Homemade Beauty Tips

How to Care for Yourself and Maintain Beauty Naturally at Home
What woman or man doesn't want softer, smoother skin, a clearer complexion, or shiny hair? During the changing seasons, weather and sun damage can take it's toll. But, you don't have to spend lots of money on treatments or beauty products to keep your skin and hair looking it's best. I have tried many natural and homemade beauty remedies over the years, and have found some to be very beneficial. Many of these natural products have been creeping into conventional products in recent years, when all along, you might have had them right in your cupboard!

Let's start with hair. Now who doesn't want a head of shiny, healthy hair? Good hair is a reflection of one's inner health, and can make anyone look more attractive. First, hair needs to be clean.

This is a trickier objective than you might think, because it is possible to OVERWASH your hair. Hair that has been stripped of it's natural oils due to overwashing, sun and chemical damage, etc., can be prone to breaking off. I would recommend for most people to wash their hair 3 to 4 times per week, approximately every other day. In the winter months, especially for people with very long hair, it might be possible to go another day without washing. This is because the longer hair is, the older and dryer it tends to become. Years of exposure to the harsh everyday elements can dry the hair, leading to breakage.

I have been a long-haired woman most of my life, and have found using a gentle shampoo three or four times per week to be most effective. Also, concentrate shampoo on the roots of hair, as that is where oil buildup occurs.

Brushing the hair helps distribute natural oils from the scalp to the rest of the hair. I recommend a natural bristle brush, usually made from boar hair. They can be found in most drug and grocery stores, but are worth the slight increase in cost from synthetic brushes. They tend to break the hair less often, which means fewer split ends! With fewer split ends, you may only have to go to the hairdresser or barber once every couple of months, which saves you money!

Foods that Enhance Beauty

Beauty from the Inside Out
Beauty isn't only skin deep. To keep that youthful glow, the foods you eat help you from the inside out. By nourishing our bodies, we live longer, are healthier, our skin is clearer, our eyes are brighter, and our bodies are stronger.

Before we delve into the "beauty foods" let's take a moment to discuss the number one beauty necessity...water. Although water may not be included in one of the food groups, it's imperative for healthy body function. Not only does it help internally regulate our bodies, but externally it keeps skin moist preventing flaking and dryness. Water consumption also makes us feel full longer helping in weight control, and the more we drink, the more our body flushes out toxins and relieve bloating.

Here is the must have list of beauty foods:

Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple Cider Vinegar speeds up metabolism and helps food digest properly. It is also loaded with enzymes that help strip away dead skin cells keeping skin smooth and moist. Apple Cider Vinegar has been used for centuries as a healing agent.

Carrots: Carrots are loaded with Vitamins that help maintain the outer layer of our skin and prevent premature aging. They also help your hair grow strong.

Citrus Fruits: Citrus Fruits hold our skin cells together by producing collagen. Since collagen cannot be added topically, it's important to get enough citrus fruit in our diets.

Cheese: Cheese is loaded with Calcium for strong bones, but also helps prevent cavities by blocking bacteria that forms in your mouth. To maintain a beautiful smile, eat a little Swiss, Cheddar, or Gouda.

Nonfat Yogurt: Yogurt is high in calcium. It helps keep your teeth white and prevents cavities from forming.

Cranberries: Cranberries help keep your urinary tract functioning properly. They are a natural diuretic so you retain less fluid in your body and look less bloated. They are also rich in antioxidants.

Garlic: Garlic has a multitude of health benefits. Some of its beautifying properties are that it helps restore tissue and in turn combat wrinkles. Applied topically, it can dry out pimples quickly and reduce redness.

How to Maintain a Beautiful and Healthy Face

These Easy Steps Will Show You How to Give Yourself a Spa Treatment at Home
Cleanse your face thoroughly
The first step to maintaining a healthy face at home is to wash your face. This can be done with soap or a facial cleanser that is combined with a small amount of water. The kind of facial cleanser that is used will depend on your type of skin. Some women have oily skin while others have dry skin. If you have dry skin, it is best to wash your face with a moisturizing cleanser.

Apply Steam
After washing, it is time to steam your face. This is done using a Facial sauna or steamer. These items cost around $30 and are well worth buying. Place your face into the facial sauna and keep it in place for about 10 minutes. This process opens your pores and makes it easier for you to remove leftover oil and dirt. Facial saunas are good for your skin complexion. This is the second step to maintaining a healthy face at home.

Extract Oils
Once you have applied steam to your face using a facial sauna, remove oils from your skin. These oils are what clog the pores on your face. Now that your pores are open, you can get rid of the oils and dirt. This is done by moistening a cotton ball with an astringent and rubbing it gently over your entire face. These items are available at your local drugstore and beauty supply store. Popular astringents include Sea Breeze, Noxzema and Clean & Clear products. Witch Hazel is the most basic astringent that can be used as well.

Apply Face Mask
The fourth step to maintaining a healthy face at home is applying a facial mask. It will soften your skin and minimize fine lines. Apply the mask to your entire face and let it dry. Rinse it off after 10 minutes have passed. Facial masks help to make your skin look younger and more radiant. These items are also found at drugstores and beauty supply stores. They can cost from $5-$40 depending on your selection.

Are Beauty Contests Harmful?

By definition, the beauty contest is a competition in which young women are judged on how they look, and the winner becomes a beauty queen. Some people maintain that it is just an innocent quest for physical beauty. As I see it, this parade of female bodies is not entertaining at all, because it has nothing to do with aesthetics but reflects inequality between the sexes. These beauty contests are misleading and harmful, not only to plain-looking women, but also to the entire community.

First of all, beauty contests are of little significance. Women are judged primarily on their physical appearance, while their personal qualities like talents and characters are neglected. It's true that some beauty contests include quizzes in which the contestants show "their talents" by answering questions that only require common sense. These questions are always very simple and skin-deep. And what's more, talented women who are not pretty enough cannot pass the preliminary test!

Last but not least, the beauty contest poses an obstacle to women's liberation. It is a disguised form of sexual selection. Though it's not wrong to admire a healthy and shapely human body, the problem is that such contests are held as a form of entertainment, mostly for men - as women display their physical beauty, men scrutinized them. This implies that women are inferior to men. Isn't this a tragedy? Nowadays, we are still living in a society in which women are often judged by their looks. While we're trying to counteract the trend, beauty contests only hinder this process and add fuel to the flames. They simply neglect qualities and are harmful to women and men alike.


And second, beauty contests are misleading. As we all know, only a small number of women are born beautiful. Although the vast majority of women who are plain looking are supposed to be eligible to practice, most of them don't, because they cannot stand the pressure. After watching beauty contests, plain-looking women often become diffident, and some then try to make themselves look attractive. Besides, for contest winners, their "success" often gives them the illusion that al they need to do afterward is to maintain and improve their physical beauty, and as a result many no longer strive for any further education or other ways of personal development.