Four DIY Beauty Treatments for Under $10
Tried and true tricks from a jaded cosmetics counter worker.
There was a time in my life when I worked at a department store beauty counter. It was a dark period, where the only solace was lamenting the shared pain of the woeful vocation with co-workers. When we weren’t being forced to manically spritz perfume on unassuming passersby, we would often swap tips for DIY beauty remedies to find some sense of sanity and camaraderie in those trying times. Find below the best of those homemade recipes.
COCONUT PULLING
What you’ll need:
-Organic coconut oil
-15-20 minutes of silent time
Recently, coconut oil has come to be revered as the holy grail of natural beauty health remedies. While I would advocate many different uses for this oil fit for the gods, coconut pulling is at the top of my list for best uses. An ancient Ayurvedic treatment, this technique has been used for thousands of years to improved dental hygiene. The oil acts as an agent to ‘pull’ bacteria and infection from the mouth and throat, and is even said to reduce the effects of migraines, inflammation, insomnia, sinus congestion and allergy symptoms. Personally, I find it does wonders for naturally whitening teeth and preventing bad breath.
The technique is relatively simple — so much so that I tend to do most of my oil pulling while I’m slightly intoxicated and don’t want to wake up in the morning with last night’s mistakes on my breath. Put 2-3 teaspoons of solid coconut oil in your mouth, and hold underneath your tongue until it starts to melt. When it has softened into a liquid, the idea is to ‘pull’ it back and forth through your teeth, swishing around the mouth and back of throat for 15-20 minutes. After enduring this for as long as humanly possible, spit into the bin (the oil hardens when expelled and can clog your drain if you use the sink!) and revel in a ‘just got my braces off’ level of freshness. Do NOT -under any circumstances - swallow the oil. It’s a swirling cesspool full of the bacterial crap that was just extracted from your mouth and throat.
COLD SPOON FOR PUFFY EYES
What you’ll need:
-Spoon
-Freezer
This one is a total lifesaver if, like me, people often mistake your puffy morning eyes for puffy mourning eyes. For those times when it’s obvious you were watching Game of Thrones until 3am, keep a couple of metal spoons in the freezer.
Gently apply the back of the frosty spoon to your under-eye area, applying light pressure for about 30 seconds. I understand that making you hold a freezing cold metal object to your face at this delicate hour might seem a little sadistic, but the time comes in every person’s life where they must face such adversities to gain what is rightfully theirs (in this case, un-puffy eyes). Remove spoons to find the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed morning person that was always within you.
EGG YOLK HAIR TREATMENT
What you’ll need:
-1 egg
-1 cup natural Greek yoghurt
To be honest, I can rarely muster the strength to run a brush through my hair, let alone use actual food I could be eating to make a treatment for it. For those rare occasions when I would like to look like a chic and glamorous adult woman, I use a DIY treatment passed on to me by a co-worker who had the soft, silky unicorn hair of my dreams. While it does not transform my hair into her waist-length, thick, dark hair, it does take my hair game from, ‘Tired Mum at the Bus Stop’ marginally closer to 'Mount Olympus Demi-Goddess'. I also like this one because, unlike many homemade hair masks, it does not ask me to sacrifice one of my precious avocados to mush into my scalp.
Start by separating the egg yolk from the white. For this treatment, you’ll only be using the yolk, so perhaps put the whites aside to make some meringues, or the face mask below (Or don’t. It’s your life). Combine the egg yolk with one cup of natural Greek yoghurt and mix well. Massage the mixture from the roots to the ends of your hair; ensuring every strand is coated. Pop on a shower cap, and do what you will for 20-30 minutes (might I suggest a spot of coconut pulling?)
Rinse the mixture out of your hair using cold water. I don’t know if this is a thing, but the thought of hot, eggy yoghurt running down my body is unacceptable to me. Do a quick shampoo to ensure you wash the entire mask out, then either let your hair dry naturally or blow-dry on a low heat. Admire your new, shiny princess hair.
EGG WHITE FACE MASK
What you’ll need:
- 1-2 egg whites
-A couple squeezes of lemon
-1 teaspoon of honey
Full disclosure: I actually picked up this trick from my boyfriend, who has the taut yet supple skin I have only imagined in Proactiv dreams. The protein in the egg whites smooths skin and helps to preserve moisture, while a combination of the antibacterial properties in honey and powerful acne fighting astringent found in lemons make this mask great for clearing problem skin.
First off, prep skin by soaking a clean towel in warm water and pressing against the face for about a minute to encourage pores to open. Combine the egg whites and lemon and whisk together, then add the honey and stir well. Smooth the mixture over the entire face, and leave on for 15 minutes. I would highly recommend lying back with a towel underneath your head to avoid looking like your face is melting off.
Carefully use the cloth to wash off the mixture thoroughly. Don’t be surprised if people want to lick your face.
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