Indulge Yourself

Times are tough, but a woman's desire to be pampered remains. Or at least this woman's does. The occasional manicure and pedicure still find their way into my budget, but facials are out of the question. And a massage only happens if I can get an appointment at the student clinic at the local career college where the prices are slashed in half.

But a little searching on the internet found some very interesting "at home" spa treatments that are effective and cheap.

• When we were at the conference in Washington, DC, PC's CP told us how she uses olive oil on her skin, including her face, and also uses it to condition her hair. She has a beautiful complexion and her hair is gorgeous. So obviously this works. And best of all? Olive oil is fairly cheap.
• Another use for olive oil is to mix it with epsom salts and use it as a hand and foot scrub. It'll slough off dead skin and moisturize at the same time.
• Tired feet? Mix epsom salts in a basin of hot water, add a mint tea bag and soak your feet for 30 minutes. The pleasant aroma of peppermint will rejuvenate you, and the salts and water will soothe your feet.
• I use lots of styling products on my rather limp hair, and after a while the products build up and make my hair look dull. I asked my hairdresser what to do and she said I could buy a pricey detox shampoo or I could pour shampoo in my palm, add some baking soda to make a paste and massage that into my hair to remove the build-up. You should only need to do this every 2-3 weeks. And baking soda has loads of other great household uses. Google it to find out more.
• Dry hair? Take a half cup of mayonnaise and rub all over your head. Wrap with plastic wrap to hold in your body heat and sit down with your feet propped up for 15-20 minutes to allow the mayo to condition your hair. The woman who wrote about this said the smell of that much mayo was a little overpowering and when the 15 minutes were up, she had a strange craving for a BLT. Try this one at your own risk.
• To exfoliate your face, mix 1/2 cup of oatmeal, 2 tablespoons of honey and 1/4 cup of plain yogurt to form a paste. Apply to face and neck. Massage gently and rinse with cool water. The yogurt contains lactic acid, which helps slough off dead skin cells.
• To firm your face and clean the pores, take an egg white and rub it all over your face. As it dries, you can feel it tightening. Rinse with cool water and pat dry.
• The simple tea bag has gotten lots of media coverage lately because tea contains anti-oxidants, which help your body fight off free radicals. Additionally, I found a website listing 23 uses for tea besides brewing a cup of the hot stuff and drinking it with a blueberry scone. To soothe tired, puffy eyes, soak 2 tea bags in warm water and then place them over your eyes for 20 minutes. The tannin in the tea reduces swelling. The website has suggestions for soothing a sunburn, conditioning your hair and even tanning your skin. I want to try their recipe for getting the gray out of your hair.
• Along with tea and baking soda, apple cider vinegar has a multitude of uses, including ones for beauty. Vinegar naturally contains alpha-hydroxy acids, a common ingredient in many facial products. Pat vinegar on your face before bed to smooth your skin. And rub it on age spots to fade them. Mix it with the aforementioned olive oil, add lettuce and... oops! Wrong topic.

Do you have any home beauty secrets you'd like to share? And maybe PC will give us a review of the Yoga Toes she bought on sale a few weeks ago.