• For rough dry skin (especially on hands, knees and elbows) combine equal
parts vegetable oil and granulated sugar and mix into a paste. Use the paste
on the rough areas and rub gently for about 5 minutes. Rinse the mixture away
and leave the areas if possible. If not possible to leave the residue on the skin,
wash the areas with soap and water and apply immediately moisturizer.
• If you have a problem with puffy, swollen eyes, try saving your used tea bags in
a re-sealable container in the refrigerator. Place a bag over each eye when
needed to reduce the swelling and puffiness.
• To help lighten dark circles under the eyes use raw potato slices. The
potassium in the potatoes helps to take away the discoloration, leaving you
looking fresh faced and rested.
• If you’re out of cold cream or need a quick make-up remover, use vegetable
shortening fresh from the can. It is an excellent emollient and smoothes and
moisturizes the skin while lifting away the make-up. After removing the make-
up, wash your face as normal to remove the residual shortening.
• If you are plagued by blemishes (pimples), you can reduce the redness of the
pimples by applying a dab of eye drops (the kind to remove redness and
soothe itchy eyes) to the pimple. The ingredients that soothe and clear away
the redness of the eyes helps to dilate the capillaries in the skin and lessen
the redness of the pimples in your skin.
Nail Care:
• For a quick and easy manicure, lemons are just the thing. Simply combine
one cup of warm water with the juice of half a lemon. Soak your fingertips in
the solution for five minutes, then rinse them and pat dry with a soft cloth. The
acid in the lemon juice will soften the cuticles and remove the dead skin cells.
After soaking, you can easily push back your cuticles while patting them dry.
Rub the nails with the peel of the lemons to distribute the fruit oil from the
lemon skin, and buff the nails to a shine with a soft cloth. Not only does the
lemon juice help soften the cuticles and dead skin, it also helps to fade stains
and leave the nails brighter and the free edge whiter.
• If you ever find yourself with a jagged edge on a fingernail and no emery board,
try using the striking plate from a matchbook or matchbox. They are basically
ultra-fine-grained grit panels that will usually do the trick.
• If you find that your nail polishes tend to go “bad” before they are used up, try
storing the polish in the refrigerator. It will last longer and will always be
smooth and easy to apply. In addition, if you have polish that has gone hard or
become gummy, place the bottle in a pan of boiling water for a few minutes. In
most cases, this will revitalize the polish and it will be “like new”.
These are just some of the various “household” hints that have been in use for decades by women who
wanted to economize or make do in a pinch. A lot of women find that the tips are worth using full-time, especially when you want to take
a more natural approach to beauty and personal grooming. Whatever your reasons for trying them, these tips will help make your beauty
routine more flexible, less-expensive, and convenient. And we all want that, right?
