The internet is a weird and wonderful place, full of "life hacks" to help with every miniscule aspect of life in general. A hobby of mine is testing out the creations recommended and shown by bloggers to be a "DIY natural beauty hack!" so yes, I've smeared all kinds of strange homemade gloop on my face. Some worked, some didn't. For the sake of y'all, I've compiled my top 5 down below.
5. Potato and cucumber juice toner
We all know about the famous cucumber-on-eyes spa trick. Spoiler alert: it does nothing. But cucumbers make great skincare, as they have vitamin C and caffeic acid, which both fight to reduce inflamed skin, and at the same time helps hydrate your skin thanks to its high water content. By combining the juice with dark-spot fighting potato juice, you'll get even more benefits, and it's really refreshing on the skin!
You'll need:
The juice of half a cucumber
The juice of one small potato
Three tablespoons of filtered or distilled water
How to make it:
Combine all of the ingredients, and store in a jar or spray bottle in the fridge. Apply like toner, and don't rinse it off. You can use it once or twice daily.
4. Coconut oil and vaseline lip gloss
Coconut oil has a lot of moisturising benefits, and unlike other vegetable oils, it is a lot thinner in consistency, and easier to absorb. By combining it with vaseline, it makes a great moisturising lip gloss.
What you will need:
Two tablespoons coconut oil
Two tablespoons vaseline
Optional: Food dye, essential oils, mica powder, or edible glitter
How to make it:
Melt the coconut oil and vaseline in a heatproof bowl in the microwave, stirring every minute until it's fully melted. Take the oil out of the microwave, and stir in a few drops of food dye, essential oil or a bit of glitter if using. Pour it into a lipgloss container, or keep it in a small jar in the fridge if you want it to stay solid (once taken out of the fridge, it will melt again, so you'll need to store it in the fridge)
3. Coconut oil deep conditioner
As I said earlier, coconut oil has many moisturising benefits, not only for lips and skin, but also for hair. By using it as deep conditioner, your hair will be moisturised and conditioned!
What you'll need:
Small chunk of coconut oil, or about one tablespoon, depending on the thickness and length of your hair
Shower cap
How to make it:
If you have a solid chunk of coconut oil, rub it in between your palms until it melts, then distribute evenly throughout your hair. If your coconut oil is already liquid, just rub it straight onto your hair. Once distributed, comb through your hair a few times to make sure it's spread evenly, and then put hair in a shower cap. I like to skip the shower cap and just tie my hair into a topknot, but it's up to you. Leave on for 30 minutes to an hour, and wash off with shampoo. Condition as per normal. You can do this once a week.
2. Baking soda to whiten teeth
Getting your teeth whitened at a dentist can be expensive, and home teeth-whitening kits can leave you at risk of having sensitive teeth. The best way to whiten is to use baking soda, which most people would already have at home, and it's quick, easy and cheap.
What you'll need:
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
A pinch of baking soda
How to use it:
Apply a bit of baking soda to a wet toothbrush, and put the toothpaste on top as per normal. Sprinkle the remaining baking soda on top of the toothpaste. Brush your teeth as normal. After rinsing, you'll notice your teeth to be slightly whiter. It won't be completely white, but there should be a visible difference. Use this once a week at max, because too much could cause abrasions to teeth.
1. Potato juice to remove dark spots
Despite being delicious to eat, potatoes also carry multiple benefits to skin. They get rid of ugly spots, marks, and blemishes, reduce inflammation and are also full of antioxidants that help with anti-aging. This easy trick has visible differences, and even out skin tone significantly.
What you'll need
Half a potato
How to use it
Slice the potato into centimeter-thick slices. Rub on forehead, cheeks or chin in gentle circular motions, careful not to tug on the skin. When the potato piece feels dry or warm, replace with new slices. Rub for two to three minutes, and leave the juice on your face for another 20 minutes, then rinse it off. Easy!