How to Turn Your Pantry into a Beauty Regimen?

With an unlimited choice of beauty products in the market we sometimes forget that the real goldmine is under our nose, our kitchens are packed with chemical free and natural ingredients so why not make home make beauty treatments at home for a fraction of the cost.

To brighten locks, tea is recommended as its natural pigments can also neutralize brassiness for more flattering color, “The benefit of this hair treatment is that it lowers the pH of the hair, aids in closing the cuticle for extra shine, and increases softness” says Nino Anini, Hair expert and stylist at JetSet Salon in Dubai Marina.

Ingredients:

2 cups water
2 tea bags (chamomile, a golden mix for blondes; rooibos, a rich orange for redheads; or black tea, dark for brunettes)

Recipe:

Leave tea bags in boiling water for 10-15 minutes,
Let cool to about room temperature
Pour the liquid over wet freshly shampooed washed hair
Leave the rinse on for 10 minutes; rinse and condition to seal in the glossy results

If you have dry hair or an itchy scalp avocado is your remedy. “There’s more to avocado than guacamole. Its oil is actually patented as a treatment for some forms of dermatitis. Avocado is rich in vitamins A, D and E, all of which help maintain healthy skin and hair” says Dr. James A. Duke in his book The Green Pharmacy. When avocado is massaged into the scalp amino acids and proteins penetrate and heal dryness and improve the overall of your hair.

Ingredients:

1 Ripe Avocado
2 table spoons of unsweetened yogurt
2 table spoons of almond or olive oil

Recipe:

Cut avocado in half, spoon out the inside, excluding seed
In a bowl mash up avocado with the back of a fork, add yogurt and oil
Rub mixture into scalp and hair
Cover with a shower cap, and leave for 30-45 minutes
Rinse, shampoo and condition as you would normally

During mid-terms and finals students sacrifice sleep for study, and dark circles seem to be the norm around campus. Tea bags are effective, they help get rid of dark circles and diminish puffiness, “the caffeine helps to shrink the appearance of the blood vessels, and antioxidants help eliminate inflammation” says dermatologist Dr. Debra Jaliman, author of Skin Rules.

Ingredients:

2 tea bags
1 mug of hot water
Small plate

Recipe:

Place tea bags in mug, leave for 3-5 minutes
Place on plate, and leave in fridge for 20 minutes or until cold
Squeeze the excess liquid from the bags
Lay down and place on eyes for 20-30 minutes

For flawless blemish free skin Award Winning Beauty blogger Huda Kattan suggests trying her favorite acne mask. It’s a simple mixture of nutmeg, honey and milk. Nutmeg and honey are rich with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, while the lactic acid in milk serves as a gentle skin exfoliante, and its natural fat content acts as a moisturizer.

Ingredients:

2 table spoons of nutmeg
1 tea spoon honey
2 table spoons of milk (add accordingly)

Recipe:

Add nutmeg in a bowl
Add enough milk to make a paste like consistency
Whisk in honey and apply to face
Leave for 10-15 minutes
Remove with warm wet towel

For uneven skin tone turmeric is recommended, a study in the Journal of Natural Remedies reveals that “the spice inhibits tyrosinase, a key enzyme in the production of skin’s pigment”. Also known for its Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric powder has proven to deliver miraculous results when used accordingly.

Ingredients: