Personal grooming tips from the home

Heather Little-White, Contributor

How often do you get flustered because you run out of items for your personal grooming or you simply do not have the money to purchase them? Home is always the place of comfort and there you can find several simple solutions to facilitate your grooming.

NATURAL FACIALS

1. Mash half of an avocado and spread thickly over the face. Leave on for 20 minutes and remove with warm water.

2. Make a paste of instant oatmeal and apply to face. Allow to dry until face starts to tighten. Rub off paste with fingers, which helps to remove dead skin. Rinse with warm water.

FACE PACKS

Face packs for wrinkles include:

a) Combining one tablespoonful of onion juice and honey.

b) Adding the juice of a few cabbage leaves, a tablespoon of honey and a little yeast. Apply to face and leave on for 20 minutes. Wash off with warm water and end with a cold splash.

c) Making a paste of papaya and applying all around the mouth to help with wrinkles and lines.

ENLARGED PORES

To minimise the appearance of enlarged pores, apply a paste of 1/4 teaspoon orange peel powder and a few drops of rose water to face and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse off with cold water.

POMEGRANATE EXFOLIATING SCRUB

Excellent for sloughing dead skin one or two times per week.

2tbsps pomegranate seeds

1cup oatmeal, uncooked

2tbsp honey

2tbsp buttermilk

Coarsely grind pomegranate seeds and oatmeal in a blender. Add honey and buttermilk and make into a paste and apply for a few minutes. Rinse thoroughly.

For variation: Add 6 tbsps sugar to ingredients and use to scrub hands and elbows. (www.beautyandgroomingtips)

HERE'S TO SKIN:

Restoring pH balance: Add 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to a bowl of warm water, splash on face and allow air-drying.

Removing dead skin: Use Miracle whip salad dressing and rub a small amount into the skin and allow it to stand for a moment. Rub vigorously and dead skin is easily removed.

For a wrinkled neck: Mash a very ripe banana with a teaspoon of olive oil. Lie down and apply banana mash to neck for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with cold water.

Reducing facial shine: To fight sheen on the forehead or nose, make a home-made toner whipped together one peeled cucumber, one teaspoon witch hazel and one teaspoon rose water. Finely ground arrowroot powder can be used to dust your face throughout the day.

Spa secret: A secret health spas do not tell you about keeping facial skin supple. After washing face, rub a small amount of petroleum jelly on to wet skin and keep wetting face until jelly does not feel greasy.

For softer hands: Rinse hands in vinegar water after washing clothes or dishes.

Almond oil for dry nails: Revitalise dry nails using almond oil. You may add a few drops of healing sandalwood oil.

Relief for insect bites: With the annoying mosquitoes around, you can get relief for the bites by:

1. Applying apple cider vinegar to the affected area.

2. Applying a paste of baking soda and water and allow to dry on the bites.

3. Applying a paste of meat tenderiser and water to the bites.

Treating sunburn pain: Apply milk-flavoured milk of magnesia to the skin.

Burns: Apply a paste of baking soda and water.

Treating blemishes: Rub cornstarch or baby powder on facial blemishes to dry up the blemishes without drying out the skin.

Cleaning rough knees and elbows: Use a paste of baking soda and water.

FOR YOUR EYES:

Soothing skin: Apply odourless castor oil around the eyes every night. This is a plastic surgeon's secret, which they advise their patients to use after surgery.

Tired eyes: Apply fresh cucumber slices to closed eyelids to revive tired eyes.

MAKE YOUR OWN DEODORANT

In a double boiler, heat until smooth, equal parts of baking soda, petroleum jelly and body powder.

Be sure to stir constantly while heating.

Keep home-made deodorant in small glass jars and use like regular cream deodorant.

HERE'S TO HAIR

Hair rinse: Create a hair rinse from a few teaspoons of lemon juice added to rinse water to remove soap film and creates a sheen for the hair. Redheads and brunettes can add a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to rinse water.

Quick shampoo: If you find it time-consuming to wash your hair, freshen it by sprinkling with powder on oily areas, rub with a towel and brush out. This also works for sick and elderly persons.

Dandruff: Thyme has been known to have mild antiseptic properties which help to alleviate dandruff. An effective rinse can be made by boiling 4 heaping tablespoons of dried thyme in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. Allow to cool and pour half the brew over clean damp hair and massage gently into scalp. Do not rinse.

ORAL HEALTH

Make your own mouthwash: Dissolve 1 teaspoon baking soda in 1/2 glass of water.

Toothpaste: Use baking soda full strength to brush teeth.

Cinnamon for brushing: Mix a batch of 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder with 2 teaspoons of baking soda.

Sea salt too: Also good for brushing teeth.

Gingivitis: A raw vegetable a day will keep gingivitis (gum disease) away. Hard and fibrous foods can stimulate teeth and gums.

QUICK NAIL POLISH:

Put on your nail polish and for a quick dry, place hands in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator for a minute.

STUFFY NOSE:

To clear stuffed-up nose, drink a half a glass of wine before bedtime.