for a decision, I would probably have to say that they are the ones that I use most frequently.
Probably my absolute favorite beauty secret is what I use to exfoliate my face...HONEY and BAKING SODA! Raw honey is the best due to the natural enzymes.
This might sound crazy, but it smells great, and believe me, it works. I try to do this 2-3 times a week. Every time I do this, I still can't believe how soft and smooth it makes my skin!
Simply mix equal parts honey and baking soda in a small bowl or right in your hand. Add a touch of water, if needed, for consistency. Apply the mixture to your face in the warm shower or at the sink and lightly scrub the mixture in a circular motion all over your face and neck.
Since the mixture is already on your hands, don't let it go to waste! Scrub your hands with the remaining mixture! Let it sit for a few minutes so the honey can do it's work, and then rinse off with warm water....ah, the skin of the rich! Try this before trying expensive microdermabrasion!
I follow this routine with Aubrey's Organics moisturizer and Burt's Bees Carrot Day Creme patted lightly under my eyes. My fiance can't stop commenting on how soft and healthy looking my skin is, as well as how deliciously natural it smells! And what woman doesn't want her man to constantly caress and kiss her face?
Now, I would be remiss if I didn't add that if I know I am going out into the sun, I ALWAYS try to remember to use at least and SPF 15 sunblock/moisturizer, but I prefer an SPF 30 since I am very fair.
So, those are my top beauty secrets for my facial skin. But, there is another product I bring from my kitchen right into the shower that I use to exfoliate the skin all over my body...COFFEE GROUNDS! Yes, you heard right.
When I was in L.A. I heard that many celebrities, like
Halle Berry
swear by this beauty tip as a cellulite reducer, too. It is supposedly the caffeine that does the trick.
And if you look at many of those expensive cellulite reduction creams and lotions, you will usually see that caffiene is, in fact, one of the primary ingredients.
So, if you are ready to try this, take the grounds from this morning's coffee into the shower with you and scrub them vigourously all over your body and concentrate on the areas you want to tone down.
Make sure you have a good strainer on your shower drain if your pipes are known to clog! I let the grounds stay on while I shampoo my hair and relax. Then I wash off the grounds with Soap Planet's Goat Milk Soap.
You can also try an extended version of this ritual if you want to really concentrate on the cellulite reduction:
-Stand over newspapers or trashbags and rub the grounds on your body.
-Then, take Ace bandages that have been soaked in Aztecan clay and water. (Aztecan clay has drawing properties to pull out impurities.) Wrap the bandages tightly over the coffee grounds around your legs, buttocks, hips, and stomach.
-Put on a pair of plastic workout pants with elastics at the ankles if you have them (or wrap your body again in plastic wrap and put sweat pants on).
-Leave on for 30 minutes to one hour...whatever feels comfortable for you and give the coffee and clay time to do their magic.
-You can do housework or light exercise during this time which helps the solution get into the skin. A light massage over the bandages doesn't hurt either.
-When you are ready, unwrap and shower off. You will definitely feel the difference!
-Use this technique often if you are fighting cellulite.
Watch the video below for some more great natural beauty tips using products you may have right now in your own kitchen pantry!