When Life Gives You Lemons...

…use them to whiten and strengthen your nails!

Ha, my favorite line used to be put them in the freezer to throw at people later, but this is more appropriate.

What you need:
1 lemon
bowl
knife
lotion

What I generally do is roll the lemon against the counter top with consistent pressure (please don’t push too hard, we don’t want pancakes) before slicing the lemon in half. Guess I should have added a cutting board to the supply list. Squeeze the lemon juice in to the bowl. One lemon should be plenty. Make sure to remove any seeds in the bowl. Soak the nails of one hand in the bowl for 15 minutes, repeat with the other hand. Wash you hands when done, and apply lotion making sure to rub it in to the cuticles and nail bed very well.

Okay, now that you have the “How To” let’s get to the “Why does this work?”

Your nails have a protein base called keratin. It is as important to your nails as calcium is to your bones. No joke. With age or constant injuries (anyone else jar or jab a nail in a direction they shouldn’t? *raises hand*) comes the reduction of minerals sent to your fingernails. The lemon juice contains many helpful nutrients and minerals, and with this method they are transferred directly to your nails allowing the protein (keratin) to grow properly and become rigid. If you have exceptionally weak nails, do this every night for a week up to a month, then once to twice a week after that.

As for whitening, lemon juice is a whitener and an astringent, therefore lightening and brightening your nails while removing stains.

DISCLAIMER: This material has not been medically reviewed. Do not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The use of information is solely at the reader’s risk. Do not discontinue prescribed medication in favor of these remedies. If adverse reaction occurs discontinue use, if reaction continues seek medical attention.

Aspirin Facial

Hello everyone. Thank you for bearing with me while I got things rolling.

I’m going to post my absolutely favorite facial treatment for any time of the year as our second official post. It is extremely easy to make, and you wont believe me when I tell you the contents or the cost.

Question: How much do you spend on facial cleansers? Exfoliators? All the different products out there like Clean & Clear, Noxema, Neutrogena, etc and so forth, all have common ingredients, right? You possibly have the key ingredient in your medicine cabinet already and at the fraction of the cost these name brands are charging.

Know what it is?

Salicylic Acid! Go grab your bottle!

Now wait a second. Acid? On the face? I know we want clearer skin but…wont that harm the skin? I bet your trying to figure out what in the world I am talking about. Well another name for Salicylic Acid is Beta Hydroxy Acid. Good ole’ BHA. Now I bet that sounds familiar. Got of bottle of that in your medicine cabinet?

I bet you do. What these big name companies don’t want you to know, is that this acid? Can be obtained with good, old-fashioned Aspirin! Yep, that little pill that can help thin your blood and relieve aches can also help your skin. And it’s cheap, too!

Now we know how BHA works. It is an exfoliate and has properties to soothe inflammation. This compound when applied topically loosens the death grip those dead skin cells has on our face, and allow the unveiling of the new, fresh skin underneath. Bu removing the dead skin, it also aides in the fading of scars. Various studies have shown that Beta Hydroxy Acid may improve wrinkles, roughness, acne, photodamaged skni, and hyper pigmentation of the skin. YAY, right?

Sadly, there is a downside to this awesome treatment. You skin becomes more vulnerable to UVA and UVB rays. This is why sunscreen is a must! Find on that protects from BOTH types of rays! At a later date I will make a post about the different types of sunscreen and what may be best for you.

Now the second ingredient of my choice is honey. You are going to see this in a lot more of my posts, and there is a good reason for it. Honey contains enzymes that have been proven to heal the skin. Used topically it can reveal younger, softer, and smoother skin. Who would like that?

Ready for the masque?

You will need:
~Aspirin, non-coated
~Honey
~Water
~either a saucer or another flat surface or container to mix on

You will also need your toner and moisturizer for afterwards.
1) Take around 4-5 non-coated aspirin tablets and place them on the saucer, centered. Use non-coated for a faster dissolving time.
2) Add about a teaspoon of water. The aspirin will absorb the liquid and begin to expand, to make it easier for dissolving. Careful, though, adding too much water will make it too mushy and useless.
3) You aspirin should look like fatter versions of themselves, ready to disintegrate with the next step. Apply pressure with your fingers (or a spoon if you prefer) and begin to break it up. The texture should be very grainy.
4) Add a squirt or two of honey. The amount should not be more then half of the aspirin, a 2:1 ratio. Combine until the aspirin is coated in honey, completely combined to form a grainy paste.
5) Start applying the mixture to your face with your hands, exfoliating in small circles as you do so. Avoid the eye area, and please do not put it in your moth or nose. Egh.
6) Leave on for 10 minutes.
7) Wash off with plain, warm water in circular motions. Take advantage of this grainy texture and continue to exfoliate. After sitting on the face for the time frame, the top layer of dead skin cells should be removed more easily.
8) Dab some toner on to a cotton pad and wipe your face. Again, use small circular motions.
9) Moisturize

Tada! Don’t forget your sunscreen! One more bit of advice, do not overuse this mask. Use it too much and your skin will become accustomed to it, making it less effective. I generally use it once a week, and before preparing for a special event or outing. It’s a great way to clear your face before using any sort of makeup. Smoother application :)

So the cost? Five dollars, or less (depending on area, brand, etc, may be a smidgen more) and it lasts so much longer. One bottle of aspirin, and one bottle of honey. Don’t get me wrong, I do also use a store bought face wash, but it is not as good as this one.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope this helps you as much as it does me.

DISCLAIMER: This material has not been medically reviewed. Do not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The use of information is solely at the reader’s risk. Do not discontinue prescribed medication in favor of these remedies. If adverse reaction occurs discontinue use, if reaction continues seek medical attention.

Mmmm, Coffee....

Who is a coffee addict? Me, me! I love some Starbucks, Drowsy Poet, or some Java Junkies. Oh, oh! Peet’s Coffee, YUM.

So, fellow coffee junkies, I have some good news for you. Those leftover coffee grinds can be used as a skin care treatment.

Seriously, I’m not kidding.

Women in Russia, Hawaii, Bali, and South America have used coffee as an ingredient for skin care product for years. The benefits outweigh the cons if used properly. It is great at removing oil; mechanics have been known to use coffee grounds when cleaning their hands after working. There are studies that show coffee’s abilities to prevent skin cancer and melanoma-related diseases. By all means, though, do NOT use this as a substitute for sunscreen. It does not work, no-sir-ee.

The anti-oxidant ingredients can help in a range of ways:
-Frees skin of different radicals that can cause acne, eczema, and other skin diseases.
-improves the flow of micro-cellulars in the skin.
-break up fatty deposits which cause cellulite
-clear skin of acne and blemishes
-assists in prevention of wrinkles and sunburn
-absorbs neutralizing odors

In short using a topical coffee mask has the abilities to exfoliate, soothe, deodorize, heal, detoxify, distress, reduce and heal acne breakouts. Some even say that continued use can even assist in the fading of age spots and calms skin allergies.

So, not only can coffee help keep you awake during midterms or finals week, working all night on a business project, or working a double shift, it can also help your skin. Let’s all say it together now: YAY!

Use caution, though. Caffeine is a diuretic, meaning dehydrating. Only use this mask in the morning, never before bed, and follow the treatment with toner, moisturizer and drinking a glass of water.

The easiest mask is to combine 4 spoonfuls of coffee grinds with a tablespoon of honey or aloe vera( 4/1 ratio). Apply all over the face, carefully avoiding the eye area. Rub on in small, circular motions and then leave on for ten minutes. After ten minutes wash off in an exfoliating manner, pat dry, and then use toner and moisturizer as normal.

Tada! A quick, simple, easy coffee mask to get an additional use out of those leftover coffee grinds. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: This material has not been medically reviewed. Do not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The use of information is solely at the reader’s risk. Do not discontinue prescribed medication in favor of these remedies. If adverse reaction occurs discontinue use, if reaction continues seek medical attention.