Beauty Tips and Secrets Using Ordinary Household Items: Part Two

In working on a television show for a few years, I learned some tricks and hints for staying young and looking great. I have tried many them - some work, and well, some…not so much!

Baking soda is not just for cooking anymore. It has been around for a very long time and is a natural alternative to a lot of the harsh chemicals found in most items these days.

• Use to baby your feet. Mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda with 1 tbsp of table or Epsom salt (Epsom is recommended by some of the television talent) in a tub of hot water (to your liking). Soak your feet for about 15 minutes, then use a gentle scrub as described in Beauty tips and tricks to exfoliate your skin. It is said to remove the grime and keep your feet and heels looking smooth and beautiful. ~ Love It!
• Use it as a dry shampoo. If you have to skip the shower and your hair looks limp and a little oily, mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 2 teaspoons of talcum powder. Rub your hairbrush or comb through the mixture and comb through your hair. It is said to absorb the excess oils and make your hair look freshly washed. ~ Don’t Love It! The talcum powder creates static – at least in my hair it did.
• Use it for shaving. Create a solution of 1 tablespoon baking soda to 1 cup of water. Apply as a pre-shaving product and an aftershave rinse. Great for sensitive skin and works well for men too. I was skeptical about this concoction; however, I found that it really does work to smooth the skin and leave it less irritated ~ Love It!

Dryer Sheets are not just for making your clothes smell great and not stick together

• Use them when you have no time to wash. Rub a dryer sheet on your hair and you will be amazed. It not only tames fly-aways, it makes your hair hair smell fantastic ~ Love It! It actually does work.

Eye Shadow is not just for making your eyes pop, it is very versatile

• If you can’t find time to visit the beauty salon for a touch up, spray a lightweight hairspray on your roots and brush a shade of eye shadow closest to your natural color in the root area. Never use a black – usually a shimmering brown or gold eye shadow works well.

• Use a brown or golden brown to fill in eye brows instead of a brow pencil

Lemon Juice is not just for tea

• create a concoction of toothpaste and lemon juice and polish your nails with it. It will make them white and shine due to the natural bleaching agent in lemon juice. ~ Love It! (I peeled and cracked pecans from the yard and had dye all over my finger tips - this really did work to remove it)

Eggs are not just for eating anymore

• Create an egg yolk and olive oil hair mask by using 2 egg yolks to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. The protein of the egg yolk helps strengthen hair while the olive oil conditions. ~ Love It!

• Use egg whites as a facial mask. Beat the egg whites and apply to your face -sit still until it dries (about 10 minutes) and then rinse with warm water ~ Love It! - but...it is hard to sit perfectly still that long.

Honey isn’t just for your tea

• Use it for blotchy skin. Take about 2 tablespoons of honey and apply it to your face. Leave it on for about 10 minutes and it will moisturize and soothe sensitive skin. It is thought that honey kills blemish causing bacteria ~ Don’t Love It! It was sticky, gooey, and just gross.

Salt has so many wonderful uses

• Add 1 cup of table salt to a bath and it will relieve dry itchy skin and make is soft and silky ~ Love it!
• Use it for oily skin on your face. Fill a 6 to 8 ounce spray bottle with warm water and 2 teaspoons of salt. Spritz on your face and blot dry with a cloth ~ Don't Love It! It didn't seem to work well on my skin and it seemed time consuming.

Petroleum jelly isn't just for your baby’s diaper rash anymore

• Use it to keep lipstick off of your teeth. If wearing a dark color lipstick, take a small amount of petroleum jelly and rub it along the top of your teeth. It helps coat your teeth and prevents the lipstick from transferring to your teeth ~ Love It!

• To remove waterproof mascara, place a small amount of petroleum jelly on a cloth and rub across eyes. You can use tissue as well. It not only removes the mascara with ease, it conditions the skin around your eyes as well. ~ Love It!

Talcum Powder is for more than dusting baby's bottom

• Use it in your shoes. It absorbs the sweat while minimizing odors. When you take off your shoes for the day, sprinkle some in before you put them in the closet.~ Love It! My grandmother always did this with her shoes.

• Use it on your eyelashes before you apply your mascara. It is said to act as a primer for mascara. ~ Don’t Love It! It was messy and didn’t make my long lashes look any different