It's all very well spending tons of cash in health stores and beauty shops, but there are plenty of things that you can do inside the home, for very little money, that make a huge difference to your appearance too...

Vaseline

Once you've removed your make up, applying a coating of Vaseline to your eyelashes is a great way to make them grow. Just as your lips are delicate, so are these tiny hairs and protecting them during the night will let them grow to their fullest, thickest potential.

Papaya Juice

You might know that papaya juice is good for tenderising meat. Did you know that this is because it contains proteins that break down dead skin cells? Mix the juice of half a papaya with the juice of half a kiwi and some powdered gelatin to make a face mask. This acts as an exfoliator without you having to scrub away at your delicate skin, and it smells great too!

Witch Hazel

Never forget how great this stuff is for getting rid of bruises quickly. This is a great tip for naughty teens who come home with love bites!

Head Massage

There are lots of myths out there on how to make your hair grow, but they generally are all false. Simply keep it trimmed, without split ends, eat a nutritious diet and give yourself a head massage every now and again. This stimulates the hair follicles to make each hair grow a little faster.

Brushing Lips

Yes, that sounds odd but it works. Instead of throwing out your old toothbrush, keep it to rub over your lips every now and again. This gets rid of dead skin cells so they a perfectly smooth, and gives them bright red glow, too. Just put some Vaseline over the top and you've got a very natural, yet beautiful look.

Drinking Water

Yes, yes, yes you've heard it all before. Just remember 8 glasses a day and to take a bottle of water with you when you go out. Simple!

Turmeric

Dabbing turmeric mixed with a little water on spots before bedtime is one of Catherine Zeta Jones' beauty secrets for perfect skin. It is said to dry them out to make them less noticeable, but make sure you cover your pillow with a handkerchief or dry towel to avoid yellow stains!

Aqueous Cream

This emollient cream, fragrance free and used to treat dry skin, is great for removing make up. It was once used as one of the ingredients in soap suds, but is hypo allergenic and comes in huge tubs. Wet your face, rub some over your eyes, rinse and rub off with a cotton pad. This is a great way to remove make up without harsh tonics and instead, moisturising as you go along.

Cucumber

This is possibly another one that we all know about; placing slices of cucumber on the eyes to stop them being puffy. One of the worst things is having to go outside when you've been crying, or have slept badly. Rubbing cucumber juice over your eyes or spending five minutes in the morning lying down with some will take the edge off of puffiness.

Olive Oil

Last but not least, one of the best ways to get beautifully shiny, smooth nails is to rub olive oil into them. Take your nail polish off, file and buff them and then soak your nails in warm water. Push back the cuticles and rub a few drops in as they dry. Moisturise if you need to and then apply another coat of clear nail polish and they should look perfectly healthy.

Stan Tian

Copyrighted material; do not reprint without permission.

 

View all articles by Stan Tian