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Homemade beauty products are simple and quick to make—even moreso if you already have the ingredients in the pantry. Keep your kitchen stocked with these essentials to whip up on-the-spot masks, cleansers, and lotions without even a trip to the store.
Honey: Cleopatra knew what she was doing with those milk and honey baths: the bees' sweet stuff is a natural humectant, so it's made to hold moisture. For a simple skin lotion, mix one teaspoon honey, one teaspoon vegetable oil, and ¼ teaspoon lemon juice, rub on dry skin, and rinse off after ten minutes. Find more honey recipes at the National Honey Board’s website.
Sugar: The glycolic acid in sugar—and the rough texture&makes;makes it ideal for exfoliating while giving skin a healthy glow. Make a body's worth of sugar scrub by combining ½ cup sugar, two tablespoons of cream or whole milk, five drops of orange oil and one cup of olive oil. Leave on for 10-15 minutes and then rinse off.
Olive Oil: The vitamin E and antioxidants in olive oil make it another great moisturizing option: try soaking your nails in a cup for a shiny, at-home manicure; apply it to your hair, leave on half an hour, and then shampoo for gleaming locks; or rub it onto hands and feet for soft skin.
Eggs: The protein in eggs is especially good for your hair. Add one to one ounce olive oil, one tablespoon lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar for an easy shampoo—or combine one teaspoon of baby oil, one egg yolk, and one cup water for a quick conditioner.
Fruits and Vegetables: You already know they're key to good health—turns out they're important for great skin, too. Different recipes take advantage of the vitamins, minerals, and clean scents of different foods: avocados are great for vitamin E, carrots are high in beta-carotene and antioxidants, ginger is energizing, the folic acid and nutrients in strawberries have been shown to fight acne, tooth tartar, and cancer. Try these all-natural recipes to get your greener beauty regimen off to a fresh start.
More on Homemade Beauty Treatments:
How to Go Green: Natural Skin Care
Get Green Hair for Prom
Face the Facts: Homemade Face Masks are Greener
Make Your Own Pumpkin Face Masque
Craving more green celebrity gossip? Maria Menounos dishes it up on Planet Green TV's Hollywood Green.
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