Everyone loves a good pampering but it shouldn’t have to be an expensive endeavour. We are sometimes too quick to buy things without knowing what’s really in them. I tried out a range of natural health and beauty treatments so you don’t have to, hopefully giving you an idea of which ones might be worth trying.
Hair mask:
The ingredients for this natural remedy hair mask were 2 overripe bananas mashed and blended to a smooth consistency followed by adding one table spoon of coconut oil and one tablespoon of olive oil. Cover your hair and leave for 5 minutes before washing out. It’s supposed to be the perfect remedy to add shine and life to your dry dull hair. Doesn’t it sound idyllic? Well the problem with bananas is no matter how much elbow grease you invest, they are simply never going to be lump free. This is where is all went wrong. Unsuspectingly I smothered my hair in the thick vomit looking mixture and waited the five allotted minutes only to find that banana just doesn’t wash out, especially combined with nature’s alternative to super glue- honey. After a tank full of hot water, half a bottle of hair conditioner and resulting to furiously pulling out the chunks (and rather a lot of hair), I was relatively banana chunk free. To answer the vital question that initiated this journey; ‘does this hair mask make my hair feel better’? Yes, what is left of my hair, does feel better. But this isn’t surprising since half of Superdrug’s products were used to battle through the banana. All in all I would firmly suggest you stay clear of anything with banana in. I would advise just dipping into your pocket for a hair mask from L’Oréal to save yourself the drama, and the hair.
Hair growth:
In the scout for answers of how to achieve long locks in time for graduation I scoured the internet and found that YouTube bloggers swear by scalp massaging. The idea is you tilt your head upside down and gently massage your scalp for 5 to 15 minutes each day to simulate the hair follicles and encourage growth. Some people have claimed this method has added inches to their hair, but after a couple of weeks of trying this I’m afraid that we’re only talking millimetres. Disappointing results, but everyone loves a head rub, so why not try it in the hope that it works for you. Massaging with coconut or vegetable oil is believed to enhance the effects.
Hair colour:
Lemon juice in summer is believed to be a natural hair lightener giving you natural sun-kissed highlights. After squeezing lemon juice over my hair in Spain, I was left with the same colour but with a rather frazzled and dishevelled hair do. I’ve heard good results of using lemon juice so I would suggest to not risking the odds if you have naturally coarse and curly hair- you could do more damage that you anticipate!
Face mask:
When searching for home remedy face masks, I didn’t expect the sheer volume of options to choose from. I chose a face mask with the simplest of ingredients. The recipe suggested: 2 tablespoons plain yogurt (the fattier the better), 1 tablespoon honey, 1-2 tablespoons cooked & cooled oatmeal. I used low fat natural yoghurt which worked just fine but was on the runny side so I advise using a thicker base. Leave on for 10-15 minutes and then wash off. There wasn’t a drastic change but my skin did feel softer and it was so quick and easy to make that I would recommend it! Use the link below for the suggestions of how to use yoghurt and honey to give yourself a full facial!
Face moisturiser:
Avocado is such a popular ingredient for anything DIY related. Among its many apparent powers, avocado is an instant moisturiser. You can either rub the avocado over your face or use the inside of the avocado skin if you haven’t got any left. After doing so, leave for 5 minutes and then wash off. For such a quick and easy regime it had reasonably refreshing results. Minimal effort and ingredients make this remedy a winner. If you’re seeing good results you can even combine avocado with honey to make yourself a face mask.
Spots:
Exam season is spring break for spots. Stress kicks in, face breaks out. It’s not ideal to say the least. We want to focus our efforts on worrying about passing exams not whether any foundation in the world could cover the beastly spots. For years I’ve heard about applying toothpaste on spots, so after the years of intrigue I was left very disappointed. I applied a decent amount of toothpaste and left overnight. The toothpaste dried into a hard crust, only to find after washing it off that the spots as exuberant as ever. Tea tree oil on the other hand works wonders. However this isn’t ground breaking news and pharmaceuticals have made tea tree oils the basis of many spot treatments. So whether it’s a DIY tea tree treatment or one from Boots, it seems to make a decent effort against the most stubborn of spots.
Edited by Amelia Bauer
Sources:
http://hair.allwomenstalk.com/diy-hair-masks-for-dry-hair/9/
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/spa-health/yogurt-honey-diy-facial.htm
http://www.wikihow.com/Use-an-Avocado-for-Beauty-Care
Images:
http://www.candykittens.co.uk/blog/homemade-beauty-tricks/
http://www.popsugar.com/latest/Spot-Treatment
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/155444624610228657/