All Natural Tips and Tricks

  I love reading about household items that can be used in different ways to save me from going out buying yet another product. I’ve found a ton of different tips people have posted about doing your beauty and household regimes naturally and easy so I’d like to share some of my favorite finds with you here:

 

Beauty

Soothing and anti-inflammatory, oatmeal contains beta glucan, a soluble fiber that creates a thin, moisture-retaining film on the surface of the skin. Place a handful of whole oats in a clean washcloth and use a rubber band to secure it. Next, immerse it in a sinkful of warm water and squeeze the bag four or five times. Once the water is cloudy, splash it on your face and then air-dry. (If you must towel dry, pat as gently as possible.)

 

Rich in oil, walnuts make for extra-gentle sloughing. Blend 1/4 cup shelled walnuts, 1/2 cup olive oil (for extra emollients), and a tablespoon of honey (to seal moisture into your skin) in a food processor set on a slow speed, creating a fine-particle scrub. Standing in the shower (if you're scrubbing your feet) or over a sink (if it's for your hands), work the mixture thoroughly over your skin for a couple of minutes. Rinse with warm water.

 

The fruit acid loosens dead skin cells. Cut a fresh orange in half and squeeze the juice of one half into a bowl. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup olive oil and then blend into a moisture-rich scrub. Next, rub the exposed side of the other half of the orange over knees, elbows, heels, and any other dry spots. Last, rub in the sugar mixture to slough off dead skin. Rinse with warm water and pat skin dry.

 

The lactic acid in milk serves as a gentle skin exfoliant, while its natural fat content acts as a body moisturizer. Add a gallon of whole milk to a tubful of warm water and soak. It's a great alternative to sugar and salt scrubs, which may be too abrasive for people who suffer from eczema, psoriasis, or sensitive skin. If you prefer a fragranced bath, add 10 to 20 drops of an essential oil, such as lavender.

 

Toss your old used coffee grinds them in with your conditioner to make your hair extra shiny and use as normal. Pretty simple stuff eh? Another great conditioner tip is to replace conditioner with common white vinegar 1-4 times a month (depending on whether your hair is dry or oily) This helps get rid of build up and dullness and gives you a shiny mane.

Tone and rebuild skin with avocados and carrots by combining 1 avocado, 1 cooked carrot, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 egg and 3 tablespoons of honey. Leave on for 10-20 minutes and then rinse. These ingredients add tons of vitamins, antioxidants and calcium to rebuild natural collagen, tone skin and remove age spots. Each natural element does more than any store-bought item can.

 

A lemon and egg facial removes the red splotches on your face. Soothe both symptoms away easily by mixing together one egg yolk and the juice of one lemon into a paste. Cover your face with it and leave it on overnight. If this seems like too much work, leave it on your face for an hour. You might not get the optimal results with this time, but you will see a difference.

  

Household

Keep brown sugar soft by throwing in a marshmallow. Boom, done!

 

Use this method to clean sinks, toilet, tubs and tile: 1. Halve Grapefruit: 1 medium to large grapefruit will clean your entire bath or shower from top to bottom, including all the fixtures. Simply cut it in half with a knife and you'll be all set. 2. Sprinkle With Salt: Using 1 grapefruit half at a time, sprinkle liberally with salt. Wet your bathtub and sprinkle the remaining salt around the bottom. 3. Take That Scrubbing Bubbles!Scrub your grapefruit around your shower or tub, making sure to slightly "juice" the citrus over each fixture and lifting it every few seconds to pick up fresh salt from around the tub instead of just pushing it around. 4. Rinse: When all is said and done, simply rinse away the pulpy bits and the salt and your shower is as good as new.

 

Use mayo to get rid of water ring left behind on wood surfaces.

 

Save yourself the nail chipping and time consuming effort of peeling up the end of the tape by using the bread bag clip to keep it ready for when you need it.

 

Save old shower caps to put your shoes in while packing a suitcase and protect your clothes from getting dirty.

 

No more crying when you cut onions! This tip came thanks to watching the movie The Help last weekend and I was glad to hear it because I cry like a baby when I cut onions. All you have to do is put a matchstick between your teeth while you cut and you wont cry (unlit!) If you don’t have any on hand trying chewing gum. This works for some people too.

 

  Soak a dryer sheet in with cookware that’s been burnt or has baked-on food in warm water. It makes the scrubbing far less work on you later. Also works on cook tops and dingy cabinet doors.

 

I’m always really impressed by these tips. It makes me feel so empowered to not buy into the latest nonsense product that companies put out. Give some of these a try and see how they work for you, I hope you have some success!

 

(Credits go to Martha Stewart, Inspiring Pretty, Anne Taintor,  Pinterest and Google Images)