You can use leftover kitchen ingredients—beyond perfumes and commercial cosmetics—to care for your skin and hair.
Vinegar and baking soda are key ingredients in many DIY hand treatments that help soften the skin. To make a hand treatment, mix a heaping teaspoon of baking soda with half a cup of 6% table vinegar, add a teaspoon of borax, two tablespoons of glycerin, and then fill the rest of the cup with water. Wipe your hands with this mixture several times a day. In the evening after work, apply a rich hand cream.
To reduce excessive tanning or lighten sensitive freckles, try a vinegar-based solution. Combine a quarter cup of vinegar with the juice of two lemons, a tablespoon of water, and a small amount of hydrogen peroxide. Crush four aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) tablets and add them to the mixture. Wipe your face with this solution 2–3 times a day until you get the desired result.
Masks made from equal parts flour and whey work well for dry, aging skin. Apply the mask and leave it on until it dries completely. Rinse with warm water, then finish with a splash of cold water.
Oat flakes—specifically “Hercules” oats—make a gentle mask for dry skin. Pour four tablespoons of warm milk, cream, or sour cream over a tablespoon of oats. Let the mixture swell, then apply it to your face and neck for 20 minutes. Add a little lemon juice if you like.
Mix a tablespoon of oat flour with an egg yolk, a teaspoon of honey, and a few drops of olive, corn, or sunflower oil for another nourishing oat mask.
Make masks from ground grains to soften and tone the skin. Mix a teaspoon of ground grains with an equal amount of honey and half a whipped egg white. Apply to your face and, after 20 minutes, remove with a cotton pad soaked in cold water.
Legume masks are also effective: soak a cup of beans, green peas, or lentils overnight, then boil and mash them through a sieve. Mix the mash with the juice of half a lemon and a tablespoon of vegetable oil. These masks nourish the skin, smooth fine lines, and give a slight whitening effect.
Vegetable oil is excellent for nourishing the skin. Warm a bottle of oil in a water bath and make a compress; leave it on for 15 minutes. Cover your face with plastic wrap, then a towel. Wash your face with warm water afterward.
Other fats work for cosmetic use as well. Mix 25 grams of margarine with 1.5 teaspoons of vegetable oil and melt over low heat. Once it cools, add a mashed egg yolk, a teaspoon of honey, a little glycerin, and a tablespoon of chamomile infusion. This mask is very nourishing for the skin.
Pork lard is also effective at softening dry, irritation-prone skin.
Starch baths help dry hands, while warm salt baths (2 teaspoons of salt in 2 cups of water) can whiten and strengthen nails.
Compresses made from salty water or from tea can reduce puffiness around the eyes.
