Many feel they need to book into a spa and shell out lots of cash for a bit of pamper and relaxation but this simply isn’t the case and everyone can unwind and show themselves some TLC with a few great summer beauty treatment hacks.
To get you looking and feeling your best for summer there are a number of beauty treatments that you can create and apply in your own home.
All ingredients on the list are cheap to buy and are so common they can probably be found in your cupboards. Follow these hacks and soon you’ll be looking and feeling your radiant best in the sunshine.
10 top ingredients for homemade summer beauty treatments:
1. Honey
This natural ingredient is so versatile – combine it with ground almonds for a cleansing face and body scrub or apply it on its own for a hydrating face mask. A few drops in a bath is great for reducing inflammation as it has natural antibacterial properties.
2. Olive oil
Olive oil was favoured by the Egyptians as a go-to beauty treatment for hair and skin. Heated and massaged into the hair and scalp it makes a wonderful conditioner and applied sparingly onto the skin it makes a good softener. For dry hands and cuticles mix with aloe vera for fast absorption.
3. Sugar
Sugar causes havoc for the skin when eaten, but when directly applied to it it’s actually a great exfoliator. Use rough granulated sugar and mix with olive oil for the best results. Apply pre-shave for a smooth finish and mix with peppermint oil for an effective foot scrub.
4. Rice
A full rice facial is favoured by Japanese women who are blessed with some of the healthiest and most beautiful skin in the world. Place rice in cold water for 20 minutes, mix thoroughly and then decant the water into a bottle. Soak a clean flannel in the bottled rice water and leave it on your face for 20 minutes. The leftover rice can be blended with water and used as a body scrub, add honey for a scrub with softening properties.
5. Porridge oats
Porridge oats, aside from being a healthy substantial breakfast have great oil absorbing properties. Grind some oats with mixed granulated sugar and raw honey. Massage into the face and leave on for ten minutes. Oats and baking soda in a warm bath also provide soothing relief for chicken pox.
6. Eggs
Mix eggs with banana, olive oil and avocado for an incredibly hydrating hair mask. Be sure to rinse with cold water at the end. If mixed with natural yoghurt, eggs also make moisturising face pack.
7. Beer
It may sound strange but beer is fantastic for treating acne. The secret ingredient in it is the yeast, which helps fight excess sebum production, and subsequent bacteria that causes acne. Mix beer with egg whites and mashed strawberries to make an anti-acne face pack (strawberries contain salicylic acid, which is commonly used in over the counter spot treatments).
8. Coconut oil
Coconut oil is an excellent and gentle make up remover, as well as being great at softening and hydrating skin and hair. It’s delicate enough to use as an eye cream and instead of shaving foam use coconut oil to leave skin smooth.
9. Milk
Favoured by Cleopatra herself, the milk bath is great for unclogging pores. The lactic acid in it has many health benefits for the skin and when mixed with green tea it makes an effective natural toner.
10. Lemon
Fragrant and zesty, lemon can be used as a lightener for uneven skin tone or scars, though it may require time and multiple treatments. If you have scars or dark patches on your knees and elbows, rub them with lemon halves or apply lemon juice and leave for 10-20 minutes.
