Easy, Do-It-Yourself Home Remedies

Beauty doesn't have to be expensive. You can look great, at a fraction of the cost, with some simple, at home, 'Do-It-Yourself' beauty treatments. You probably know some of these DIY beauty secrets already. And you'll find a lot of these ingredients in common store-bought beauty products. Here are some of my favorites.

In the fridge.
Milk. The lactic acid in milk is soothing to your skin. After a wax, saturate a cotton circle with milk and allow it to sit on the waxed area for a couple minutes. The milk will help take out the sting, redness, and swelling.

Cucumber slices. This well known remedy is tried and true: apply cucumber slices to swollen eyes to calm and depuff. You'll find cucumber extracts in many over the counter beauty products from deodorant to moisturizers.

Yogurt. Old wives' tails claim that plain yogurt can soothe a sunburn. I'm not sure if it works, but it does start to smell a little ripe after a bit.

In the cupboard.
Olive Oil. Olive oil makes a great treatment for extremely dry hair. Apply straight olive oil to damp hair, cover with a shower cap, and stand in the shower with the hot water hitting the cap. Rinse well! Hair should be soft, smooth, and more manageable. Olive oil can also be used to remove eye makeup. Just put a little on a cotton ball and and gently swipe away eye makeup. Be careful not to get it in your eyes.

Corn starch. You can sprinkle a little cornstarch in your hair to get the greasiness out. Just remember to brush it out well! Dab a little corn starch to stop the bleeding of a razor nick.

Green tea bags. Green tea helps to get rid of swelling in the eye area. If you don't have cucumbers on hand, placed a used, cool tea bag on each eye for few minutes. The coolness, the tannins and antioxidants should bring down swelling. If that doesn't work, you can place a couple of spoons in the freezer. Hold the spoons over each eye to cool and sooth puffiness.

Baking soda. Whiten teeth and remove stains by sprinkling a little baking soda on your regular toothpaste. Brush as normal. Your teeth will get whiter and brighter.

Coffee grounds. Coffee grounds, especially used coffee grounds, are a great way to exfoliate skin. Mix a handful of coffee grounds with a little water while in the shower. Rub the coffee grounds in well. The grittiness of the coffee grinds will exfoliate your skin while the caffeine will help minimize the appearance of cellulite. Rinse well so you don't smell like an old cup o' joe!

Sugar. Sugar can be used to exfoliate dry skin. Mix with a little olive oil and rub on areas of dry skin in the shower. Rinse well for fresh, clean skin! This works great for hard, calloused feet, just be careful not to slip!

In the medicine cabinet.
Aspirin. Aspirin is one of the most natural sources of salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is a common ingredient in acne-fighting products. Crush up an aspirin tablet, and mix with a little water to form a paste. Apply this paste to any blemishes and allow to dry. Wash your face and find your pimples are smaller!

Toothpaste. Toothpaste is an old remedy for pimples. Apply a dab of toothpaste to any pimples and let sit over night. You'll wake up to a fresher, cleaner complexion.

Naturally, this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any diseases. As always, contact your health care professional before trying anything new. What other great beauty treatments you can imagine?

3 easy updos you can do yourself
A stylist's secrets for big hair
Three alternatives to the ponytail