How to Make Kitchen Beauty Products

When people tighten their belts to withstand a strict economy, they turn to ways of saving money on luxury items like skin care and makeup. Luckily, there are a lot of common pantry or kitchen products that can be used to make the same spa-like products that so many have come to enjoy but can no longer afford.

Things You'll Need

• Mayonnaise
• White vinegar
• Olive oil
• Milk
• Butter
• Essential oil
• Blender
• Water
• Bathtub
• Pear
• Cool compress
• Tomato juice
• Plastic wrap or aluminum foil
• Lemon
• Knife
• Towel
• Kosher salt
• Skin moisturizer
• Sponge
• Fresh mint

Instructions

1. Make a revitalizing conditioning hair masque with mayonnaise. Wash the hair with a favorite shampoo and towel dry. Apply about 1/2 cup of mayonnaise directly to the hair, working it through to the ends. Use a hair pick to make certain every strand is evenly coated. Let the masque sit in place for between 15 and 30 minutes. Then rinse, dry and style as usual.

2. Mix white vinegar with water to make a hair rinse, using a one to one ratio. Add a few drops--between five and ten--of olive oil for extra shine. Wash and condition the hair as normal. Pour the vinegar rinse over the hair and work it through to the ends. Rinse with cool water, then dry and style as usual.

3. Pour between 1 pint and 1 quart of whole milk into a blender. Add 1/2 stick of butter and blend thoroughly. Add a few drops--between three and five--of a favorite essential oil and then pour the entire mixture into a tub full of piping hot water. Soak and relax for at least 10 minutes to let the milk soothe, refresh and soften dry skin.

4. Cut up slices of pear for a wonderful eye treatment. Lay down flat and put the slices over the eyes. Add a very cool compress over the top to push the healthy ingredients from the fruit into the delicate skin of the eye area. Lie still for between 10 and 30 minutes, and then remove.

5. Pour tomato juice straight from the can to remove the green cast that chlorine often gives blond hair during the summer. Wash the hair first, then pour the juice directly on top. Wrap with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and allow it to sit in place for at least 30 minutes. Then remove the wrapping, rinse the hair and condition it as usual. Repeat the treatment with each successive hair wash until all trace of the green has been neutralized.

6. Cut a lemon in half and apply the fruit to any dark patches on the skin, especially around the elbows, knees and feet. Just rub the juice of the fruit into the affected area. Let it sit on the skin until it it's dry. Then wipe lightly with a damp cloth to remove any excess stickiness. Repeat the treatment as many times as necessary to remove the skin's discoloration and to make it feel normal again.

7. Add a teaspoon of kosher salt to 2 cups of a favorite skin moisturizer to make a skin exfoliating treatment. Mix the salt well into the moisturizer and then apply it to the skin with a damp sponge anywhere on your body except the face. Rub in well with small circular motions. Rinse, dry and moisturize a second time without the salt.

8. Use milk of magnesia as a skin mask to remove excess oil from facial skin. Use a cotton ball to dot the product all over the face or just where the oily patches exist. Let it dry in place and sit for about 5 minutes, then rinse and moisturize as usual.

9. Blend a few sprigs of fresh mint in with a cup of milk. Using a facial sponge, work the mixture into the facial skin. Let it sit in place for about 5 minutes and then rinse. Your skin will be reinvigorated and have a healthy, soft glow.

Tips & Warnings

• The amount of mayonnaise in Step 1 will vary between 1/4 and 3/4 cup depending on the length and coarseness of the hair, but 1/2 cup is about standard. Leave the mayonnaise masque on the hair longer for a better conditioning effect. Vinegar removes excess hair product like hair spray, hair gel or mousse. Olive oil gives hair a natural, healthy-looking sheen. Milk has been used as a skin softener for thousands of years. Cleopatra was famous for her milk baths. The fat in the butter kicks up the milk mixture a notch to make it work quicker when you don't have time for a long, luxurious soak. Essential oils come in many scents including floral, fruits and spices. They are wonderful additions to the bath for aromatherapy. Essential oil can add a hint of your favorite scent anywhere you want to put it. Lemon has natural bleaching power that can be used to bleach out skin discolorations. It can also be used as a natural bleach highlighter for hair. If you don't have kosher salt, use sugar as a substitute to make your skin exfoliant.

• Do not use ingredients that you have an allergy to.