Looking Beautiful for Less - Azuki Beans, One of Natures Best Kept Secrets

Buying a $100-per-ounce (supposedly) miracle beauty cream is not necessary to look beautiful. Many of the best beauty treatments can be made at home for very little money. You will even find some ingredients needed to make home beauty treatments in your kitchen cabinets. If you want to know one of nature's best kept beauty secrets, read on.

Azuki beans (also spelled adzuki or aduki) are incredibly versatile and can be used topically. Japanese skin care regimens have incorporated ground azuki beans for centuries. Ground azuki beans ex foliate skin leaving a soft, radiant glow. They are probably the closest thing to a face lift without the need to undergo surgery.

Azuki bean powder can be prepared at home using a blender or coffee grinder. You can purchase azuki beans at Asian markets or natural food stores. An entire pound costs less than $2.00. Place a half cup or a cup of azuki beans in a blender and blend until you achieve a fine consistency. Store this powder in an airtight container for later use.

To use azuki powder, place a small amount of azuki powder in the palm of your hand and add just enough warm water to form a paste. Wash your face with this mixture two to three nights per week. You can also use this paste in place of your weekly facial mask. Leave it on your skin for about 15 minutes or until it begins to tighten. You will definitely feel your skin tightening. Rinse off with a warm wash cloth. Avoid using azuki powder too frequently because it can irritate your skin if overused. Also avoid using it around the delicate skin under your eyes.

Besides looking beautiful, the main advantage of grinding azuki beans at home is cost. One pound of azuki beans yields enough fine powder for months of use, all for less than $2. Commercially-available azuki bean products can cost over $20 for a mere four ounces.

Azuki beans can also be used in many recipes including chili and prepared with rice. You can also steep azuki beans for thirty minutes to make a healthy tea capable of restoring moisture balance in the body by regulating kidney function. If you want to reap the benefits of nature's best kept beauty secret, add azuki beans to your next grocery list.